Breeders’ Bowl Sprint
The stage for one of the biggest days of racing has been set here in California for the 2023 Breeders’ Bowl Championship. For now, we will be turning our attention to the Breeders’ Bowl Sprint (G1) which is to be held over six furlongs on the main dirt track. Despite the threat of rain earlier in the week, it looks like Saturday we wil be set to have a fast main track at post time. The race is open to three-year-olds and up. A total of three three-year-olds will be taking on the older horses for the dash over the dirt. The total prize purse of the race is $3,000,000. It looks like we are set for a full field of fourteen horses that will be vying for top honors of dirt sprinter, so let’s take a look through the field of contenders.
- War Echoes – given12– O. A. Haack – 8/1
Drawing the inside rail for the race, this four-year-old colt has won over two million in career earnings and is out of the four-million-dollar-earning and Grade I winning broodmare Echo Pass. The colt is shipping into California from France where he had his most recent start in the Longchamp Sprint (G1) over the turf at five furlongs. The colt settled into the middle of the pack in the race, not making his move until the final furlongs where he went on to win by half a length with a speed figure of one hundred twelve. His most recent start over the dirt was in his prior race which came here in California during The Binger Handicap (G1) at six furlongs. Off the pace in eleventh, the colt would rally late to finish sixth.
2. Henny Hibiki (JPN) – natural – D. Givins – 25/1
The first of our Japanese-bred horses is in the second post and is the first of our three-year-olds to go to the gate. This will be the chestnut colt’s first attempt challenging older horses in his thirteen lifetime starts to date. The most recent starts for the colt have come in New York. The most recent of these was in August during the Prince’s Knight Stakes (G1) over seven furlongs. Sent out of the gate to set just off the pace and keeping constant pressure on the front runner, the colt wore his advisary down in the final furlong to win by a head at the wire with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen.
3. Papi (SAF) – palacemalice – G. Owans – 40/1
One of the longer shots on the board for Saturday and the only South African-bred in the field will be going into the third post. The three-year-old son of Trippi is one of only two horses in the field to have not already won a graded stakes race. The most recent start for the colt was in Turkey during a listed stakes race as a springboard for his Breeders Bowl start. Last out of the gate in the small field, the colt made his move in the final furlongs of the race, going on to win the race by half a length with a speed figure of one hundred. His last graded start was in his prior race, which came in August in the Prince’s Knight Stakes (G1) over seven furlongs in New York. Again, well off the pace at the start, the colt made his move late to finish second, narrowly defeated by a head at the wire.
4. Ancient Comedy – xpansion5 – W. Cahill – 9/1
Following will be the first five-year-old going into the gate for what will be his third start in the Breeders’ Bowl. The son of Flatter won the 2021 Breeders’ Bowl Sprint (G1). The most recent start for the bay horse was in late September during The Iceberg (NY) in New York over six furlongs, which this year was held over a good dirt track. Late out of the gate early, the horse made his move midway through the race to finish second, off the pace by only a quarter of a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. His most recent win was an allowance race over six furlongs in Kentucky last January.
5. Cat On A Couch – nyprince – H. Harzheim – 7/1
The first gelding to go into the race on Saturday is coming off of two consecutive wins before coming into the race. He will be making his twentieth career start in the Breeders’ Bowl. The most recent of the gelding’s two consecutive wins came in The Old Name (G1) here in California over six furlongs. Breaking sharply and going straight to the lead early in the race from a far outside post, the gelding was able to maintain that lead through to the wire, winning by a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. Berfore this, the gelding would win a listed stakes race over the same distance in New York.
6. Orochi – jonsnow – Q. Cassell – 6/1
Out of the Hall of Fame broodmare Mother Of Dragons, who has produced six graded winners, including this five-year-old horse by Quality Road, will be next in our line up in post six. The two most recent starts for the horse have both come here in California. The more recent of the two came last September during The Old Name (G1) over six furlongs. The horse was forwardly placed in this race, third off the pace of the front runners. He would cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. In July the horse would win The Binger Handicap (G1) at six furlongs by a quarter of a length after taking the field from gate to wire. This tis the horses second start in the Breeders’ Bowl Sprint (G1) after starting in last year’s race in Kentucky where he finished fifth.
7. West Menlo – teece2 – J. Cox – 42/1
In the middle of the field, we will have our longest shot on the board by morning line odds with this local California-bred three-year-old gelding. The top ranked dirt sprint three-year-old most recently started in New York during the seven-furlong Prince’s Knight Stakes (G1). Settling into fourth out the gate, despite gaining some ground on the front runners at the midway point of the race, he would cross the wire in sixth while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. The most recent win for the gelding was this past May during the Pea Shooters Handicap (G2) at six furlongs in Iowa. Once again being held just off the pace at the start from a few other front runners, the gelding would make his move midway through the race and go on to win by three-quarters of a length. The gelding finished third in last years’ Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Dirt Sprint (G1).
