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BC Sprint Preview

Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) ∙ $2,000,000 ∙ 6 furlongs, dirt

Race 5, Saturday, 2:30 PM

PP Horse Sire Broodmare Sire TrueNicks Odds
1
Big Drama Montbrook Notebook
C+
7-2
2
Girolamo A.P. Indy Mr. Prospector
A
3-1
3
Wise Dan Wiseman's Ferry Wolf Power
A
10-1
4
Hamazing Destiny Salt Lake Artax
B
20-1
5
Smiling Tiger Hold That Tiger Cahill Road
A++
6-1
6
Pashito the Che Flatter Pentelicus
A+
20-1
7
Kinsale King Yankee Victor Woodman
A++
8-1
8
Cash Refund Petionville Mystery Storm
A+
20-1
9
Supreme Summit Cactus Ridge Sunny Clime
A+
15-1
10
Riley Tucker Harlan's Holiday Bold Ruckus
A++
8-1
11
Atta Boy Roy Tribunal Synastry
C+
12-1
12
Warrior's Reward Medaglia d'Oro Seeking the Gold
A++
12-1

1 - Big Drama

Big Drama is a true example of Florida speed. A Florida-bred by Montbrook from a Notebook mare, his sire and broodmare sire were Ocala Stud Farm mainstays over the last 15 years. While the cross is only average at C+, it's shared by grade I winner Outofthebox and nice 2010 juvenile filly Stopspendingmaria. Performance on the cross is speedy and almost entirely dirt. Grade II winner and multiple grade I-placed, Big Drama holds the rare distinction of losing a race while setting a track record: he finished first in last year's Swale (gr. II) in a record 1:20.88, but was disqualified to second for interfering with This Ones for Phil. Big Drama is one of the Sprint's main contenders.

2 - Girolamo

Yes, A.P. Indy (TrueNicks,SRO) has sired the BC Sprint favorite, and had Discreetly Mine not been sidelined, it would be the unlikely Mineshaft (TrueNicks,SRO) with the favorite. It goes to show that the mare impacts the mating as much as the stallion. Mr. Prospector mare Get Lucky produced Girolamo, making him a full brother to graded winners Daydreaming and Accelerator, from the family of Super Saver (TrueNicks) and Bluegrass Cat (TrueNicks,SRO). The cross of A.P. Indy with Mr. Prospector mares rates I as it has an impressive 21 stakes winners from 96 starters, including the aforementioned Mineshaft and fellow Kentucky stallion Pulpit (TrueNicks,SRO). Girolamo was last of 12 in last year's BC Classic. Note that Orientate (TrueNicks,SRO) finished 13th of 14 in the 2001 BC Classic before winning the BC Sprint the following season.

3 - Wise Dan

Three-for-four Wise Dan is by Hennessy stallion Wiseman's Ferry, out of the Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle. Wise Dan is a half brother to Successful Dan, winner of last week's Fayette (gr. II) at Keeneland. The cross of Storm Cat line stallions with Wolf Power mares has had success, rating A with three stakes winners from 32 starters. The average winning distance on the cross is 5.99 furlongs, so no surprise to see this colt in the Sprint. This lightly-raced colt has a course and distance win to his credit, albeit on sloppy going.

4 - Hamazing Destiny

By the speedy Salt Lake (TrueNicks,SRO) from a mare by 1999 BC Sprint winner Artax, the cross would certainly seem inclined to sprinting. Indeed, the D. Wayne Lukas trainee Hamazing Destiny has found a home sprinting, and enters the Sprint off a big effort at Delaware where he ran six furlongs in 1:08 4/5. An outsider in this field, the Sprint distance is at least appropriate based on form and pedigree.

5 - Smiling Tiger

Fast three-year-old colt Smiling Tiger is by Hold That Tiger, out of a mare by Unbridled's full brother Cahill Road. There are 28 starters by Storm Cat and sons out of Cahill Road mares, for five stakes winners—an impressive strike rate amounting to a TrueNicks rating of A++. Smiling Tiger is five-for-nine lifetime and enters off grade I wins this season in the Bing Crosby and Ancient Title. The colt will be making his first start on conventional dirt.

