Roy H punched his ticket to the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Saturday with a one-length victory in the $300,345 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1), a “Win & You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the November 4 dash at Del Mar.
The 9-10 choice in a field of six, Roy H stalked three wide down the backside as American Anthem set a contested pace of :22.07 and :45.03 with 41-1 outsider Mr. Hinx applying pressure. Mr. Hinx assumed a brief lead in upper stretch, but Roy H soon passed his younger rivals under Kent Desormeaux en route to victory in a time of 1:08.68 for six furlongs on a fast track.
“It was quite a handy ride today. He’s fast,” Desormeaux said. “He probably broke half a length behind the leaders and I had him in absolute reserve all the way.
“It was actually a very uneventful race. He broke smart and was the widest of all in a small field. He camped three wide in the cat-bird seat and I just waited to turn him loose. He was really full of run. He had been touting himself in the mornings so I really couldn’t wait to ride him.”
Owned by Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen, Roy H paid $3.80. Mr. Hinx finished 2 1/4 lengths head of American Anthem, who led Ransom the Moon, Giant Expectations, and Edwards Going Left across the wire.
This was the second graded stakes win of the season for Roy H, who pulled off a minor upset of his stakes debut in the June 9 True North (G2) at Belmont Park. Among the vanquished was Whitmore, who himself qualified for the Sprint winning Friday’s Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland.
In his lone interim start, Roy H finished 1 1/2 lengths second to Ransom the Moon in the Bing Crosby (G1) after being fanned very wide entering the stretch. His record now stands at 16-5-4-1, $534,765.
“This was very rewarding,” trainer Peter Miller said. “We thought we were the best horse in the Bing Crosby. It was racing luck that day. I’ve had so many bad beats in my life and I’m just glad that today wasn’t another one of those.”
Bred in Kentucky by Ramona Bass, Roy H is by More Than Ready and out of multiple Grade 3 winner Elusive Diva, by Elusive Quality.
