2017 Breeders' Cup Sprint Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint goes down this Saturday, November 4 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California. A purse of $1.5 million will be up for grabs for horses three years old and upward willing to dash six furlongs on Del Mar's dirt track.

10 Sprinters will take to the track in the BC Sprint - race 8 on Del Mar's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:37 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 10 entries for this intriguing G1 stakes.

2017 Breeders' Cup Sprint Field & Odds at Del Mar

Drefong 5-2

Defending champion in this race - reigning Champion sprinter has posted six wins in eight career starts for trainer Bob Baffert including his graded stakes debut - the G1 Kings Bishop Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure at Saratoga August 27, 2016 and on the Big Stage - by 1 1/4 lengths in the Breeders' Cup Sprint November 5. Before that were three more wins by a combined 18 1/4 lengths - two Allowance Optional Claiming races at Santa Anita and a maiden score at Del Mar in November. Last time out was a nice bounceback win in the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga August 26 which followed a step back - an unfortunate DNF after losing his rider in his only other start of 2017 - the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes July 29. Drefong outside of one result has been dominant and will leave from gate 2 as the obvious favorite.

Roy H 7-2

Peter Miller trained gelding has five wins, four seconds and a third-place finish in 16 career starts. He made his stakes debut three starts back and produced a terrific 2 1/2 length win with a 111 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park June 9 and followed that with an OK second behind Ransom the Moon in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes here July 29 and another good win last time out in the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship October 7. Before that was a two-race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming on this track with the last coming May 6. Roy H has looked very good since returning from a nine-month layoff and will try to make it five wins in six starts. He leaves from gate 8 as the second betting choice.

Imperial Hint 9-2

Has placed in nine of 12 career starts for trainer Luis Carvajal - eight wins and a second-place finish. He enters on a five-race win streak - the listed Donald LeVine Stakes last time out at Parx September 4, the G3 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream July 1, the G3 General George Stakes at Laurel Park February 18, the minor Fire Plug Stakes January 14 and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Parx December 17. Before that was a fifth in the minor Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National in November and an Allowance score in September. He had two other graded stakes starts in 2016 which both resulted in twelfth place finishes - the G2 Woody Stephens Stakes and the G3 Pat Day Mile. Imperial Hint hasn't been touched in nearly a year and hopes to keep an incredible run going as the third betting choice from gate 10.

Takaful 5-1

Has three wins, a second and a third-place finish in seven career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. He arrives off a career-best effort - a win in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park September 30 after a respectable second behind Practical Joke in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga August 26, a gate-to-wire Allowance score by 5 1/4 lengths on that track July 21, an eighth in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream in March, a seventh in the G3 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct in January and an OK third in the Remsen Stakes on that track in November. Takaful has been trending upward ahead of this weekend and will chase a second straight graded stakes score Saturday from post 7.

Mind Your Biscuits 6-1

Defending runner-up in this race - Chad Summers trained colt has placed in 14 of 17 career starts - six wins, six seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a disappointing sixth in the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga August 26 which followed a nice two-race wins streak - the G2 Belmont Sprint Championship by 3 1/2 lengths July 8 and the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen by three lengths at Meydan in March. Before that was an OK second in the G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint in February, a nice win in the G1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita December 26, a respectable second after closing from last at 15-1 odds behind Drefong in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Sprint November 5 and a second in the G3 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx last September 24. Other good results include a nice two race win streak - the G2 Amsterdam Stakes July 30, 2016 (his graded stakes debut) and an Allowance race at Belmont Park July 3. Mind Your Biscuits had been a factor in every career start before last time out and hopes to avenge that result Saturday from gate 6.

Ransom the Moon 12-1

Phil D'Amato trainee has five wins in 20 career starts with six seconds and a third-place finish. He made his stakes debut May 20 and produced a very nice 2 1/4 length win with a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita and followed that with an OK second in the G2 San Carlos Stakes on this track July 1 and another good win in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar July 29. Last time out was a bit of a hiccup - a fourth in the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship October 7. Before those results was a dominant 4 1/2 length Allowance Optional Claiming score with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure at Santa Anita April 30 and a pair of runner-up finishes in Allowance Optional Claiming this past winter at Woodbine. Ransom the Moon has been good lately (three wins and three seconds in his last seven starts) but will be out to avenge a slightly underwhelming result from post 9.

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American Pastime 12-1

Robert Hess trained colt has placed in five of six career starts - three wins and two second-place finishes. Last time out was a decent graded stakes debut - the G3 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx September 23 which followed and Allowance Optional Claiming score here August 19, a fourth in a similar race here July 21 and another Allowance Optional Claiming score - at Santa Anita in June. American Pastime has been OK in his career and shoots for a career-best effort Saturday from post 3.

Whitmore 15-1

Impressive Ron Moquett trained gelding has placed in 13 of 15 career starts - eight wins, two seconds and three third-place finishes. His only off-the-board finishes were a fifth in the 2015 $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot and a nineteenth in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. After the Derby, he reeled off five straight wins including G3 Maryland Sprint Stakes by a half-length over multiple G1 winner AP Indian at Pimlico May 20, the G3 Count Fleet Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 15, the minor Hot Springs Stakes on that track March 11 and two Allowance Optional Claiming races this past winter. He arrives off another win - the G2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 6 after consecutive thirds - the G3 Frank J Francis Memorial Dash September 16 and the G2 True North Stakes in June. Has hit the board in eight straight starts with six wins over that span and hopes to keep a roll going Saturday from post 5.

Calculator 20-1

Peter Miller trainee has placed in 13 of 17 career starts so far - four wins, five seconds and four third-place finishes. He arrives off a decent second in the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes on this track August 26 after an OK third in the minor Wickerr Stakes here July 23, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Santa Anita July 3, a fifth in the G2 Kona Gold Stakes on that track May 20 and an eleventh in the G1 Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland April 14. Other results include consecutive runner-up finishes - the G2 Churchill Downs Stakes last May 7 and the G1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct April 9, 2016, an OK third in the G2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita March 12, 2016 and consecutive wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming February 13 of last year and in terrific fashion in the G3 Sham Stakes January 10, 2015. Calculator has placed in three straight starts overall and shoots for his first graded stakes win in nearly three years Saturday from the rail.

B Squared 30-1

Has placed in six of nine career starts for trainer Doug O'Neill - three wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. He made his graded stakes debut five starts back and finished a respectable second behind heavily-favored Battle of Midway in the G3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita June 24 and followed that with an OK third in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby July 15 and consecutive disappointing eighths - the G3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer August 5 and the G3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park September 24. Last time out was a nice win in the minor California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita. He also had a nice 1 1/4 length win in the minor Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate April 30, an OK second in the minor Echo Eddie Stakes April 8 and a maiden score at first asking March 4. B Squared has been a tad tough to figure out lately but will chase a second straight stakes score and first career graded stakes win from gate 4.

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