Cistron put his speed on display in Saturday’s $300,000 Bing Crosby (G1), leading all the way at Del Mar, and received an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) for capturing the “Win & You’re In” race. Victor Espinoza was up for Hronis Racing and John Sadler as Cistron prevailed by a half-length and completed six furlongs in 1:09.95.
“We were comfortable up there,” Espinoza said. “He was running well on the lead. I wanted to save something for the stretch and I was able to. I didn’t get a lot of pressure up front and that helped. At the finish, I still had lots of horse. He’s an amazing horse.”
A five-year-old son of The Factor, Cistron earned his first graded win in the April 30 Kona Gold (G2) at Santa Anita and was exiting a head second in the May 25 Triple Bend (G2). The three-time stakes victor has placed in a total of nine stakes and earned $700,719 from 26-5-7-6 record.
He was off as the 9-2 co-second choice among seven runners. Cistron established an opening quarter-mile in :22.10 and led by 1 ½ lengths through a half-mile in :45.16. Desert Law, who was off at 5-1, pressed the pace and tried to reel in the winner in the stretch before settling for second, 2 ¼ lengths better than Jalen Journey at 9-2.
Air Strike, Line Judge, 8-5 favorite Recruiting Ready and Chief Cicatriz rounded out the order of finish.
“The way we were drawn (post 2), we knew we’d have to go to the front,” Sadler said. “It looked like there was a lot of speed in the race, but we didn’t really have a choice to change our style. Once he got away and got in the clear, he gets energy from that. He had a super work over this track, a bullet, and he showed up for the big race today.”
Bred in Kentucky by St George Farm LLC, Cistron is out of the Officer mare Major Allie and sold for $180,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale. The bay horse endured a 17-race losing streak before his aforementioned win in the Kona Gold and Cistron is getting good at the right time for his connections.
“I’m not sure what’s next, but if he runs again here it will be in the (August 24) Pat O’Brien (G2),” Sadler said.
