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SPRINT DIARY OCTOBER 12, 2008 by Vance Hanson With all the significant preps for the Breeders' Cup's one-turn races in the books, the picture is starting to become clearer on who will be participating and who the likely contenders will be. Attrition in the ranks has also occurred, which is unfortunate for the connections of those who won't make it to California, but helps handicappers who probably didn't want to have to deal with total crapshoots. Recent defections from the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) due to physical setbacks and/or lackluster prep efforts include Bustin Stones, Abraaj (Carson City), Lucky Island (Arg) (Lucky Roberto) and First Defence (Unbridled's Song). Filly & Mare Sprint no-shows will likely include Sugar Swirl (Touch Gold), Dream Rush (Wild Rush), Miraculous Miss (Mr. Greeley) and Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), the latter two the second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in last year's inaugural. What we saw (males): Three notable preps occurred on September 27, with most eyes that day focused on STREET BOSS (Street Cry [Ire]), leader among the West Coast's dragsters, in the Ancient Title S. (G1). That course-and-distance prep was one of the first tests run on Santa Anita's new Pro-Ride surface, and Street Boss appeared to handle it well despite falling a half-length short. The winner, COST OF FREEDOM (Cee's Tizzy), is a John Sadler project. Unable to win a first -level allowance as recently as June 28, he was dropped in for a $50,000 tag at Del Mar on July 28. He won that day by a half-length and was claimed by Sadler, who stepped him back up in class for his next start where he scored by 5 3/4-lengths for his initial allowance triumph. The flow of the Ancient Title worked out to Cost of Freedom's advantage more than Street Boss'. Stalking in fourth behind a blistering pace, Cost of Freedom got the jump on the favorite and did not swing nearly as wide turning for home. That extra bit of ground perhaps did not cost Street Boss the victory as he enjoyed a ground-saving trip down the backside before circling the field, but it might have been a closer finish at the wire. IN SUMMATION (Put it Back), who wound up 1 3/4 lengths behind Street Boss in third, needed to show more but simply didn't appear to have the talent to keep up with the top pair. While still a viable Breeders' Cup longshot, it increasingly looks like the five-year-old peaked late last year and early this season. Street Boss' position as the favorite for Sprint seems secure despite the mild upset loss. Unlike Aldebaran, the closer who was favored in the Sprint the last time the race was held at Santa Anita in 2003, Street Boss is proficient at six furlongs and tends not take himself out of the picture by falling too far off the pace. He will, however, face a larger field than he's accustomed to seeing, and deep closers have to have a little luck on their side in order to negotiate the inevitable traffic that pops up in these mad dashes. Cost of Freedom is now three-for-three over Santa Anita's main track and appears to like it regardless of its composition. Versatile in running style, he might very well be as good as he's looked in his last couple of starts. Because he had an ideal trip in the Ancient Title, however, he's probably worth trying to beat on October 25. At Belmont Park, we had a topsy-turvy renewal of the Vosburgh S. (G1) which was landed by 23-1 longshot BLACK SEVENTEEN (Is It True), who was winning for the first time since the 2007 Carry Back S. (G2). Because it was contested in the slop, the results have to be taken with some grain of salt, but overall the form of the East Coast sprinters was not flattered when you consider Black Seventeen had lost relatively minor stakes in California prior to the Vosburgh. The one who exited the Vosburgh with his reputation intact was FABULOUS STRIKE (Smart Strike), who was making only his second start since winning the 2007 Vosburgh, and his first since June 21. Under pressure throughout, Fabulous Strike dug in gamely through the lane and just failed to hold off Black Seventeen by a head. Declared from Sprint consideration last year due to an untimely injury, he heads to California with the strongest of credentials but without the experience over a synthetic surface that give the locals an edge going in. Still, it would be foolish to diminish his chances given he is such a gutsy competitor. When the Sprint was last contested at Santa Anita in 2003, Cajun Beat prevailed at 22-1 following a narrow victory in the Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) versus fellow three-year-olds. That