lute stages sprint repeat

Midnight Lute won the Breeders' Cup Sprint for the second successive year, giving jockey Garrett Gomez a treble on the night in the process.

Trained by Bob Baffert, who was landing a double, the five-year-old has only had one run this year due to suffering from quarter cracks.

However, despite being last through the early stages he picked up in scintillating style as he went round the outside of the whole field to claim Fatal Bullet close home.

After Midnight Lute's length and three-quarter success, Gomez said: "He's a big old tank. Once he gets on rolling he's something else."

Baffert added: "He had a hock injury and we almost retired him. We had it X-rayed after 60 days and it healed up. We tried to get a race into him at Del Mar but things didn't go well for him down there.

"I've never had a horse like him, he's just incredible. He showed today he is a great horse."

Baffert went on: "He's just a beast. I've never had a horse (that is) such a massive, beautiful beast. He's like the perfect thoroughbred."

Co-owner Karl Watson added: "To win a Breeders' Cup is something that's pretty special but to win two of them back to back, I don't think it gets any better than that."