Breeders' Cup Xpressbet Sprint at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - The 2012 Breeders' Cup Xpressbet Sprint comes our way this Saturday, November 3 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia California. Horses three years old and upward will be featured as they go six furlongs on Santa Anita's main track for their portion of the $1.5 million purse.
A full field of 14 has been confirmed for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. It goes as race 10 on Santa Anita's packed Saturday card with a post time of 3:58 PM. Let's take a look at all 14 combatants and what brought them to this lucrative Grade 1 race.
2012 Breeders' Cup Xpressbet Sprint Race Favorites
Amazombie - reigning sprinter of the year Amazombie is the defending champion in this race. He has been good this year placing in all of his 2012 starts except for last time out - a fourth at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Amazombie is a 12-time winner that has won two of five starts this year - the Grade 2 Potrero Grande in April and in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Other results this year were a third in the San Carlos in February behind The Factor and a second in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes in May behind Shackleford. Amazombie is highly decorated, is absolutely money at this distance, he has four wins, a second and a third in seven tries on this track and obviously can't be ignored in any race that he enters.
Coil - Bob Baffert trained colt has two wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar on July 26 and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship last time out in a race Amazombie finished fourth along with a second - the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes in his only three starts this year. Coil was terrific in 2011 recording wins in the Grade 3 Affirmed and the Grade 1 Haskell and finishing second in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes. After a nearly nine month layoff, Coil appears to be in top form ahead of the Breeders' Cup.
Breeders' Cup Xpressbet Sprint 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Jimmy Creed - made his graded stakes debut with a respectable third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint here October 6 ahead of Amazombie after two wins and two seconds in four career previous starts including a second in the minor El Cajon Stakes behind Fed Biz August 31. He has finished in the money in his last five starts and is in good form ahead of the Breeders' Cup.
The Lumber Guy - has six career starts with four wins - the Grade 1 Vosburgh last time out at Belmont Park September 29, the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes on April 21, the Miracle Wood Stakes on February 25 and a Maiden Special Weight race in January. His only losses include a fifth in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on April 7 and a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan on May 12. He has been up and down this year but when he is up he is very tough to catch.
Capital Account - finished a decent third in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby behind Amazombie and The Factor in his stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert and went on to a most impressive win in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien. Last time out was another good result - a second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint behind Coil. He has three wins, two seconds and a third in six starts this year for trainer Bob Baffert.
Gantry - has placed in all five starts this year and had a string of four straight wins from October 2011- April of this year including three minor stakes races. His graded stakes action this year has resulted in a win two back in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder and a third in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes in May.
Hamazing Destiny - had two straight fourth place finishes ahead of a good second in the Grade 1 Forego - the Grade 2 True North on June 9 and the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap on August 5 to follow an impressive win in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap on May 19. He has eight starts this year with one win three seconds and a third place finish.
Breeders' Cup Xpressbet Sprint betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Justin Phillip - Justin Phillip recorded a very impressive second in the Grade 2 True North behind Caixa Electronica June 8 at Belmont Park, a third in the Mr. Prospector Stakes and another very good second behind long shot Poseidon's Warrior in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga August 5. Last time out was a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh September 29. He has placed in five starts this year with one bad outing - last time out.
Smiling Tiger - multiple graded stakes winner finished third in this race in 2010. In three starts this year Smiling Tiger has just one third place finish - at the Grade 2 True North Handicap June 9. He hasn't races since June 30 - a fifth in the Grade 1 Triple Bend at Hollywood Park.
Fast Bullet - Bob Baffert trained colt has only two career starts - none this year! He raced to a win in October in a Maiden Special Weight and in his other start won an Allowance at Hollywood Park last November.
Poseidon's Warrior - came out of nowhere and won the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap August 5 at Saratoga and followed that with another reasonable effort - a third in the Grade 1 Vosburgh last time out. His last two starts represent his only money finishes this year. Poseidon's Warrior is in some decent form ahead of Saturday's race.
Trinniberg - finished a brutal seventeenth in the Kentucky Derby to follow up a pair of wins in 2012 - the Grade 3 Bay Shore and the Grade 3 Swale Stakes. Since the Derby Trinniberg has been up and down - a win in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes over Currency Swap was followed by a good second in the Grade 3 Carry Back Stakes at Calder on July 7. He did finish a horrendous ninth two back in the Grade 1 King's Bishop but bounced back last time out with a respectable second in the minor Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx.
Sum of the Parts - finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint last year but has turned it on in 2012 - four wins and a second in five starts including the Grade 3 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 5 and a pair of minor stakes races. It is safe to say that Sum of the Parts is in the best form of his career at present.
Boxeur des Rues - has nine starts this year with just one second place finish to show for it - an Allowance Optional Claiming here in January for Doug O'Neil. His graded stakes races this year have produced a pair of tenths, a seventh and a sixth - it's safe to say the he is a long shot in this race!
