Breeders' Cup Saturday review - 'fastest horse in the world' Bacio dazzles in Turf Sprint

Bacio blasts to Turf Sprint glory

Bacio put in an electric performance to land the Grade 1 Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint over five and a half furlongs at Keeneland on Saturday.

After breaking well under Juan Hernandez the three-year-old was pestered on the speed by Karl Burke's Miss Yechance but after seeing her off there was only going to be one winner.

As they turned into the straight Bacio established a five-length lead over the chasing pack and although they made late inroads Wesley Ward's horse was clear by two lengths at the line.

Cy Fair stayed on for second with Ralph Beckett's Starlust flying home late for third, denying Comanche Brave a top-three position.

Ward said: "He's the fastest horse in the world. This is a special horse. There was a lot to the whole story behind him, to me getting him, and then once he started winning me keeping him. He was a sought after horse. A lot of people were coming in.

"My daughter-in-law brought me one of the greatest gifts ever, my grandson, Killian, and she put an ownership group together with MyRacehorse in order to keep him here in our stable.

"It's so nice to have thousands of owners in this horse and win the Breeders' Cup to where it just spreads, to where it's going to really help our sport.

"MyRacehorse is fantastic to where we have so many owners now and they have so many friends that watch this race to where we need all the help we can get in our sport, and I think this is a big boost for it.

"We have a big plan to go down to Australia in February, February 13, Black Caviar Lightning. I've never been to Australia, but I'm going to bring the whole family down, both my sons and my daughter and my daughter-in-law and my grandson, so I'm really looking forward to that. He's going into quarantine this evening.

"He's very, very fast, and he's won the Breeders' Cup and he's won the Nunthorpe in York that my others haven't. Hopefully we can conquer something that I never have in one of the biggest sprint races in Australia, so we'll see what happens."

Kathy too good as Blue Bolt flops

Kathynmarissa landed the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a typically strong late run under Jose Ortiz as Blue Bolt and Precise fluffed their lines for the Europeans.

Andrew Balding's Blue Bolt was sent off even money with the UK bookies as she tried to continue her prolific year but up in trip she never looked happy under Colin Keane and was well beaten in 11th, as was her old rival, Aidan O'Brien's Precise (7th).

That left the door open for Chad Brown to win his fifth Filly & Mare Turf with his sole challenger Kathynmarissa who had a kind trip from stall five.

In behind the leaders rounding the turn for home, Ortiz pulled her out wide to challenge and she showcased her trademark strong late run with a thundering effort down the outside to reel in Gimme A Nother.

Brown said: "I have a bunch of experience not only in this race but at Keeneland. I've run in all three editions and I've had one of the horses to beat.

"I've learned a lot about running at this track at this distance, and this filly really carried all the qualities.

"She has nearly a perfect record with us.

"Again, this Keeneland course at this distance, had a lot of confidence coming into this race. I have won with Stephanie's Kitten the first time they had the race here and cutting back off a mile and a quarter in the Flower Bowl, and she had that stamina that it took to get up in the last few jumps and win.

"I came in here with two favourites in Italian and Rushing Fall that were probably best at a mile and 16th to mile-and-an-eighth horses, multiple Grade 1 winners. But that long Keeneland mile and 3/16, they both got grabbed by the wire.

"When I was reading all the hype about the European horses and saw their form, which was quite scary and quite impressive, I just had a feeling that this long Keeneland track, I've had it happen to me, and I've gotten beat by Euros with an Italian.

"But it'll get you. You have to have mile-and-a-quarter stamina to run the mile and 3/16 here."

Balding said of Blue Bolt: “She was just flat. It wasn't the plan to be that far back but I don’t think that had a bearing. She just didn't pick up today like she usually does. Obviously it’s a disappointing performance because we expected a lot more, but she’s had a long season and absolutely been perfect until now. I think we can forgive her that. She was just not really travelling with her usual enthusiasm.”

Keane added: “At no point was she really as comfortable as you’d like to be. Ground felt horrible on her, and I was beat before the trip came into it to be honest. Maybe the year is catching up on her.”

Deterministic steals the Mile from Speech

Deterministic stole the Breeders' Cup Mile from the front end under Kendrick Carmouche as William Buick suffered severe traffic problems on hot favourite Notable Speech.

Miguel Clement's horse was brushed aside by Notable Speech in the Woodbine Mile last time but he turned the tables in dramatic fashion as Carmouche dictated things from stall one.

After a quick first quarter the pace slowed in the mid section of the race and as they stacked up on the home bend Deterministic kicked clear and took lengths out of the field.

Meanwhile Buick had to wait for a run and was shuffled back to almost last straightening up, before an extraordinary late surge took him past the whole field bar the winner.

With Deterministic away and gone he beat Notable Speech by three parts of a length, the finishing line coming agonisingly too soon for Buick.

Breeders' Cup Day 2 Results (Keeneland)

20:20 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (Grade 1)

1. Deterministic 13/2
2. Notable Speech 8/11f
3. Lake Forest 13/2

19:42 Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint (Grade 1)

1. T O Elvis 9/4
2. Englishman 10/11f
3. Liam Smith 16/1

19:04 Makers Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (Grade 1)

1. Kathynmarissa 13/2
2. Gimme A Nother 12/1
3. Jancis 16/1

18:26 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Grade 1)

1. Further Ado 5/4
2. Owen Almighty 10/1
3. Full Serano 8/1

17:48 Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1)

1. Bacio 2/1
2. Cy Fair 10/1
3. Starlust 16/1

17:10 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Grade 1)

1. Ways And Means 11/10f
2. Foie Gras 20/1
3. Explora 13/2

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