Breeders’ Cup Sprint

The 2020 Breeders’ Cup Sprint will be held at Santa Anita on Saturday, November 7th.

There are seven ‘Win and You’re In’ automatic berths given to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The final two are the first weekend of October, a month before the Breeders’ Cup. These races are the Smile Sprint Handicap, Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes, Bing Crosby Handicap, Forego Stakes, Vosburgh Stakes, Phoenix Stakes an the Santa Anita Sprint Championships.

Belmont Sprint Championship
Bing Crosby S.
The Vosburgh
Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes
Santa Anita Sprint Championship

2020 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Results & Payouts

Final results and payouts for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Sprint:

POST	HORSE	JOCKEY	WIN / PLACE / SHOW
7	Whitmore	Irad Ortiz Jr.	$38.80 / 13.80 / $7.60
2	C Z Rocket	Luis Saez	$7.60 / $5.00
8	Firenze Fire	Jose Lezcano	$6.40
9	Empire of Gold	Declan Carroll
5	Manny Wah	Tyler Gaffalione
11	Diamond Oops	Florent Geroux
12	Hog Creek Hustle	Corey Lanerie
10	Yaupon	Joel Rosario
15	Lasting Legacy	Brian Hernandez Jr.
4	Bon Raison	Adam Beschizza
6	Frank’s Rockette	Junior Alvarado
3	Collusion Illusion	Flavien Prat
1	Echo Town	Ricardo Santana Jr.
13	Jasper Prince	Jose Ortiz
14 (SCR)	Vekoma	Javier Castellano

Exotic Payouts:

$1.00 Exacta (7-2) Paid: $138.00
$0.50 Trifecta (7-2-8) Paid: $546.00
$0.10 Superfecta (7-2-8-9) Paid: $2,988.58

The BC Sprint History

The Twinspires.com Breeders’ Cup Sprint is a recently raised $2 million race contested at 6 furlongs. The world’s fastest Thoroughbred’s compete among open competition for horses three-years-old and older. The BC Sprint has been run every year since 1984 with Eillo winning the inaugural race at Hollywood Park.

Jockey Corey Nakatani has won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint a record four times, while trainer Bob Baffert has been a winner a record five times including in 2016 with Drefong. The 2016 runner-up, and race favorite Masochistic, was disqualified more than a month after the race following a pair of tests which confirmed the presence of the steroid stanozolol in the horse’s system. The horse’s trainer and connections also forfeited the accompanying $255,000 place money.

Five horses stopped the clock with a winning time of less than 1:08.00, with the fastest time by Baffert-trained Midnight Lute in 2008 (1:07.08). Midnight Lute is the only two-time winner of the BC Sprint, winning each time with the late jockey Garrett Gomez aboard. A total of eight favorites at post time have won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint including Midnight Lute in 2007.

The 2015 winner Runhappy, a three-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, won as the 8-5 favorite in a Keeneland track-record time of 1:08.58.

The 1989 BC Sprint at Gulfstream was a memorable race, as the filly Safely Kept turned for home in the lead following blistering splits. But jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. came flying along the rail with Dancing Spree to nip her by a nose at the wire for owner Ogden Phipps.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint insight

The Breeders’ Cup Sprint covers 6 furlongs on dirt and has served as one of the marquee staples of the world championships since 1984. Open to horses ages three-years-old and up, the current purse is $1,500,000. The number of competitors is limited to 14 total.

Midnight Lute is not only the lone winner of two Breeders’ Cup Sprint championships, he also stands as the reigning speed record holder with a time of 1:07.08 set during his 2008 victory. Four other winners have also recorded times that broke the 1:08.00 plateau. These include Kona Gold in 2000, Artax in 1999, Cajun Beat in 2003 and Trinniberg in 2012.

Corey Nakatani has won this race on four occasions, making him the winningest jockey in Breeders’ Cup Sprint history. He won with Lit Justice first in 1996 and followed up a year later with Elmhurst in 1997 and again with Reraise in 1998. Nakatani would return nearly a decade later to win his fourth title aboard Thor’s Echo in 2006.

The legendary trainer Bob Baffert has established himself as a force in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with five wins. He first saw the winner’s circle with Thirty Slews in 1992 before winning the aforementioned back-to-back reigns with Midnight Lute in 2007 and 2008. He has since won with Secret Circle in 2013 and most recently with Drefong in 2016.

