BC Sprint (Grade 1)- $1,500.000 Purse
SA- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
November 5, 2016
A great test of pure speed awaits us Saturday as the 14th running of the BC Sprint takes place. This is the race that made Alpha Ultimo a true legend within our game, as he would win this race three times (2005, 2006, and 2008) as a part of the 38 total victories and $11,000.000-plus in earnings that he was able to accumulate. Those, of course, are not his only BC wins, nor are they the only times that he has run in the BC Sprint, but this was truly his race. That type of domination is actually something that has been common in the BC Sprint, as there are two others out there who have won it multiple times. Not too long after the Alpha Ultimo legacy, Shoot Skyhigh won the race back to back, in 2009 and 2010. Then, we can even look a lot more recently to the great Bold Star, who with Sanny Village, won the race in 2014 and 2015. Regardless of who wins this race, we will not have a repeat winner, but who’s stay that our winner this year could not be back next year. Enjoy the race, here’s our field!
#1- Ferro (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by D Moran)- The trainer knew he had something special immediately and ran him in a stake as his debut race. That was quite a move, and while Ferro did not win that day, he would eventually get to run in a MSW to get the win. His career has seen him now win 5-of-10, with a pair of those victories coming in ON-bred stakes. It would not be until the end of July that Ferro make the biggest statement of his career, as he won the Grade 1 Crosby at DMR. Somewhat surprisingly, there are only two others in this field that ran in that race, as it just seems like there would have been more. Domination Nation was second there and Shelby Mustang further back. His most recent race was the Gallant Bob, a race in which its possible he ran too hard early. He’ll see a stronger field here, but having the rail for his running style should suit nicely.
#2- Aqua Dulce (Sanny Village, ridden by J R Leparoux)- This six year old gelding has not raced all that much this year, with just four starts. He would have an extended layoff period between August 2015 and June of this year, which completely turned this horse around. Whatever it was that he did, it has certainly worked wonders and right away he must have known he hit on something because that June race would be the Grade 2 True North at WO, and he would win! He had never raced in a stake previous to that. Aqua Dulce has since taken on the best, and is coming off a runner up finish in the Grade 1 Vosburg, and will enjoy his chance to get revenge on Give Your All here.
#3- No Doubt About It (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- One of three entries from Mb Stables in this race, and all of them seem to have a decent shot at. No Doubt About It is coming off a race that I was able to closely watch last month in the SA Sprint Championship, and it was a race that he narrowly defeated Five Star Five. Looking at my recap there, I see that I referenced his tremendous heart multiple times. He would come out of no where that day, and Five Star Five made it very difficult, but somehow there was no doubt about the winner. That’s not just a flash in the pan race either, as this Commanding colt has looked sharp in all three of his wins this year. Those who want to doubt a horse named this may look at the Obrien result, but more then likely there was a reason to that.
#4- Five Star Five (Harrell Racing, S X Bridgmohan)- The post position draw provided a nice little transition, as here is that Five Star Five we were just talking about. While No Doubt About It was coming from behind, Five Star Five was up with the leader early in the SA Sprint Championship and ran a flawless race, he just couldn’t do anything about the winner. It is nice to see them go head to head again here. Five Star Five can be a little inconsistent, though, and he also had a disappointing race in the Obrien that I have to at least mention here. He has a great shot, but only if he runs like he did last month.
#5- Reel Steal (Scarletandgraystable, ridden by E Nicasio)- Acquired in the December 2015 auction for $75.000, Reel Steal has gone to on to be a gem for the trainer. There’s only been one win, that coming in the Grade 3 Fleet Sprint Handicap at OP in April. Other then that, he has hit the board in a few, such as a pair of runner ups in the Kona Stakes and Smile Sprint Handicap. Getting to the BC is a big accomplishment, but against the best of his division, it’s hard to put him on top against the type of competition he faces here. He has the ability though, and at his best he cannot be counted out.
#6- Sindaco Di Firenze (Grimley, ridden by M Franco)- In the middle of July, Sindaco Di Firenze was sold in private sales and his career would never be the same. He had done some good things early in his three year old season and got a chance to run in the KYD. However, as that year went on, Sindaco Di Firenze began to be placed in lesser races. That led to the sale, and new trainer Grimley put him right back into graded company, but also cut him back to sprinting. In the Grade 1 Vanderbilt, he would not win, but ran well and gave confidence for the trainer to continue with that plan. Last month, he won the Grade 2 Phoenix which allowed him to get into this field. He also got bute for the first time in that race, and will have it again here. Like Reel Steal, it’s tough to put him on top in this race given he hasn’t always faced this level of competition, but he can get it done.
