Coil and The Lumber Guy bring versatility in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint’s star studded lineup
This year’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint has reeled in a competitive lineup, with runners flying in on domestic flights and a few foreigners touched the shores recently. But in the conversation are two top contenders, who are not familiar at shorter distances, but both trainers insisting it is the best time for them to try out the new.
The 2011 winner of the Haskell Invitational Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, Bob Baffert’s trainee, Coil is one of the two to cut down in distance, after going as far as the Classic’s distance in his career, but Baffert’s philosophy makes a lot of sense, especially when the 4-year-old Point Given colt recently landed the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita over 6 furlongs.
His stablemate, Capital Account, who was targeting Breeders’ Cup Sprint all season, was a head’s distance adrift off of a victory, which would have set him up nicely for the big one at the same venue.
Not accustomed at the distance was another, The Lumber Guy, until he showed he can win at a mile, seven furlongs, and most recently at 6 furlongs, when sent to run in the Grade 1 Vosburgh, he obliged and gave Michael Hushion a solid reason to stick to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for the 3-year-old from Grand Slam.
"(The Sprint) is a little bit too short for him and Capital Account; seven-eighths would have been perfect for these two because they’re really warriors," Baffert said. "I didn’t want to take a chance at stretching them out to a mile, yet, probably a mile would be a better distance for Coil but I was stuck between the two distances.”
It’s a case of not stepping out of the sidelines for Baffert, as he prominently plays it safe, making his intentions clear of sweeping as much as he can in this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
At 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, Coil finished third behind winner Game on Dude, the favourite for the Classic, and second placed, Awesome Again, but when he returned after his layoff, his trainer restricted him to shorter distances, which might prove to be a smart move at the end of it all on 3 November, 2012.
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