Breeders' Cup Sprint 2016: A to Z

A.P. Indian will attempt to give trainer Arnaud Delacour his first Breeders’ Cup winner with his second runner in the championships.

Bob Baffert is going for his record 5^th win in the Sprint (Thirty Slews, Midnight Lute twice and Secret Circle) with likely race favorite Lord Nelson and King’s Bishop (G-1) winner, Drefong. No other trainer has won the Sprint more than twice.

Charlton Baker will have his first Breeders’ Cup starter (owning and training) with his former claimer turned Vosburgh (G-1) winner in Joking.

Drefong would be the second straight King’s Bishop winner to capture the Sprint after Runhappy’s victory last year.

Emisael Jaramillo, the all time leading rider in Venezuela, moved his tack to the states last year. He will have his first mount in a Breeders’ Cup race should Delta Bluesman make the trip from South Florida.

French jockey Flavien Prat has had a phenomenal year in Southern California. He will go for his first Breeders’ Cup victory aboard Lord Nelson.

Gary Stevens has never won the Sprint, but recently picked up the mount on last year’s Sprint winner, Runhappy, should the connections decide on defending their title.

Holy Boss will make his first start at Santa Anita while trying to improve on his fourth place finish in last year’s Sprint.

Invaders have done pretty well at Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Shippers have won half of the previous eight Breeders’ Cup Sprints held at Santa Anita (Work All Week, Trinniberg, Cajun Beat, and Smile).

Jersey Joe Bravo is going for a first Breeders’ Cup win with his 16^th mount (A.P. Indian) in the event.

Klaravich Stables Inc. and Lawrence, William (Economic Model) will be seeking their first Breeders’ Cup winner in their 13^th try.

Limousine Liberal is making a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after falling a nose short to A.P. Indian last out.

Manny Franco will make his first appearance at the Breeders’ Cup on Joking. Joking provided the young rider with his first Grade 1 victory.

Noholdingback Bear invades from Canada and gives trainer Michael De Paulo his first Breeders’ Cup entrant.

Overseas bookmakers currently have A.P. Indian listed as the favorite (4/1) for the race with Lord Nelson (9/2), Drefong (5/1), and Masochistic (6/1) close behind.

Prices have to be respected in the Sprint. The average odds of winners in Breeders’ Cup Sprints at Santa Anita: 12.8/1.

Qualifying 'Win And You’re In' races were won by A.P. Indian, Delta Bluesman, Joking, and Lord Nelson.

Repeat winners are tough to come by in the Sprint. In fact, it’s only happened once with Midnight Lute (2007, 2008).

Sprint winners have captured 22 of the last 32 Eclipse Awards for top sprinter.

Tyler Baze, jockey of Masochistic, will attempt to do something his uncle and all time winning jockey Russell Baze never did, ride a Breeders’ Cup winner.

Unproven sire, Sought After will seek to have his first Breeders’ Cup winner in Masochistic.

Vosburgh winners have not fared well in the Sprint. Artax (1999) is the only horse to pull off wins in both races.

Winning the Sprint doesn’t guarantee future success in the breeding shed. Though some have been formidable, no Sprint winner has gone onto sire a Sprint winner. Two winners (Gulch and Cherokee Run) have gone on to sire winners of other Breeders’ Cup races.  

X Y Jet was regarded as the country’s best sprinter for the first half of the year. Injury had sidelined him until a fifth place finish in the Vosburgh behind Joking, and now he looks likely to miss the BC.

Youth has not proven better than experience in the Sprint. Three-year-olds have won only 7 of the 32 runnings.

Zippy is what the winner of the Sprint will have to be. Every year the event has been held at Santa Anita, the winner has broke the 1:09 barrier.