8. B Shrewd (JPN) – shannonbarn – C. Wyatt – 8/1
Seeking his first Grade I win, the Japanese-bred gelding is a Grade II winner of over one million in lifetime earnings. The five-year-old will be making his twenty-second career start this weekend. His most recent race came in late August during The Foregone (G1) at seven furlongs in New York. The gelding came out of the gate in this race seventh, towards the middle of the field, but never fired in the race and went on to cross the wire in eighth while setting a speed figure of one hundred and seven. The gelding’s most recent win also came in New York during early July in The Foolish Tom (G2) at seven furlongs which he won by a head after sitting just off the pace early in fourth.
9. Silent Colossus – lenny11 – E. Cerda – 11/1
The second horse in our field to never have won a graded start as of yet, the four-year-old colt has only made two graded starts before coming into the Breeders’ Bowl this weekend. The bay colt’s most recent start came here in California during The Old Name (G1) this past September over six furlongs. Breaking towards the back of the back of the pack in the sprint, the colt started making his move midway through the race and went on to cross the wire in second, just a length off the pace in his second graded start of his career. The colt, sired by More Than Ready, set a speed figure of one hundred thirteen for the race. The most recent win for the colt was in March during a listed stakes race in Indiana over five furlongs. The only other graded start for the colt was here in California last February during the Pablo Cruz Handicap (G2) where he would finish tenth.
10. Mind Your Cameras (JPN) – bulbbloods – J. Dizzle – 13/1
Coming into this race off an impressive nine race winning streak, this four-year-old gelding is by Mind Your Biscuits and is a Grade I winner of over $700,000 in career earnings. The chestnut gelding from Japan most recently started in late September in New York during The Iceberg (G1) over six furlongs, which this year was held over a good dirt track. After settling just off the pace of the front runner in the race, tucked comfortably a couple of lengths back in second. The gelding made his move in the race in the final furlong and went on to win by a quarter length with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. Making up the rest of his recent nine race winning streak includes the Cracked Peanuts Sprint (G3) at six furlongs in Spain, five allowance races, a starter allowance, and a $150,000 tag claiming race.
11. Sea Sick – bigeasy30 – B. Easy – 7/1
Working onto the eleventh post, this five-year-old horse is the top ranked older sprinter. The light grey horse, sired by Zong, will be making his twentieth lifetime start this weekend. The most recent start for the horse came in New York during The Foregone (G1) at seven furlongs. Out of the gate and settling into the middle of the field in sixth out of the gate, the horse would start to make his winning move midway through the race and would go on to win the race by half a length with a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. This was preceded by a win in The Three Bender (G1) here in California last June. This is the horse’s second start into the Breeders’ Bowl Sprint (G1). He crossed the wire in tenth last year.
12. Yavin Prime – kaner8 – F. Oxon – 6/1
Next in our field, this five-year-old Kentucky bred horse is a Grade II winner but is still seeking out his first Grade I win. The bay horse has made his last three starts here in California, most recently in The Old Name (G1) at six furlongs this past September. Out of the gate in seventh, the horse never found his stride in the race and crossed the wire seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. His other two starts here in California came in The Binger Handicap (G1) and The Three Bender (G1), in which the horse finished third in both. His most recent win was this past May during the MD Breeders Bowl (G3) at six furlongs, held this year over a sloppy dirt track. He won impressively in this race by a length and a quarter while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred twenty-two.
13. American Move – massatoga3 – F. Gossett – 13/1
In the thirteenth slot, this five-year-old gelding is sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The gelding is a EOY winner of nearly three million in career earnings to date. He will be making his thirtieth career start this weekend. His most recent start leading up to this year’s Breeders’ Bowl was in The Foregone (G1) over seven furlongs in New York last August. The gelding set out towards the middle of the field at the break but started to get shuffled back as the rest of the field started making their move midway through the race. The gelding would come home fourteenth in the race, setting a speed figure of ninety-nine. His most recent win was last year right here in the Breeders’ Bowl Sprint (G1) where he won by three-quarters of a length over the horse that will be starting just to his inside in this years’ race.
14. The Odd Couple (FR) – thethumb17 – L. Radzinski – 8/1
The final horse to go into the starting gate for this year’s Breeders’ Bowl Spring (G1) will be this five-year-old French-bred gelding by Wootton Bassett (GB). Bringing home just over one million in career earnings, the bay gelding most recently started, like much of the rest of our field, in The Old Name (G1) here in California over six furlongs. Last out of the gate at the start, the gelding would make up some ground in his charge in the final furlongs, but it was only enough to get him up to cross the wire in eleventh. He set a speed figure of one hundred for the effort in the race. He last won in June across the country in New York during the Due North Stakes (G2) at six furlongs where he managed to take the field from gate to wire to win by a length and a quarter.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Cat On A Couch
Place: Sea Sick
Show: War Echoes