Many of the winners from the Breeders’ Cup Sprint go on to earn honors as American Champion Sprint Horse from the Eclipse Awards.

Breeders’ Cup SPRINT Historical Records:

Year/Track	Winner/	Jockey/	Time/
Date/Distance	Owner	Trainer	Odds
2019 – SA	Mitole	R. Santana, Jr.	1:09.00
Nov 02 – 6F	Heiligbrodt, L. William and Corinne	S. Asmussen	$1.80
2018 – CD	Roy H	P. Lopez	1:08.24
Nov 03 – 6F	Rockingham Ranch and Bernsen, David A.	P. Miller	$7.40
2017 – DMR	Roy H	K. Desormeaux	01:08.6
Nov 04 – 6F	Rockingham Ranch and Bernsen, David A.	P. Miller	$4.90
2016 – SA	Drefong	M. Garcia	01:08.8
Nov 05 – 6F	Baoma Corporation	B. Baffert	$3.90
2015 – KEE	Runhappy	E. Prado	01:08.6
Oct 31 – 6F	James McIngvale	M. Borell	$1.60*
2014 – SA	Work All Week	F. Geroux	01:08.3
Nov 01 – 6F	Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc.	R. Brueggemann	$19.10
2013 – SA	Secret Circle	M. Garcia	01:08.7
Nov 02 – 6F	Watson, Karl, Pegram, Michael E. and Weitman, Paul	B. Baffert	$2.50*
2012 – SA	Trinniberg	W. Martinez	01:08.0
Nov 03 – 6F	Sherry Parbhoo	S. Parbhoo	$13.70
2011 – CD	Amazombie	M. Smith	01:09.2
Nov 05 – 6F	Sanford, Thomas C. and Spawr, William	W. Spawr	$7.90
2010 – CD	Big Drama	E. Coa	01:09.0
Nov 06 – 6F	Harold L. Queen	D. Fawkes	$5.20
2009 – OSA	Dancing in Silks	J. Rosario	01:08.1
Nov 07 – 6F	Ken Kinakin	C. Gaines	$25.30
2008 – OSA	Midnight Lute	G. Gomez	01:07.1
Oct 25 – 6F	Watson and Weitman Performances, LLC and Pegram	B. Baffert	$2.70
2007 – MTH	Midnight Lute	G. Gomez	01:09.2
Oct 27 – 6F	Watson and Weitman Performances, LLC and Pegram	B. Baffert	$2.50*
2006 – CD	Thor’s Echo	C. Nakatani	01:08.8
Nov 04 – 6F	Royce S. Jaime Racing Stable, Inc. and Suarez Racing, Inc.	D. O’Neill	$15.60
2005 – BEL	Silver Train	E. Prado	01:08.9
Oct 29 – 6F	Buckram Oak Farm	R. Dutrow, Jr.	$11.90
2004 – LS	Speightstown	J. Velazquez	01:08.1
Oct 30 – 6F	Melnyk, Eugene and Laura	T. Pletcher	$3.70
2003 – SA	Cajun Beat	C. Velasquez	01:07.9
Oct 25 – 6F	Padua Stables and Iracane, John and Joseph	S. Margolis	$22.80
2002 – AP	Orientate	J. Bailey	01:08.9
Oct 26 – 6F	Lewis, Robert B. and Beverly J.	D. Lukas	$2.70*
2001 – BEL	Squirtle Squirt	J. Bailey	01:08.4
Oct 27 – 6F	David Joseph Lanzman	R. Frankel	$9.60
2000 – CD	Kona Gold	A. Solis	01:07.8
Nov 04 – 6F	Headley, Bruce, Molasky, Irwin and Andrew and High Tech Stable	B. Headley	$1.70*
1999 – GP	Artax	J. Chavez	01:07.9
Nov 06 – 6F	Paraneck Stable	L. Albertrani	$3.70
1998 – CD	Reraise	C. Nakatani	01:09.1
Nov 07 – 6F	Fey, B., Han, M., Opas, L., Sinatra, F. and Class Racing Stable	C. Dollase	$3.80
1997 – HOL	Elmhurst	C. Nakatani	01:08.0
Nov 08 – 6F	Evergreen Farm and Sahadi	J. Sahadi	$16.60
1996 – WO	Lit de Justice	C. Nakatani	01:08.6
Oct 26 – 6F	Evergreen Farms	J. Sahadi	$4.00*
1995 – BEL	Desert Stormer	K. Desormeaux	01:09.1
Oct 28 – 6F	Joanne H. Norr	F. Lyons	$14.50
1994 – CD	Cherokee Run	M. Smith	01:09.5
Nov 05 – 6F	Jill E. Robinson	F. Alexander	$2.80*
1993 – SA	Cardmania	E. Delahoussaye	01:08.8
Nov 06 – 6F	Jean Couvercelle	D. Meredith	$5.30
1992 – GP	Thirty Slews	E. Delahoussaye	01:08.2
Oct 31 – 6F	Degroot, Dutch Masters III and Pegram	B. Baffert	$18.70
1991 – CD	Sheikh Albadou (GB)	P. Eddery	01:09.4
Nov 02 – 6F	Hilal Salem	A. Scott	$26.30
1990 – BEL	Safely Kept	C. Perret	01:09.6
Oct 27 – 6F	Jayeff B Stables	A. Goldberg	$12.20
1989 – GP	Dancing Spree	A. Cordero, Jr.	01:09.0
Nov 04 – 6F	Ogden Phipps	C. McGaughey III	$16.60
1988 – CD	Gulch	A. Cordero, Jr.	01:10.4
Nov 05 – 6F	Peter M. Brant	D. Lukas	$5.80
1987 – HOL	Very Subtle	P. Valenzuela	01:08.8
Nov 21 – 6F	Ben Rochelle	M. Stute	$16.40
1986 – SA	Smile	J. Vasquez	01:08.4
Nov 01 – 6F	Frances A. Genter Stable, Inc.	F. Schulhofer	$11.00
1985 – AQU	Precisionist	C. McCarron	01:08.4
Nov 02 – 6F	Fred W. Hooper	L. Fenstermaker	$3.40
1984 – HOL	Eillo	C. Perret	01:10.2
Nov 10 – 6F	Crown Stable	B. Lepman	$1.30*

