Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

BREEDERS' CUP SATURDAY

PREVIEWS

BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT (G1),

7TH-SA, $1,000,000, 3YO/UP, *6 1/2FT, 5:05PM, 11-2

Prior winning experience over Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course has

been imperative in the ultimate success of those who've won the Breeders' Cup

Turf Sprint over it, and we see no reason to look away from those contenders in

Saturday's race. Indeed, we expect to see the result look a lot like the 2012

renewal contested over the same course.

1ST -- MIZDIRECTION has been the essence of perfection over Santa Anita's

turf course, winning in all six attempts, including last year's Turf Sprint by a

half-length. Despite entering that race off a layoff of more than five months,

the gray filly was live on the tote, dropping from a morning line price of 20-1

down to 6-1.

Mizdirection continued her winning ways into 2013, taking the Monrovia and Las Cienegas over the Turf Sprint course and distance, and squeezing a

victory in the Buena Vista over a mile in between. Her win streak was

snapped in her latest start, the June 8 Just a Game at Belmont, which was

contested over a soggy turf that was definitely not to her liking.

Trained by Mike Puype and racing for a partnership that includes sports radio

personality Jim Rome, Mizdirection appears to be coming into her title defense

in excellent fashion. She's been firing bullets over this sod for more than a

month, obviously knows how to win off the bench, and shouldn't be hindered much

by post 12 (she won from 11 last year).

2ND -- RENEESGOTZIP finished a solid third behind Mizdirection in this race

last year, and we think she can slightly improve on that here. Making her turf

debut that day, she was outrun for the lead down the hill, made a bid at the

eighth pole, and was simply outrun late by rivals with more experience on the

surface.

That remains her only grass start, but her form this season has been

outstanding. She only got back to racing during the Del Mar meet, posting two

dynamite successes: by 5 1/4 lengths in a stakes-quality allowance and by 4 1/4

lengths in the Rancho Bernardo, both over Polytrack

Perhaps the fastest among those with inside posts, she might be the one

they'll all have to run down.

3RD -- UNBRIDLED'S NOTE entered the 2012 Turf Sprint, for which he was the

mild 9-2 favorite, off a turf debut score in the Eddie D. He ran a winning

race, but found Mizdirection slightly better.

Subsequently victorious in the course-and-distance Joe Hernandez H., the

Steve Asmussen trainee was put back on dirt several times before and after

without winning. He returned to grass to defend his title in the Eddie D on

September 27, but might have been a tad rusty when falling a half-length short

of CHIPS ALL IN.

While certainly capable of moving forward second time off the layoff,

Unbridled's Note will have to overcome post 14 here after drawing 13 a year ago.

OTHERS -- CHIPS ALL IN is another course-and-distance specialist with tallies

in the Eddie D and the April 20 San Simeon this term. He's an obvious

threat, but hasn't won back-to-back since his juvenile days in 2011.

CARACORTADO finished a close fourth in the Eddie D, which was his first

outing in nearly 16 months, and could move forward off that tightener. BOAT TRIP

is improving rapidly and just missed pulling off a 7-1 upset of the Eddie D by a

nose.

Among the shippers, HAVELOCK has shown a tremendous closing kick at times, in

particular at Keeneland, where he won the Woodford by two lengths last out

after trailing by nearly eight lengths turning for home.