Big Drama hits the accelerator in Sprint
Big Drama blasted the six furlongs of the main track at Churchill Downs to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Having ridden more than 4,000 winners Eibar Coa is hardly short on experience but had never won in 17 attempts in previous Breeders’ Cup meetings. But he got the job done in style on David Fawkes’s colt.
Coa kicked Big Drama out of stall one to grab the early lead and from there he controlled the rest of the race. Coa is regarded as the king of the Florida tracks and he was not about to let a Breeders’ Cup crown slip from his grasp after Big Drama had pulled out a two-length lead before the turn.
But they were queuing up behind for a crack at him hitting the home stretch, with Cash Refund, Atta Boy Roy, Smiling Tiger and Riley Tucker all starting to close on the leader. But Big Drama - second in each of his last two starts - is best off a break and coming into this race off a 63-day break was in full flow now and not about to fall to a dramatic late challenge.
He found for Coa all the way through the last furlong to hold Amazing Destiny, with Smiling Tiger in third.
Jamie Theriot and Bret Calhoun are obviously a pair of quick learners. Twenty-four hours after Dubai Majesty powered clear of her rivals to win the Filly & Mare Sprint, Chamberlain Bridge took the Turf Sprint.
The race was being run at a new distance of five furlongs, having previously been run over six-and-a-half furlongs, but Theriot still found the time to take a pull at halfway and then come for a late run. Breaking from stall one, Theriot elected not to follow the speed and instead held back in the second rank on the hedge.
Theriot eased his way towards the centre of the track off the bend and found clear space to launch a challenge in the final furlong but he was still a good six lengths off Central City, who had led from the gates but who was starting to tie up.
He was being caught by Bridgetown but then the whole race changed in less than a hundred yards as Chamberlain Bridge swooped past the pair to win from Central City and Unzip Me.
Jerry Hollendorfer finally claimed a long-awaited Breeders' Cup victory when Dakota Phone got up in the final stride to deny Morning Line in the Dirt Mile. Morning Line was one of a trio who helped create a strong early pace with Tizway and Vineyard Haven, but he was the only one left in the front passing the furlong marker.
He appeared to have done enough but Joel Rosario's mount came wide with a withering run and sprang a 25-1 surprise.
http://www.senore.com/Zenyatta-beaten-in-Breeders-Cup-Classic-a39462
http://www.senore.com/Frankie-Dettori-and-Dangerous-Midge-win-Turf-a39458
http://www.senore.com/Goldikova-makes-it-three-and-easy-in-Mile-a39450
http://www.senore.com/Uncle-Mo-imperious-in-Juvenile-a39449
http://www.senore.com/Paul-Hanagan-wins-Flat-jockeys-championship-a39436
http://www.senore.com/Kauto-Star-wins-Champion-Chase-at-Down-Royal-a39435
Tags: