BC Sprint

BREEDERS’
CUP PREVIEWS

This year’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) features one
of the most talented fields that Lone Star Park will see on
Saturday, as any number of the entrants have the ability to win.
Only three horses in the field of 13 have raced over the Texas
track, and most of the sprints that have taken place at Lone Star
this year have seen winners lead wire-to-wire or come from just
off the pace to win. We believe that CHAMPALI (Glitterman) has
the most potential to walk away victorious.

Champali looks like the most underrated horse in the field.
The bay four-year-old has never raced against Grade 1
competition, but he’s shown a great ability to sit just off the
pace and make a winning move turning for home. With the certainty
of a fast pace here, he’ll be in position to take advantage when
the front-runners tire. On a day that calls for possible rain,
the Greg Foley charge has proven himself on an off track, coming
away with two wins and a place in three starts on a track rated
less than fast. The colt comes off a stellar win in the Phoenix
Breeders’ Cup S. (G3), earning a 110 BRIS Speed rating, and will
have jockey Rafael Bejarano back in the saddle. Champali could be
our next Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion.

SPEIGHTSTOWN (Gone West) enters the race as the 3-1 favorite,
despite a 4 1/2-length loss earlier this month in the Vosburgh S.
(G1). Fortunately for the chestnut six-year-old, he will not have
to contend with Vosburgh winner Pico Central (Brz) (Spend a Buck),
whose owner, Gary Tanaka, did not put up the supplemental entry
fee. Speightstown has shown that he deserves the low odds by
winning three Grade 2 races and his first four starts of the year.
Look for the Todd Pletcher charge to challenge for the lead from
the beginning in pursuit of a familiar wire-to-wire run. Jockey
John Velazquez has the call.

CLOCK STOPPER (Gilded Time) has participated in a number of
close races and, although he could be more successful if
stretched out to a mile, is very capable of winning here. The
Dallas Stewart trainee will once again find himself under the
influence of Pat Day, who will be making his 11th start aboard
the chestnut four-year-old, eight of these an on the board run.
Clock Stopper’s last victorious effort came back in June under
Day in an optional claimer, but look for him to make a good
appearance here and claim another top three finish.

KELA (Numerous) is coming off a winning effort in the Pat
O’Brien Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) back in August. In this race, he
earned his highest Speed rating to date (113), which came just on
the heels of a 112 set in winning the six-furlong Bing Crosby
Breeders’ Cup H. (G1) the race prior. The Mike Mitchell-trained
six-year-old already has two races under his belt at Lone Star,
one a victory in the one-mile Texas Mile S. (G3) in April. Jerry
Bailey will be making his first appearance on the bay and Kela
looks dangerous.

MIDAS EYES (Touch Gold), who is coming off a 56-day layoff,
will make his first start since winning the Forego H. (G1) in
early September. The four-year-old has shown tremendous
improvement since being put under the whip of Edgar Prado,
earning duel 112 Speed figures in his last two outings, and Bobby
Frankel’s bay colt should sit a good trip just off the pace here.
Midas Eyes is capable of a serious challenge from the far outside
post.

GOLD STORM (Seeking the Gold) comes off a second-place finish
in the Phoenix. The four-year-old chestnut is the most
experienced on Saturday’s surface, posting a 4-3-0-1 record at
Lone Star, and his present form is a plus. Trainer Bubba Cascio
and jockey Larry Taylor have been a good combination lately, with
the duo going 10-3-1-3 in the past two weeks, and Gold Storm will
be winging it early for the pair. He’ll face serious pressure,
but we wouldn’t be shocked to see him hold for part.

BWANA CHARLIE (Indian Charlie) is the more talented of two
Steve Asmussen entries. The bay colt was victorious three back in
the Amsterdam S. (G2) at Saratoga and came just shy of the
winner’s circle last out in the Alysheba Breeders’ Cup S. at Lone
Star. He should find this company much more difficult, but the
three-year-old is one to consider for the exotics with Richard
Migliore in the irons.

CAJUN BEAT (Grand Slam) comes into the race Saturday to defend
his title from last year. The four-year-old gelding will start
from the 11-hole, the same post position from which he won last
year’s Sprint at Santa Anita, and he’ll be making his second start
for Frankel. That start, however, resulted in a fourth-place finish and Cajun Beat has not seen the same
success as he did with former trainer Steve Margolis. PT’S GREY
EAGLE (Pleasant Tap) enters off a win in the Ancient Title
Breeders’ Cup H. (G1), in which he entered the lane five-wide to
rally in the stretch. He has also shown an ability to run near
the front of the pack and come out in good form. The three-year-old
gelding will be coming out of the eight spot but has a history of
running well previously when starting from outside posts.

Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) winner OUR NEW RECRUIT (Alphabet
Soup) comes into this race off a victory in the Pirate’s Bounty H.
in early September, a 54-day layoff. Despite his success in these
two races, he might not have what it takes to be a serious factor.
ABBONDANZA (Alphabet Soup) will need to prove himself against
this kind of competition. The three-year-old chestnut posted a
third-place spot in the Riva Ridge Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) in June
and a second in the Bay Shore S. (G3) back in April, but we’ll go
against here.

CUVEE (Carson City) has only two races behind him this year,
the last a second in the Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) at Turfway. He
owns nice BRIS E1 and E2 Speed figures, but he’ll likely have a
difficult time sustaining his speed. MY COUSIN MATT (Matty G) has
not really shown that he has the ability to keep up with his
fellow entrants here. His lone graded win came in 2003 when he
took the General George H. (G2).

TRACK BANDIT SELECTIONS:		1st-CHAMPALI
		2nd-SPEIGHTSTOWN
		3rd-CLOCK STOPPER