Hogy to Supplement to Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

A hard-charging former claimer will finally get his chance at the limelight in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).

The ultimate event in a division that has grown in popularity over the last decade, the Turf Sprint often features an exciting clash of young upstarts and hard-knocking fan favorites sometimes twice their ages. A horse who fits perfectly into the latter group but who has been noticeably absent from the Breeders' Cup over the last few seasons is Michael Hui's Hogy. That is about to change, much to the satisfaction of the 8-year-old gelding's faithful.

Per his owner, who had the pluck to claim him for $80,000 three starts back Aug. 3 at Saratoga Race Course, the fleet-footed runner is heading to Del Mar.

"I look back at his replays—and his runs over the last 12 months, especially—and I see a horse who has run fast enough to compete in this race, especially when you look at his runs against Green Mask," Hui said. "He deserves a chance after all this time against these types of horses and we actually think that he can improve.

"He had a slightly entrapped epiglottis that we addressed after we claimed him and can breathe better now."

Hogy will have to be supplemented for $100,000 by Hui, plus $15,000 to pre-enter and $15,000 to enter the five-furlong dash.

"I am not one of these big-money people, but he's earned it and $130,000 is what it is," Hui said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed that everything works well from here and that he takes to the ship well and breaks well." 

With 17 wins from 46 starts, the seven-time stakes winner and earner of $1,171,927 enters in top form. Two back, in his first start for trainer Mike Maker, he earned nearly three times his cost when he took the $400,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) Sept. 9 and defeated group 1 winner Undrafted in the process. Last out he finished second for the second consecutive year in the Oct. 7 Woodford Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G2T), where he overcame a slow start and rallied wide.

"He's determined and has a great mind, and I really enjoy being around the horse. I'm actually allergic to horses, believe it or not, and pop a Benadryl 20-30 minutes before I go to the barn," Hui said. "He's such a cool horse. He is very alert and lets other horses know he's there. We had run against him so many times with other horses and lost, so I'm glad he's ours now."

On Oct. 21, Hogy worked three furlongs at Churchill Downs' Trackside Training Center in :36 3/5. The drill was his first since the Woodford. According to Maker he will ship to Del Mar Oct. 27 and have an easy breeze in California before his run. 

"He continues to train well and I was pleased with the work this morning," Maker said. "We're going to run (in the Breeders' Cup). He's a beautiful horse and you have to respect his longevity and consistency. I've been a fan of the horse for a long time. He acts and looks like a 3-year-old, carries good flesh, and has a great coat. 

"We have been trying to take it easy with him. We want to keep him happy and have him flash a little more speed. Like all big races, we'll school him (in the gate) before he runs." 

Prior to racing in Hui's pink and white silks, Hogy carried the red and green of Fairmount Park owner William Stiritz and his private trainer Scott Becker, who claimed him in November of 2012 for $80,000, after he had already won or placed in five stakes within his first 12 starts for Alice Mettler and trainer Joel Berndt. In 32 starts for Stiritz, he won or placed in 11 stakes, and proved versatile enough to win from five furlongs on the turf to a two-turn mile on Tapeta.

In turf sprints over the past five seasons, his consistency has become the yardstick for the division, as he's held his own with such speed demons as Havelock, Saint Leon, Power Alert, Marchman, and 2015 Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday—an old rival he will likely face for a fifth time Nov. 4 at Del Mar. Earlier this year he defeated Green Mask in the Colonel Power Stakes, when he set the 5 1/2-furlong turf record at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.