Historical Breeders’ Cup Sprint Results:

2019 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Entries & Morning Line Odds

PP	Horse	Trainer	Morning Line Odds	Jockey
1	Catalina Cruiser	John W. Sadler	4-1	Joel Rosario
2	Hog Creek Hustle	Vickie L. Foley	20-1	Mike Smith
3	Firenze Fire	Jason Servis	12-1	Irad Ortiz, Jr.
4	Mitole	Steven M. Asmussen	9-5	Ricardo Santana, Jr.
5	Engage	Steven M. Asmussen	15-1	John Velazquez
6	Shancelot	Jorge Navarro	4-1	Jose Ortiz
7	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	15-1	Flavien Prat
8	Landeskog	Doug F. O’Neill	12-1	Abel Cedillo
9	Imperial Hint	Luis Carvajal Jr.	4-1	Javier Castellano
10	Matera Sky	Hideyuki Mori	30-1	Yutaka Take

2016 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Results

The $1.5 million Twinspires Breeders’ Cup Sprint had a smaller field of seven, but Drefong made it 4-for-4 in 2016 with a big Breeders’ Cup victory at Santa Anita. Running head-to-head with another California speed ball through a fast half mile in :44.03, Drefong moved ahead of Masochistic on the inside as they hit the top of the stretch. Jockey Martin Garcia urged him home and shook clear a sixteenth from the wire and held firm just over a length in front.

Drefong covered 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:08.79, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his fifth Sprint victory and his 13th Breeders’ Cup World Championship win overall.

“What a racehorse. What a race. He’s been getting better and better, but we didn’t know how fast he was. He had trained so well coming into this race I thought he was peaking. When I saw him in the paddock I just knew he was going to get it done.”

Baffert’s Lord Nelson, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was scratched before the race after being treated for an infected cut.

Garcia won his second BC Sprint and fourth Breeders’ Cup race overall. Drefong (7-2) paid $9.80, $4.80 and $3.80. The 8-5 favorite Masochistic returned $4.00 and $2.80, and Mind Your Biscuits rallied hard in the stretch to finish third ($4.60).

A $1 exacta was worth $15.00 while a $1 trifecta returned $112.30.

Drefong won his stakes debut in August in the Grade I Kings Bishop at Saratoga. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint was his fifth straight win overall and increased his earnings to more than $1.2 million in six career starts.