Breeders' Cup Sprint dominated by Roy H — again
When Roy H swept to a convincing victory in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Sprint, California-based trainer Peter Miller completed a remarkable two-year run in which both Stormy Liberal and Roy H repeated their Breeders’ Cup victories from the previous season.
Miller became the first trainer in Breeders’ Cup history to complete that unique double-double. Both Roy H and Stormy Liberal are 6-year-old geldings and both are owned by Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen. Stormy Liberal and Roy H became the 17th and 18th horses to record repeat Breeders’ Cup victories.
Roy H sat a perfect stalking trip in the Sprint. The son of More Than Ready traveled safely on the outside in fourth place as Promises Fulfilled clicked off fast fractions of 21.35 and 44.21.
Jockey Paco Lopez, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race on this day, moved with Roy H after the first quarter and swept to the lead by the time that they reached the stretch. From there Lopez took a peak back to see his competition fading behind him as he and Roy H took command of the race.
It looked like an easy victory, but still Miller was a bit worried as the race unfolded.
“I was a little concerned actually when he started moving early on the turn because I had told him, ‘Hey, Paco, it's a long stretch, just make sure you don't move too soon,’ but he said this horse was just on fire and loaded from the get-go, from the time he stepped on the track and warmed him upm” Miller said. “He said, ‘I could tell this horse was going to win. But when he made the lead that easy, I didn't see anyone coming, and I know this horse has got a big late kick, so I felt pretty confident even though it was a little earlier than I had mapped out.’”
In the end, the 5-2 second choice Roy H covered the six furlongs in a noteworthy time of 1:08.24 while leaving the second-place finisher Whitmore 3 ¼ lengths behind. The 8-5 favorite Imperial Hint was third, while the pace-setter Promises Fulfilled faded to fourth.
All year long the male sprint division has been wide open, but now with two Grade 1 wins and a third in the rich Golden Shaheen in Dubai for five starts, Roy H is likely to have clinched the Eclipse Award for Top Male Sprinter for the second year in a row.