The fastest of the fast on the main track gather Saturday for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.
The 6-furlong race attracted 13 runners from around the globe for the dash for the cash. Post time for the Sprint, race 8 on Breeders' Cup Championships Saturday, is 3:42 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock).
Consideration of the Sprint starts with Englishman (the 4-5 favorite) from the outside post with Jose Ortiz. For many handicappers, the analysis begins and ends with Englishman. He has been that brilliant.
"He's most definitely a rare talent," his trainer Cherie DeVaux said.
Englishman is “the other” standout 3-year-old in DeVaux’s barn, playing second fiddle to Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo. If he handles this assignment, Englishman will take a backseat to no one.
He has won 4-of-5 starts, all victories coming at 7 furlongs or less. The lone blemish on his record was a second-place effort in the Pat Day Mile (G2) where he was extended beyond his comfort zone.
He came to hand in a big way this summer at Saratoga with dazzling Grade 1 wins in the Woody Stephens and the H. Allen Jerkens. Those victories, and the accompanying soaring speed figures, make him the one to fear.
However, we do have to attach a caveat. This will be the first time Englishman faces older horses. And there are some well-seasoned international performers here. The colt will try to become the first 3-year-old to win the Sprint since Drefong in 2016.
"I think he's the top sprinter in the country, and I have a lot of confidence in him," DeVaux said. "He's doing great. We're excited to take him out there on Breeders' Cup day and we're confident about the way he will run."
DeVaux is correct in thinking Englishman is the best U.S. sprinter. But what about the rest of the world? That’s where it gets interesting, from a handicapping perspective.
There are several top-class foreign runners who, as the late, great Hall of Famer Woody Stephens used to say, are “here for the reason, not the season”.
T O Elvis (7-2) tops the international squad in the Sprint. The Japanese star already owns a U.S. win, having captured the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He rang up a big speed figure in the process, making him the logical main threat to Englishman. He has not raced since.
The 4-year-old has a history of performing well off extended layoffs. The Churchill Downs was his first race since mid-December in Japan.
“He was also coming off a layoff when he won the Churchill Downs Stakes, so that experience gave me confidence that he can handle a gap between races,” trainer Daisuke Takayanagi said. “As for the draw, there is a strong horse, Englishman, two gates outside us, so ideally, we can keep an eye on him. It is exciting to have a horse who will be well supported in the betting here in America, and that also gives us confidence.”
Let's not overlook Dubai’s Dark Saffron, a very generous 20-1 on the morning line. He is a two-time winner of the $2 million Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan.
So, it’s Englishman against the world. We can’t wait to see how it plays out.
The picks: 1 Englishman, 2 T O Elvis, 3 Dark Saffron
1 Mad House (Paco Lopez, David VanWinkle), 30-1
2 Dark Saffron (Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash), 20-1
3 Liam Smith (Manny Franco, Peter Miller), 20-1
4 Hymn (Rafael Bejarano, Ron Moquett), 15-1
5 Listenupshance (Emisael Jaramillo, Doug O'Neill), 12-1
6 American Stage (Oisin Murphy, Yoshito Yahagi), 30-1
7 Built (Luis Saez, Wayne Catalano), 10-1
8 Little Thunder (John Velazquez, Timothy Hamm), 30-1
9 Nakatomi (Tyler Gaffalione, 126, Wesley Ward), 12-1
10 Roll On Big Joe (Julien Leparoux, Robert Hess, Jr.), 30-1
11 T O Elvis (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi), 7-2
12 Stradale (Flavien Prat, Steve Asmussen), 20-1
13 Englishman (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux), 4-5
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
