Turf Sprint Predictions, Odds, Preview


Breeders' Cup Betting Guide

Welcome to Stabile’s Breeders’ Cup Preview, an in depth look into each and every Breeders’ Cup race to be held Friday, November 6 and Saturday November 7 at Keeneland in Lexington Kentucky.

VegasInsider.com handicapper Anthony “the Big A” Stabile will take a look at the contenders in each event, talk about how the race should set-up and provide some strategies on how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to betting on the race.

Turf Sprint Morning-Line Odds

1 Big Runnuer 12/1
2 Just Might 30/1
3 Imprimis 4/1
4 Front Run the Fed 12/1
5 Wet Your Whistle 15/1
6 Glass Slippers 12/1
7 Leinster 4/1
8 Oleksandra 12/1
9 Into Mystic 12/1
10 Bombard 15/1
11 Wildman Jack 12/1
12 Got Stormy 7/2
13 Texas Wedge 30/1
14 Extravagant Kid 15/1

Field Subject to Change

Turf Sprint Betting Resources

  • Distance: 5.5 furlongs on turf
  • Purse: $1 million
  • Age: 3up
  • Date: Saturday, November 7
  • Time: 12:39 p.m. ET

The History

Run down the hill going 6 ½ furlongs in its first two runs before going to this distance in 2011. Mizdirection became the first female to win the event in 2012 and first to repeat in 2013, when there was a dead heat for second between Tightend Touchdown and Reneesgotzip.

Turf Sprint Fast Facts

  • Favorites: 4 for 12 (33%)
  • Shortest: $6.60 (Regally Ready, 2011)
  • Highest: $75.00 (Desert Code, 2008)
  • U.S based-Foreign based:: 12/Foreign based: 0
  • The champ is here? No, as Belvoir Bay has been retired.

How to Handicap the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

A yearly ritual…I never use my traditional format for this race. Too much going on in these turf sprints.

Also, you may want to keep in mind that, depending on which past performances you use, they’ll group five furlong and five and a half furlong races together in the DISTANCE column of the PPs.

I’ve included their lifetime record at THIS distance next to each name.

Here is the field, in numerical order. Numbers 15,16,17,18 are also eligible.

1-Big Runnuer (5-4-0-1) is undefeated since blinkers were added three starts back in an entry level allowance/optional claimer. He won both the Siren Lure and G2 Eddie D in gate-to-wire fashion most recently.

2-Just Might (13-2-3-5) finished third in the G2 Turf Sprint at Churchill and G2 Woodford over this course.

3-Imprimis (4-2-0-2) finally got back to the winner’s circle in five starts since an ill-advised trip over to Royal Ascot in June 2019. He actually crossed the wire first in his first start this year but was disqualified from the win in the Troy at Saratoga before he stormed home to take the G3 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs in his latest start.

4-Front Run the Fed (No starts) has never raced at shorter than six furlongs but has won or finished second in all five of his turf sprints at six and seven furlongs, including a dead-heat for second in the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs last out.

5-Wet Your Whistle (5-2-0-0) won the G1 Highlander at Woodbine last year and the G3-Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational while on an easy lead. He figures to have to resort to his off-the-pace style here.

6-Glass Slippers (No starts) won a G1 at the Curragh before missing by a neck when second in the Prix de l’Abbaye on the Arc undercard at Longchamp five weeks prior to this, a race she won last year as a sophomore.

7-Leinster (6-5-1-0) obviously loves the distance and is three for four with a second over the local course, with wins in the Woodford and G2 Shakertown at Keeneland coming in his last two starts.

8-Oleksandra (3-2-1-0) beat the boys in the G1 Jaipur when last seen in late June on Belmont Stakes day at Belmont. Last year she won the Buffalo Trace Franklin County in her lone start over the course and at this trip.

9-Into Mystic (3-1-1-0) tries the boys after just missing by a nose in the G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County. She’s found a place as a turf sprinter as two of her last three starts make her competitive here.

10-Bombard (No starts) just missed after setting the pace in the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs going six furlongs. He finished second in his first start off a year layoff back in July and has had success going down the hill at Santa Anita in their six-and-a-half furlong events.

11-Wildman Jack (3-1-1-0) won the G3 Daytona at Santa Anita after a win in Dubai. He was second in the Eddie D most recently.

12-Got Stormy (1-1-0-0) has reinvented herself as a turf sprinter after an accomplished 18 months or so as a miler, including solid efforts against the boys, namely a win in the G1 Fourstardave and runner-up finish in the BC Mile last year. She won both the Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs and the Buffalo Trace Franklin County over the course at the trip most recently. She’s the slight 7-2 morning line favorite on what should be a wide-open tote.

13-Texas Wedge (4-1-1-0) has finished off the board in his last pair after a third-place finish in the Jaipur.

14-Extravagant Kid (8-1-4-1) has won 14 of his 45 starts but is still looking for his first graded stakes win. He finished second in both the Turf Sprint at Churchill on Oaks day behind BC Sprint contender Diamond Oops and last out in the Woodford.

15-Equilateral (3-0-0-1) is seeking his first graded stakes win in start 23 and is winless in six starts since taking his seasonal bow over in Dubai.

16-Chaos Theory (8-3-1-1) would be the most appropriate winner in 2020 as chaos has been the prevailing word and sentiment. He failed to hit the board in his two starts at Keeneland but was gaining ground when fourth in the Woodford.

17-Archidust (4-4-0-0) won a couple of stakes at Monmouth before finishing third in the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational after finding a little trouble at the start.

18-Bulletproof One (2-1-0-0) beat fellow sophomore fillies when wiring the field in the Unzip Me at Santa Anita going this trip in her most recent start.

Turf Sprint Predictions

If I’m Right...

Between Got Stormy and Oleksandra, the ladies have a really good chance at winning this.

Live Longshot...

4-Front Run the Fed at 12-1 on the morning line is an insane price. I think he has a real chance to upset this.

Listen to "The Big A"

Anthony “the Big A” Stabile can be heard regularly on the Horse Racing Radio Network from 3-6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday and 3-7:00 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday. Tune in on Sirius 219, XM 201 or streaming live at horseracingradio.net. He also is a contributor on NYRA-TV as the co-host of Talking Horses and a backup racetrack announcer. Follow him on Twitter @TheBigAStabile