Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Mr. Nightlinger's Six Wins Didn't Help In Santa Anita's Downhill

Nov 17, 2008 BarbaraAnne Helberg

Six and one half furlongs on grass going downhill, traveling across a dirt portion of the main track, and building a blistering :41.81 half mile did in Mr. Nightlinger.

Mr. Nightlinger brought a six for eight win streak, including five consecutive victories, to the downhill inaugural Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint October 25 at Santa Anita Park. The Indian Charlie son and California Flag challenged one another in a blistering pace that engaged them in a suicidal half mile time of :41.81.

The two four-year-olds crashed after the four furlong mark, long before they needed to dig in. While they dropped back, Diabolical and Desert Code kicked in.

Complete Order of Finish of BC Turf Sprint

The complete order of finish of the inaugural BC Turf Sprint, along with the entrants' 2008 race records prior to the contest, and their pedigrees and jockeys follows:

  1. Desert Code ----- 6:2-1-0 ----- E Dubai--Chatta Code, by Lost Code ----- R. Migliore
  2. Diabolical ----- 8:1-1-0 ----- Artax--Bonnie Byerly, by Dayjur ----- F. Dettori
  3. Storm Treasure ----- 6:2-2-0 ----- Storm Boot--Boogie Beach Blues, by Cure the Blues ----- S. Bridgmohan
  4. Fleeting Spirit (IRE) ----- 3:1-0-1 ----- Invincible Spirit (IRE)--Millennium Tale (FR), by Distant Relative (FR) ----- J. Murtagh
  5. Heros Reward ----- 6:3-1-1 ----- Partner's Hero--Lifes Passage, by Caveat ----- J. Castellano
  6. Salute the Count ----- 7:1-4-1 ----- Count the Time--Marie de Hesse, by Iron Courage ----- E. Coa
  7. True to Tradition ----- 8:3-3-0 ----- Rahy--Successful Dancer, by Fortunate Prospect ----- K. Carmouche
  8. One Union ----- 6:1-1-2 ----- Dixie Union--Onceinabluemamoon, by Al Mamoon ----- V. Espinoza
  9. Get Funky ----- 4:2-0-1 ----- Straight Man--Miss Popularity, by Storm Bird ----- J. Valdivia, Jr.
  10. California Flag ----- 8:4-0-0 ----- Avenue of Flags--Ultrafleet, by Afleet ----- J. Talamo
  11. Mr. Nightlinger ----- 8:6-1-0 ----- Indian Charlie--Timely Quarrel, by Time for a Change ----- J. Theriot
  12. Rouse the Cat ----- 11:5-2-2 ----- Sir Cat--Crouse Mill, by Strike Gold ----- E. Prado
  13. Idiot Proof ----- 5:0-3-1 ----- Benchmark--Perfectly Pretty, by Bertrando ----- G. Gomez
  14. Only Answer (GB) ----- 7:2-1-2 ----- Green Desert--Occupandiste (IRE), by Kaldoun (FR) ----- O. Preslier

Migliore's First BC Win

Desert Code got no respect in pre-race betting for the BC Turf Sprint. He was a 36-1 longshot. He also represented the most current of some 30,000 races for his rider, Richard Migliore.

For "The Mig", the victory was a milestone long awaited in a 28-year career. Zero for 13 in Breeders' Cup races, Migliore said afterward it was well worth the travel. "It's what we all work for in this game -- to get chances on days like this," he remarked, admitting to being "a bit overwhelmed".

Experience Key in Inaugural BC Turf Sprint

Migliore was confident going into the race. He knew the course, had experience on the downhill run and the cross track portion of it, and so did his horse.

The jockey also praised the training efforts of David Hofmans, who Migliore claimed always has a strong sense of where his horses are in their training.

Mr. Nightlinger Sported Best Record

Although Mr. Nightlinger's wins coming into the BC Turf Sprint led the field of 14, there was a great deal of experience among the entrants. California Flag, Diabolical, and True to Tradition equaled Mr. Nightlinger's number of 2008 starts with eight each.

In addition, Only Answer and Salute the Count had raced seven times. Strike Gold son Rouse the Cat carried 11 starts to the gate.

It was Mr. Nightlinger's swarming victories in his last five races that made him the favorite.

The copyright of the article Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in Horse Racing is owned by BarbaraAnne Helberg. Permission to republish Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.