6 - Pashito the Che

Another A.P. Indy line sprinter is Pashito the Che, by solid sire Flatter (TrueNicks,SRO), out of a Pentelicus mare. The cross of A.P. Indy and sons with Pentelicus mares has two stakes winners from 14 starters, and all 11 winners have won on dirt. Pashito the Che, on the board in 16 of 17 career starts, appears to be rounding back into form after a gut-wrenching loss to This Ones for Phil in this year's Sunshine Millions Sprint (video).

7 - Kinsale King

Dubai Golden Shaheen (gr. I) winner Kinsale King returns to the U.S. for the BC Sprint after visiting Dubai and England, bringing back one group I win and another group I placing. By Saint Ballado stallion Yankee Victor, out of a Woodman mare, the cross is a perfect two-for-two, as the only two starters on the cross, Kinsale King and Timely Reflection, are stakes winners. Kinsale King, who has no inbreeding within five generations, makes his first start on conventional dirt.

8 - Cash Refund

Petionville (TrueNicks,SRO) gelding Cash Refund enters off a third behind Majesticperfection in the Iowa Sprint Handicap in June. He is out of a multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter by Mystery Storm, and there are five stakes winners from 39 starters by Petionville out of Storm Bird line mares, giving a rating of A+. All five stakes winners have come on dirt, and the average winning distance is 6.53 furlongs, so the mating seems inclined for these conditions.

9 - Supreme Summit

Cactus Ridge (TrueNicks,SRO) colt Supreme Summit was second in the Ancient Title (gr. I) behind Smiling Tiger. He is out of a Sunny Clime mare, representing the In Reality line, and the Storm Cat line has had a hit-or-miss relationship with In Reality. Storm Cat line stallions have had success in limited opportunities with Sunny Clime, but specifically Hennessy and sons have underperformed opportunity with In Reality line mares. It is an interesting phenomenon and, as always, requires careful attention from the breeder. The cross for Supreme Summit, however, is very much a dirt/sprinting one. The average winning distance is 6.12 furlongs, and 28 of 39 winners have come on the dirt.

10 - Riley Tucker

Harlan's Holiday (TrueNicks,SRO) colt Riley Tucker was a good second behind Sprint favorite Girolamo in the Vosburgh (gr. I). Out of a Bold Rukus mare, Riley Tucker gave perhaps his best career performance in May at Churchill Downs in the six-furlong Aristides (gr. III), where he defeated fellow Sprint contenders Atta Boy Roy and Cash Refund. The cross of Harlan and sons with Bold Ruler line mares has been very successful, producing four stakes winners in 23 starters. Their average winning distance is over 7 furlongs, perhaps indicating that Riley Tucker might be competing slightly below his ideal distance, but all four stakes winners have come on a dirt surface.

11 - Atta Boy Roy

Tribunal (Deputy Minister half brother to Chief's Crown) ridgling Atta Boy Roy is a true rags to riches story. The $4,500 Washington-bred yearling is a grade II winner and has earned nearly $500,000. He is out of a mare by Synastry (Seattle Slew 3/4 brother to graded II sprinter Mr. Nickerson). The Deputy Minister line/Seattle Slew line cross is only an average C+, but indicates a preference for dirt and sprinting. Atta Boy Roy has not been out of the top two this season on dirt.

12 - Warrior's Reward

Grade I winner Warrior's Reward (TrueNicks) is the fastest son of top sire Medaglia d'Oro (TrueNicks,SRO), and is the winner of this year's Carter Handicap (gr. I). Out of a Seeking the Gold mare, his pedigree seems to indicate middle distance, but the colt has found a home as a closing sprinter. Of 18 starters on the cross of El Prado and sons with Seeking the Gold mares, there are four stakes winners, with two on dirt and two on turf. The average winning distance is over 7.5 furlongs, but Warrior's Reward's pedigree features several black type performers at below one mile. Entering off a strong closing effort behind Wise Dan in the Phoenix Stakes (gr. III), Warrior's Reward figures to appreciate a hot pace.

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