Champion Drefong Targets Bing Crosby for Seasonal Debut
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Photo: Zoe Metz
Champion sprinter Drefong working at Santa Anita Park
The depth of the male sprint ranks has already reached overflow status halfway through this season. It's a pool that stands to get even deeper this summer, as the reigning divisional champion closes in on a return to the scene that has grown stronger in his absence.
Baoma Corporation's Drefong, the 2016 Eclipse Award-winning champion male sprinter, has been steadily cranking his form up over the last month and could make his 2017 debut in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) going six furlongs at Del Mar July 29, trainer Bob Baffert said June 29.
Unraced since his championship-clinching victory in the Nov. 5 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park, Drefong was initially pointed for the March 25 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) at Meydan Racecourse before Baffert opted to bypass that race and back off the son Gio Ponti 's training. Beginning with his reappearance on the worktab May 28, 4-year-old Drefong has posted six timed moves, with the latest being a five-furlong breeze in :59 1/5 at Santa Anita June 27.
"I'm trying to make the Bing Crosby with him, that's the goal right now," Baffert said. "We're starting to lean on him now and he's handling it well."
Top sprint contenders have come out of the woodwork since Drefong has been making his way back.
Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits took down some of the world's best with his victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March and is set to make his stateside return in the $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship (G2) at Belmont Park July 8. Unified bested Mind Your Biscuits earlier this year and was most recently second to Green Gratto in the Carter Handicap (G1) while Limousine Liberal, Whitmore, and Awesome Slew have all earned graded wins this season.
The only horse Drefong has ever lost to, however, is Mac Daddy Mac, the chestnut colt who prevailed when the former finished fifth in his career debut at Santa Anita in October of 2015. Since then Drefong has been unbeaten in five subsequent starts, including a win in the Ketel One King's Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course last August. Bred by Frederick M. Allor, Michael T. Barnett, Anthony M. Warrender, he has earned $1,203,040.