Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing. The distance of the race will vary depending on the host track's turf course requirements.[1]

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
Grade I race
LocationUnited States
Inaugurated2008
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
WebsiteOfficial Breeders' Cup website
Race information
Distancefrom 5 furlongs (0.63 mi)
to 6.5 furlongs (0.81 mi)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-years-old & up
WeightWeight for Age
PurseUS$1,000,000

The race was run for the first time in 2008 during the second day of Breeders' Cup racing at that year's host track, Santa Anita Park. The 2008 race was held at a distance of six and a half furlongs and was contested on Santa Anita's signature El Camino Real "downhill" turf course. Besides Santa Anita, the only tracks in North America capable of contesting turf sprints at six and a half furlongs are Woodbine[2] and Belmont.[3] Churchill Downs, which has hosted the Breeders' Cup eight times, can only conduct turf sprints at 5 furlongs.[4] The 2015 race at Keeneland was held at approximately ​5 1⁄2 furlongs.

Because of technical requirements, it was not eligible for classification as a graded stakes race in its first two runnings.[5] Starting in 2010, it was a Grade II race,[6] and was upgraded to Grade I for 2012.[7]

Automatic Berths

Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed "The Breeders' Cup Challenge," a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the thirteen divisions has between two and twelve of these "Win and You're In" qualifying races.

In the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Division, runners are limited to 14 with up to seven automatic berths. Note though that one horse may win multiple challenge races, while other challenge winners will not be entered in the Breeders' Cup for a variety of reasons such as injury or travel considerations.

The 2019 "Win and You're In" races are:[8]

  1. the Jaipur Invitational, a Grade I race run in June at Belmont Park in New York
  2. the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, a Group 1 race run in June at Royal Ascot in England
  3. the Nunthorpe Stakes, a Group 1 race run in August at York Racecourse in England
  4. the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, a Grade III race run in September at Kentucky Downs in Kentucky
  5. the Flying Five Stakes, a Group 1 race run in September at Curragh Racecourse in Ireland
  6. the Sprinters Stakes, a Grade 1 race run in October at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan
  7. the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, a Group 1 race run in October at Longchamp in France

Records

Most wins:

  • 2 – Mizdirection (2012, 2013)
  • 2 – Stormy Liberal (2017, 2018)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

  • 3 – Peter Miller (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • 2 – Mike Puype (2012, 2013)

Most wins by an owner:

  • 2 – Jungle Racing/KMN Racing et al. (2012, 2013)
  • 2 – Rockingham Ranch (2017, 2018)

Winners
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Dist. Time Purse Grade
2020 Glass Slippers (GB) 4 Tom Eaves Kevin Ryan Bearstone Stud ​5 1⁄2 f 1:01.53 $1,000,000 I
2019 Belvoir Bay (GB) 6 Javier Castellano Peter Miller Gary Barber 5 f 0:54.83 $1,000,000 I
2018 Stormy Liberal 6 Drayden Van Dyke Peter Miller Rockingham Ranch 5½ f 1:04.50 $1,000,000 I
2017 Stormy Liberal 5 Joel Rosario Peter Miller Rockingham Ranch 5 f 0:56.12 $1,000,000 I
2016 Obviously 8 Flavien Prat Philip D'Amato Anthony Fanticola & Joseph Scardino abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:11.33 $1,000,000 I
2015 Mongolian Saturday 5 Florent Geroux Enebish Ganbat Mongolian Stable abt. ​5 1⁄2 f 1:03.19 $1,000,000 I
2014 Bobby's Kitten 3 Joel Rosario Chad Brown Ken & Sarah Ramsey abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:12.73 $1,000,000 I
2013 Mizdirection 5 Mike Smith Mike Puype Jungle Racing/KMN Racing et al. abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:12.25 $1,000,000 I
2012 Mizdirection 4 Mike Smith Mike Puype Jungle Racing/KMN Racing et al. abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:11.39 $1,000,000 I
2011 Regally Ready 4 Corey Nakatani Steve Asmussen Vinery Stable 5 f 0:56.48 $1,000,000 II
2010 Chamberlain Bridge 6 Jamie Theriot Bret Calhoun Carl Moore Management 5 f 0:56.53 $1,000,000 II
2009 California Flag 5 Joe Talamo Brian Koriner Hi Card Ranch abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:11.28 $1,000,000
2008 Desert Code 4 Richard Migliore David Hofmans Tarabilla Farms (Susan Osborne) abt. ​6 1⁄2 f 1:11.60 $1,000,000

See also

References
  1. "Monthly Index to Online Story's | Blood-Horse.com". Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  2. "Woodbine Track Records". Archived from the original on 2016-08-02. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  3. "Belmont Track Records". Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  4. Churchill Downs Archived November 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Graded Stakes Committee releases 2008 changes – Thoroughbred Times
  6. LaMarra, Tom (2008-12-03). "Arkansas Derby Among Three New Grade I Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  7. Hegarty, Matt (December 2, 2011). "Two BC races, Cotillion among four new Grade 1 stakes for 2012". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  8. "Breeders' Cup Announces Challenge Series Schedule". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
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