Mongolian Saturday Seeks Turf Sprint Repeat

This year's edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) will again be a competitive race loaded with talented runners including last year's winner Mongolian Saturday. 

After narrowly defeating graded stakes winner Lady Shipman last year over 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland, Mongolian Saturday will face another deep field Nov. 5 on Santa Anita Park's unique 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course.

Trainer Enebish Ganbat said the son of Any Given Saturday, who races without Lasix, is ready and seems to be taking to the track at Santa Anita. Mongolian Saturday has raced once at Santa Anita before, finishing last in the 2014 Potrero Grande Stakes (gr. II) on the main track.

However, the only concerns Ganbat has are the high level of competition in the Turf Sprint and the possibility of warm weather Nov. 5.

"This year (the) contingent is very strong," Ganbat said. "(Many) other horses made pre-entries, very strong horses. In our race, pre-entries (totalled) 28 horses. It's a lot.

"I think our horse (will) run big, but I (could see him) getting a little bit hot."

The 6-year-old gelding comes off a win in the Woodford Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland Oct. 8. Earlier this year he ran unplaced in the Darley July Cup (Eng-I), the Kings Stand Stakes (Eng-I) in England, and the Chairman's Sprint Prize Stakes (HK-I) at Sha Tin. He finished fifth, by 4 1/2 lengths, in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (HK-I) in December 2015. 

Needing a scratch to get into the field of 14, last year's runner up Lady Shipman hopes to go one better this year. The 4-year-old daughter of Midshipman   finished sixth in the Eddie D Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita Sept. 30 behind Turf Sprint contender Ambitious Brew. In 2016 Lady Shipman had five wins, all of which were in stakes races against fillies and mares.

Ambitious Brew, a 6-year-old gelding by Tizbud, is looking to improve on his seventh-place finish in the 2014 Turf Sprint. His two wins this year came on Santa Anita's downhill turf course at 6 1/2 furlongs, the Eddie D Stakes (gr. IIIT) and the Lennyfromalibu Stakes.

Another local entry is Om, who is coming off of two seconds in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita and the Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT). His last win was in the 2015 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita. 

In addition, the West Coast-based Obviously is cutting back in distance after running in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) the last four years. The Phil D'Amato trainee has not finished off the board in his four starts this year, highlighted by a win in the Poker Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park.

East Coast shipper Pure Sensation looks to rally off his three stakes wins this year, including the Parx Dash Stakes (gr. IIIT) and the Jaipur Invitational (gr. IIIT) at Belmont.

Celestine, another East Coast runner, will cut back in distance in the Turf Sprint after finishing third in the First Lady (gr. IT) at Keeneland behind Photo Call and Tepin. In June she won the one-mile Longines Just a Game Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont.

Also entered is 2014 Diamond Jubilee (Eng-I) winner Undrafted, who took the Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIT) in April at Keeneland. 

Topping the international entries are Godolphin's group III winner Home of The Brave and grade I placed Suedois, Karar, and Washington DC.