BY BROCK SHERIDAN
DEL MAR, CA—There’s no regional partiality in the morning line of this year’s $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) as Florida-breds Federal Judge and Bentornato are on the opposite ends of the program selections. Federal Judge is the 3-1 morning line favorite while Bentornato has been labeled 30-1 by the track handicapper for the six furlong test to be run Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC’s Federal Judge earned his popularity after a convincing victory in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland on Oct. 4, winning the six-furlong test by five-and-a-half lengths in 1:08.20. Federal Judge burst from the starting on top and led at every point of call through rapid splits of :21.61 and :43.97.
“When you go :43 for the half mile, I don’t care if the track’s playing for speed or not, that is very, very fast,” trainer Brad Cox said of the Phoenix. “He was able to win by a clear margin and I thought that was very impressive—just the way he bounced out of [the starting gate]. He was asked to be put in the race and he responded well and finished up well.”
After being gelded in April during an extended time away from the track, Federal Judge was sent to Cox to begin his 2024 campaign at Saratoga Race Course in July. He responded off the 13-month layoff with a strong second to Full Screen in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming going seven furlongs at Saratoga on July 20, then two starts back he won by six lengths under the same conditions at six-and-a-half panels on Aug. 31.
Federal Judge drew post three for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.
“Obviously, we want to be forwardly placed. We want to be aggressive away from there,” he said. “Looking at the other horses with speed, most of them are to the outside of us but I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get a loose lead, but we’ll see how things go and how the race unfolds. Our plan is to break running and take it from there.”
Federal Judge has won four of six career starts with one second while earning $402,960. He is a 4-year-old son of Army Mule out of Congarette, by Congaree and was bred in Florida by Richard Heysek’s Caperlane Farm.
Federal Judge is a graduate of the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale where En Fuego Stables purchased him for $40,000 out of the Stuart Morris consignment. Six months later, he sold for $200,000 to Maverick Racing at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearly Sale.
Florida-bred Bentornato – ©Scott Serio / Eclipse Sportswire
The well-traveled Bentornato exits a strong effort having won the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing on Sept. 21 with a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer Jose D’Angelo recognizes that his 3-year-old will be stepping up to face more accomplished competition in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He’s fast, really fast and he likes the speed. But he’s racing against the fastest horses in the country. So we just have to break good and see what happens. For sure, [the Sprint] is a tough race, especially as a 3-year-old taking on older [horses], but I’m sure that he’s going to be on his best form.”
Lightly raced this year with just three starts, Bentornato started his sophomore campaign in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby at King Abulaziz Race Course in Riyadh, finishing third to Forever Young after leading three furlongs out. After a six-month break, Bentornato finished second to Valentine Candy in the $500,000 Rita Hilton Memorial at Charles Town on Aug. 23 before winning the Gallant Bob.
Owned by Angel Lozano’s Leon King Stable Corp., Bentornato is by Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister out of Her Special Way, by Put It Back and has earned $791,830 from five wins in eight career starts with a second and two thirds. He was bred in Florida by Tanma Corp.
He was purchased for $170,000 out of the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment by Champion Equine for $170,000 at the 2023 OBS March Sale. As a yearling, he sold for $45,000 to Pro Racing Stable out of the Stuart Morris consignment at the 2022 OBS October Yearling Sale.
D’Angelo has given the riding assignment to Luis Saez and they have post six.
“I’m very happy with the post position because we’re in the middle,” D’Angelo said. “Last time [in the Gallant Bob] we were on the inside, so we had to break and go, and we didn’t have an option. He resisted the pressure all through the race and got it done. Now we can break [in the Sprint] and make our decision.”
Riding a four-race winning streak into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint is WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC’s Mullikin from the barn of trainer Rodolphe Brisset.
The 4-year-old son of Violence started the span winning an allowance race at Keeneland in April and a second condition, $80,000 optional claiming at Churchill Downs in June. He then won the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Aqueduct on July 6 before a head-turning six-length score in the Grade 1 Forego going seven furlongs at Saratoga in his last race on Aug. 24.
He has won five with three seconds in nine lifetime starts while banking $673,612.
Mullikin is the second choice in the program at 7-2 and will break from post 10 with Flavien Prat aboard.
Rounding out the field are Raging Torrent with Antonio Fresu named to ride, Gun Pilot will have Cristian Torres up, Tyler Gaffalione rides Nakatomi, Don Frankie (Jpn) with jockey Cristian Demuro, Akira Sugawara has the call on Meta Max, Straight No Chaser has John Velazquez named to ride, Yuga Kawada will guide Remake (Jpn) and Skelly will have Ricardo Santana Jr. in the irons.
Florida-breds have started 87 times in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with five winners including Eillo (1984), Precisionist (1985), Smile (1986) Cherokee Run (1994) and Big Drama (2010).
Post time for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint is 7:05 p.m. EDT. It will be shown live on USA Network, peacock and FanDuel TV.