#7- Visa Vice (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E Maldonado)- The amazing nine year old just continues to tick, although he is going to do so in new silks as Mb Stables sold him off a few weeks ago for a value price of $100.000. Visa Vice is the Fourstardave of our game in my opinion, particularly impressive in that he has won at least one race every year of his career, and a total of fifteen wins in 67 career starts. This year he picked up a great win in the Grade 1 Carter in April. We can fairly say that he might not quite be what he used to be, but what is capable of doing is coming up big at any given moment in time. BC glory has eluded him so far, but this would be a great story if won this race.
#8- Give Your All (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This gelding will definitely be one to watch given his current run of form. Well, maybe I shouldn’t phrase that as current, because the appropriately named Give Your All has never seemed to waver from that path. In 10 starts, he has won seven, and he has never failed to hit the board. Most recently though are two big wins, taking the Kings Bishop at SAR and the Vosburg at BEL. In those races, his SRF numbers were 104 and 101, respectively. He’s ready to bring his best here also, as evidenced by stunning work here at five furlongs on Tuesday. This should be the favorite, and will be my pick to win the race, there is simply nothing wrong about him coming into this. It is going to take a bad trip to stop him, and in a 14-horse field, and with his mid-pack type running style, that’s a legitimate concern.
#9- Moon Landing (Mb Stables, ridden by R J Albarado)- One of the top threats to Give Your All will be his stablemate that starts right next to him, giving Mb Stables a powerful threesome in this field. Moon Landing is a four year old who has won 7 of 22 career starts, and one of those starts was this very race last year. In the 2015 BC Sprint, the Laffin Moon gelding ran fourth, and only missed by a length. Since then, he was three wins and three places in his seven 2016 starts, which are highlighted by the Grade 1 Forego, which was part of a great Travers weekend undercard for Mb Stables, it seems. While he can pick up the win here, I would like him a little more if this race were another furlong. That seems to be where the moonlight shines best.
#10- Hallelujah (Eastern Equine, ridden by Mar Garcia)- It will be the 36th career start for this gritty seven year old gelding, and this would be the perfect time to win number 10. Hallelujah has been brought along conservatively this year, only making five starts. In them, he has two wins and two places, which are highlighted by his victory right here at SA in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes in June. He has remained very consistent, with triple digit SRF’s in all but one of his starts this year. Hallelujah might be overlooked a little in this field because he hasn’t raced much, but this one-time BC Classic participant is still performing at a high level and could have one last great moment here.
#11- Shelby Mustang (John Henry, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- Purchased by the current trainer for a $600.000 price tag in June, and so far has not lived up to expectations. With prior Blushing Meadows, he won three graded stakes, all of which were right here at SA, including the Grade 2 Kona. Since the sale, though, Shelby Mustang has had an engine failure. In the Grade 1 Crosby, he was four lengths out in a 9th place run, and then in the Obrien he would finish a distant 11th against many of those he sees again here. So, you may say, the competition was tough there. Then, you have last month when he went to an open allowance at BEL, which also featured Moon Landing, and that was a fifth place performance. Shelby Mustang is not on good form. But, has John Henry done some fine tuning, and this Shelby is ready to fire on all cylinders again? That’s what it will take.
#12- Domination Nation (Double J Stables, ridden by M E Smith)- Two years ago, this autogen was able to find his way to the BC Sprint, and he nearly came away with a victory, finishing second to Bold Star. That race is part of successful 34-race career, eight of which he has been able to dominate. This year, his winning percentage is about the same with two wins in eight starts. However, it is a second place effort that I am looking at as his best race of the year when he was the runner up to Ferro in the Crosby at DMR in July. Domination Nation is a lot like Hallelujah in this field, the veteran who can still get it done, but may be overlooked a little.
#13- Oh Awesome One (John Henry, ridden by D E Centeno)- The trainer did not have to pay $600.000 for this one as he did for Shelby Mustang and Fly Millennium, who we’ll get to in a moment. This purchase was “just” $225.000, but I feel it is the one that will actually give John Henry his strongest chance at winning the race. His breeding, by El Gran Broomstick, is particularly appealing this time of year, and he has been able to get one big win for the trainer, coming in the Grade 3 Bold Venture, defeating Visa Vice in the process. Made a nice late bid in his last start, the SA Sprint Championship, to miss by just a length, though No Doubt About It and Five Star Five were two that beat him.
#14- Fly Millennium (John Henry, ridden by J Alvarado)- Needing to overcome this outside post is going to be difficult, but we can expect a lot of people to be confident that Fly Millennium can get it done here. His running style seems to want to at least be midpack, if not be off the pace, and I just think that this may do him in. The last time he won a race came in April in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at AQU, but other then that, we are looking at a bunch of close finishes, including his most recent start, the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at PRX. If he was starting in another post, I’d feel better, but this will be tough.
Prediction: 8-3-10-9
— NS
Categories: BC 2015-17, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP
