Runhappy Rolls to Male Sprinter Championship

A lot of times in Thoroughbred racing it's not how you start, it's how you finish. In the first six months of the year James McIngvale's Runhappy made only one start, a ninth-place finish in a grade III stakes. From July through December a refreshed Runhappy tore a hole in the wind, winning six consecutive sprint races to earn the Eclipse Award as top sprinter. His campaign played out just like his races: not the best horse out of the gate but tough to run down in the lane.



A $200,000 yearling purchase for McIngvale by his sister-in-law and trainer Laura Wohlers, The son of Super Saver   quickly became a fan favorite as his win streak and legend began to grow.



Turned over to newcomer Maria Borell who tabbed old friend and Hall of Fame rider Edgar Prado to ride, Runhappy made a big splash at Saratoga with a four-length win in the seven-furlong NYRA.com King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I). With an eye toward the Breeders' Cup, Runhappy was pointed toward Keeneland's "Win and You're In" Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (gr. III). A 1 3/4-length score in the Phoenix set him up for his stellar performance in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), running past fellow Eclipse nominee Private Zone late to win by three-quarters of a length in a track-record 1:08.58.



A split with Borell the day following the Breeders' Cup drew plenty of commentary from the industry, but back at the barn it was business as usual for Runhappy as Wohlers resumed the helm. Team Happy shipped from their base at the Kentucky Training Center north of Lexington to California in early December and the colt put an exclamation point on his 3-year-old season with a wire-to-wire score in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes (gr. I). The victory was his third grade I on the year, a feat surpassed only by American Pharoah (six) in 2015.



McIngvale, who has spent two decades and millions of dollars in the industry, has been rewarded with a star who appears to have plenty of firepower left--a 4-year-old campaign focuses on a mile and beyond.

Voting totals in the male sprinter division: Runhappy, 255; Private Zone, 2; Rock Fall, 2; Mongolian Saturday, 1; Secret Circle  , 1.