There’s the old verses the young, the mare taking on the boys, a $25.000 claimer, and a lot of top breeders. This should be a fun one to watch.
The Turf Sprint division has been extremely competitive this year. Most of the horses in this field have faced off against each other before, but the Eddie D Stakes (G3) and the Play the King (G2) hosted more of these BC Turf Sprint entrants than any other race this year.
In the Play The King, it was Missing In Action first, followed by Pump Action (third), Brumeii Bachelor (fourth), and Silver Bullet (sixth). Every one of these earned a 100+ SRF figure. In the Eddie D, Silver Bullet and Fire Up The Night battled to a dead heat with Slow Jack and Quasi Normal bringing up the rear. It’s also interesting to note that Fire Up The Night also appeared in the Nearctic (G2), a race won by three-year-old gelding American Life and in which Viking Tiz finished third.
Silver Bullet and Owen Wolff, the horse that was claimed for $25.000 earlier this year, look tough. But Fire Up The Night has been on fire, hitting the board in four of his last five starts, including a second in the Nearctic (G2). On the other hand, you can’t dismiss American Life, the three-year-old who won the Nearctic and Missing In Action, the three-year-old that won the Play The King.
Let’s try to sort this out. Here’s the field:
1 Silver Bullet
Owner: Joseph Racing
Breeder: Duncan Farm
Jockey: Albarado R J
Sire: HRP-Red Bullet
Dam: HRP-My Charmer
Three wins in his last four starts, his only defeat in that series came in the Play The King Stakes (G2) where he finished sixth and still earned a 101 SRF. Last year he finished 8th in the BC Mile. This year he has a very good chance of doing much better than that in the Turf Sprint. Albarado R J who guided him to two of his three wins this year gets the call again.
2 Sweep The Event
Owner: Maxmillion Farm
Breeder: Boulevard
Jockey: Elliot S
Sire: Sweep The Nebulai
Dam: Event Hostess (Worse Sky)
Changed hands in July for $100.000 after a win in the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2) on turf sandwiched between two 5th place finishes in the Triple Bend Stakes (G1) and the Commonwealth (G3), both on dirt. Hasn’t hit the board since in two starts.
One of two entries for Maxmillion Farms
3 Owen Wolff
Owner: Downwind Stables
Breeder: Mb Stables
Sire: La Briganderie
Dam: Balls Of Hall (Steel Ball)
Believe it or not, this 4 year old gelding was running in state-bred Optional Claiming in August. That’s when he was claimed by Downwind Stables for $25.000. Since then he has won back-to-back graded stakes – the Turf Monster Handicap (G3) and the Woodford (G3) – scoring triple digit SRFs in both.
4 Fire Up The Night
Owner: John Henry
Breeder: Pan Farms
Jockey: Pennington F
Sire: City Of Angels
Dam: Savage Garden (Paymaster)
This 3 year old gelding has been HOT HOT HOT since winning the $100.000 Manila in July. In five starts since then, all at stakes or graded stakes level, he has not finished worse than 3rd. He shared the winner’s circle with xxx in the Eddie D (G3), then finished second in the Nearctic (G2) on yielding turf last out.
Has changed hands four times in his short career. First sold by Pan Farms for $40.000, then bought back for $15.000, only ro be sold again for $175.000. His current home is in the John Henry stable which purchased him for $100.000.
5 Quasi Normal
Owner: Night Rider Stables
Breeder: Barcelona Farms
Jockey: Bridgmohan S X
Sire: Simply Awesome Pal
Dam: Questing Queen (HRP-Quest For Fame)
Eleventh in last year’s BC Turf Sprint. Only three wins out of eight starts this year. Last win came in the Shaker (G2) in April. Since then he has only hit the board once in five tries and that came in ungraded company.