race has again yielded another Sprint contender in FATAL BULLET (Red Bullet), who won by more than seven lengths and looks like the only viable sophomore in the Sprint field. Detractors can point to the fact he has faced little to this point and, unlike Aldebaran, Street Boss does not look to be as vulnerable a favorite. Nonetheless, Fatal Bullet's synthetic record of 8-7-1-0 is imposing on paper and he could be any kind. The weakest of the Sprint preps was last week's Phoenix S. (G3) at Keeneland. A race that should have yielded a solid contender or two given the surface it was contested over, it instead fell to 26-1 longshot SING BABY SING (Unbridled's Song), a consistent horse but no world-beater. Runner-up that day was TALENT SEARCH (Catienus), who was making his first attempt in more than 10 months. Third in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint, Talent Search demonstrated the ability to handle a synthetic surface and should improve a bit with that race under his belt. His limited number of starts this year will probably prove a hindrance, though. What we saw (females): Though not facing the very best older filly sprinters, INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) ran to her very high standard once again in claiming the Gallant Bloom H. (G2) by 6 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park on September 20. Due to her reputation as a divisional champion and frequent winner, we're probably looking at the Filly & Mare Sprint favorite. It is a discouraging fact that having the Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs this year likely endangers fillies who might otherwise have been stronger threats in a six-furlong contest, which the race was last year due to Monmouth Park's configuration. One such runner is INDYANNE (Indian Charlie), who rushed to an early lead in last week's six-furlong Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3) at Keeneland and narrowly escaped with a head victory over WILD GAMS (Forest Wildcat), a noteworthy challenger who was the race's defending champion and exiting a score in the Presque Isle Masters S. Indyanne is all speed, but that's probably going to work against her at Breeders' Cup time when she faces others of the same ilk while being asked to negotiate seven furlongs for the first time. There are others in the same boat as her. News that Acorn S. (G1) heroine ZAFTIG (Gone West) will attempt to win the Filly & Mare Sprint following a lengthy spell adds some spice to a race that might not attract a full field. Likewise VENTURA (Chester House), who has been plying her trade on turf for most of the season, makes this race one of the more anticipated highlights of the Friday card. Green machines: The Morvich H. (G3) at Santa Anita and Nearctic S. (Can-G2) at Woodbine produced upsets as favoritism in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint may wind up going to Midwest star MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian Charlie), who will enter the contest off a two-month freshening. CALIFORNIA FLAG (Avenue of Flags), an unheralded 22-1 shot exiting a minor allowance victory, was a convincing three-length winner of the Morvich while GET FUNKY (Straight Man), the 9-5 favorite, rallied for second by a head over third. The latter has been the long-time turf sprinter on the West Coast and probably deserves the benefit of the doubt considering his body of work over Santa Anita's downhill turf course. Out East, TRUE TO TRADITION (Rahy) has supplanted HEROS REWARD (Partner's Hero) as that region's leading grass sprinter after beating that rival in both the Turf Monster H. at Philadelphia Park and the Nearctic. On the flip side, True to Tradition was all out to fend off ROUSE THE CAT (Sir Cat) by a nose in the Nearctic, though that Turf Monster third-placer was needlessly overlooked at 52-1. Elsewhere, SALUTE THE COUNT (Count the Time) finally got off the duck this year with a photo-finish win in the Quick Call S. at the end of the Saratoga meet, and has been consistent in prior travels to Kentucky and Florida. Adding some foreign intrigue to the Turf Sprint is Godolphin's DIABOLICAL (Artax), a former U.S. mainstay who was a Grade 2 winner on dirt last year. A close second in the Diadem S. (Eng-G2) at Ascot last time and beaten only 1 1/2 lengths in the July Cup (Eng-G1) over the summer, Diabolical hasn't quite reproduced his best dirt form on turf this year and might arguably have a better chance in the main track equivalent on the same day. On tap: When the fields are more or less formalized, we'll have a final look at them and try and scope out the winners in our final installment.
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