Breeders' Cup Sprint

John and Jennie Williams' J & J Stables sold Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) for just $95,000 at Keeneland September. While that price proved to be the bargain of a lifetime for buyer Kirk Robison, the speedy colt has been the gift that keeps on giving for his breeders. The Williamses hope that continues as Jackie's Warrior enters the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Saturday as the morning-line favorite and his 2-year-old half-sister Lenni Girl (Candy Ride {Arg}) sells during Book 1 of Keeneland November Wednesday. The Williamses acquired Jackie's Warrior's dam...

Trainer Hideyuki Mori will send four Japanese-based American-bred horses under his care to the Breeders' Cup, according to the Daily Sports newspaper, including 2-year-old colt Jasper Great (Arrogate), who became the first Japanese winner for his late sire (by Unbridled's Song) with a victory over the past weekend. Mori has become an active buyer at American bloodstock sales and acquired Jasper Great for $200,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase. The half-brother to GISW Power Broker (Pulpit) and SW Fierce Boots (Tiznow) was sent off at debut odds of...

'TDN Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy) made the grade with a dominating win in Saturday's GII Vosburgh S., a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Following Sea cleared the field of four from his outside draw and it was smooth sailing from there. The Spendthrift Farm homebred, off at odds of 5-2, cut out fractions of :22.59 and :45.24, and, after leaving the rail open as he cornered for home, hit the gas in the stretch to win for fun by 4 3/4...

Reformed claimer Special Reserve pressed, pounced and held on late to earn a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Friday. Scooped up for $40,000 from Randy Morse and Doyle Williams out of an upset optional claiming tally at Oaklawn in February--good for what at the time was by far his best career Beyer Speed Figure of 92--the late-blooming 5-year-old won right back at that level (not in for the tag) in March before finishing second in the GIII Commonwealth S. over an additional furlong...

In a summer full of impressive and promising performances in allowance races at Saratoga, it was the Sept. 4 run of a total no-name who could've been had by anyone in the sport for just $10,000 months earlier that stood out the most on the speed-figure scale. And Saturday, modestly-bred Baby Yoda (Prospective) will try to back that monster effort up while making his stakes debut against four rivals in Belmont's GII Vosburgh S., a Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Debuting for owner Gerald...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Aloha West (Hard Spun), a troubled fourth in his only previous stakes try, will try black-type competition again after a pair of well-graded Saratoga allowance victories in Friday's GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. at Keeneland, a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Graduating despite a slow start and early, wide move in his belated debut Feb. 7 at Oaklawn, the 4-year-old was again troubled at the break and ran fifth in an allowance there Mar. 13 before just missing...

The streaking Dr. Schivel (Violence) will take a four-race winning streak into Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. Last term's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity winner is perfect in two attempts since joining Mark Glatt's barn this year, most recently delivering a neck victory in Del Mar's GI Bing Crosby S. July 31. The 2-1 morning-line favorite is drawn on the rail in this six-horse field. The one-two-three finishers across the line of this race last year--C Z Rocket (City Zip), Flagstaff (Speightstown) and Collusion...

Handicappers will have a tough time tossing many horses from their tickets as a competitive nine-horse field lines up for Saturday's six-furlong GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Given a slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 is C Z Rocket (City Zip). Claimed for $40,000 last spring at Oaklawn by Peter Miller, the gelding has been a new horse since, winning seven of nine races while finishing second in the other two. That streak includes...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--To illustrate his point about Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), trainer Ron Moquett stepped into the Eclipse Award winner's stall Sunday morning saying, "This is not the time to do this," and rubbed his star's coat with a small towel. Showing his displeasure, Whitmore promptly kicked the wall. Hard. "He is as consistent as the day is long," Moquett said, smiling. "He will do everything the exact same way. Our job is to get done, working with him, knowing his idiosyncrasies." Moquett and his staff live in Whitmore's world, ruled...

The ageless champion Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) will try for an unprecedented fourth victory in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. in a competitive seven-horse field Saturday at Oaklawn. Annexing the Count Fleet in 2017 and 2018, the chestnut ran into a buzzsaw in champion Mitole (Eskendereya) when second in 2019 and gutted out his third score in the race last year. Winless in his next three, he finished his campaign with an 18-1 upset of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint to earn an Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter. Making...

Multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}--Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) has been retired from racing and arrived at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm where the 4-year-old will take up stud duty in 2021. His fee has been set at $20,000 S&N. This year's impressive winner of the GI Carter H. and GI Runhappy Metropolitan H., Vekoma was scratched as the morning-line favorite in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint after spiking a fever upon arrival at Keeneland. He will be given a few days to settle in at Spendthrift...

Making his fourth consecutive appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, the 7-year-old gelding Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) did what few have done over the course of the weekend--rally from far back on the main track to score an 18-1 upset in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Saturday at Keeneland. The $4.2-million earner lagged in the latter third of the field early as Japanese raider Jasper Prince (Violence) ensured a fast pace, chased along by fellow longshot Empire of Gold (Goldencents). Traveling nicely within himself on the turn, Whitmore crept into...