6 Natural Flower (f)
Owner: Maxmillion Farm
Breeder: 5 A Racing
Jockey: Desormeaux K J
Sire: Barbarino
Dam: Flower Flyer (HRP-Chicle)
It’s a bold move for any filly or mare to take on the boys in the BC. This year she has one graded win, the Buena Vista (G2) in February. Second in the Royal North Stakes (G3) three starts back. This will be her first time against the boys since last year’s BC Turf Sprint. It will take more than a two pound weight allowance to get her to the wire first.
7 American Life
Owner: Amgelos Stable
Breeder: Team 7 Illusions
Jockey: Velazquez J R
Sire: Chief Charley
Dam: Moralising (Valiant Man)
Another three year old. Has failed to hit the board just once in eight starts this year. loved the yielding turf in the Nearctic (G2) last out and came away with a win over Fire Up The Night. Claimed for $40.000 by Angelos Stables in July who immediately tried him in graded company in the Turf Monster Handicap (G3). Going off at odds of 50-1, he finished third and earned a 101 SRF.
8 Brumeii Bachelor
Owner: Eastern Equine
Breeder: Almostastables
Jockey: Talamo J
Sire: Dogs Bachelor Party
Dam: Brumeii Solmios (Tollbooth Willie)
Finished second in the Play The King Stakes (G2) two starts back, then dropped into optional claiming company at SA for a win. Only other win this year came at the $75.000 Lure Stakes also at SA.
9 Vicking Tiz
Owner/Breeder: Delta Farms
Jockey: Alvarado R Jr
Sire: Viking Rage
Dam: Be Tiz (Mr Tiz)
Won the Carry Back (G3) on the dirt in July. In fact, in six starts in stakes company, this three year old colt’s best efforts, besides the Carry Back, were a second in the Barrer (G3) and a third in the Neactic (G2). Did earn a couple of triple digit SFT figures.
10 Slow Jack
Owner: John Henry
Breeder: TwinTowers Racing
Jockey: Moran D
Sire: Gold Jack
Dam: Yagottamellowslow (Kimbo Slice)
After an impressive win in the San Simeon Stakes (G3) in April at SA and an allowance win at WO, this four year old gelding looked like he might be worth a $90.000 price tag. But in his two tries for John Henry stables, he has finished tenth of ten and tenth of eleven. But if he wins the BC Turf Sprint, he will be worth that and much more.
11 Kick It Up A Notch
Owner: Mb Stables
Breeder: Night Mare Racing
Jockey: Ortiz I Jr
Sire: Levi Strauss
Dam: Spice It Up (Gumbo)
Won the Jaipur (G3) in June, then followed that up with a win in the$100.000 Lucky Coin on soft turf and a second in the $100.000 Troy. Last out he finished ninth in the $150.000 BEL Turf Sprint on off-going. Except for that one race, he has been very consistent this year with a record of 8-3-3-1 and earnings of $309.620.
12 People Want To Know
Owner/Breeder: Mb Stables
Jockey: Bejarano R
Sire: Zero Return
Dam: Iron Mark (Iron Kaki)
One of two entries for Mb Stables.One of two entries for Mb Stables.Won the TS Turf Spring (G3) for his only graded win of the year. Finished third in the Highlander Stakes (G2).
13 Missing In Action
Owner: John Henry
Breeder: Team 7 Illusions
Jockey: Saez L
Sire: Creative Officer
Dam: Lotta Letters (Great Forever)
Three year old competed in the KYD (G1) and the Prk (G1) before demanding a $300.000 price tag and switching to turf. Won the Play The King Stakes (G2) over four of the entrant in this race. Did not like the off-going in the WO Mile (G1) but he won’t have to worry about that here.
14 Pump Action Shotgun
Owner: Maxmillion Farm
Breeder: Visceral Farms
Jockey: Maldonado E
Sire: Steel Joint
Dam: Iron Dragon
Winless this year, but this three-year-old has two second place finishes in graded company, in the Play The King Stakes (G2) and the LRL Turf Cup (G2).
Categories: THE BREEDERS CUP
