Ransom the Moon, Roy H Meet Again at Santa Anita

The tally is even—Ransom the Moon  2, Roy H 2.

When Southern California's top sprinters have met in grade 1 races, they've each won a pair, and the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1) Oct. 6 will serve as a tiebreaker of sorts. But the tie might not be broken for long, because they could tangle again in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

"I love the mini rivalry that's developed between Ransom the Moon and Roy H," said Brian Trump, racing manager for Rockingham Ranch, which co-owns Roy H with David Bernsen. "(They are) two very fast and impressive horses. He got us last time, but I think Roy H is on his game right now and believe he will get him this weekend.

"It all comes down to who is the best horse on that day. On Saturday, every past race doesn't matter."

The best horse in the July 28 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar was clear. Roy H, the champion male sprinter of 2017, got a stalking trip in fourth and seemed to be in a perfect position to win, but he was swallowed up late by Ransom the Moon, who closed with enthusiasm from ninth and scored by 2 1/4 lengths. It was the second straight Bing Crosby victory for the Phil D'Amato-trained son of Malibu Moon .

BALAN: Ransom the Moon Repeats in Bing Crosby

"Roy H, he's the defending champion, and we had the fortune of beating him last time, but this is a different race on a different track," D'Amato said. "But I love the way my horse is going."

In between Ransom the Moon's two Bing Crosby victories, Roy H closed his 5-year-old campaign with impressive scores over his rival in the 2017 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Breeders' Cup Sprint, but he's been missing that brilliance so far in 2018.

CROSBY: Roy H Continues Big Day for Connections in Sprint

The Peter Miller-trained Roy H began well enough with an easy win in the Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) in February but finished third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) and second in the Bing Crosby. Those placings were against top-level sprinters, but, visually, the More Than Ready  gelding didn't look like he was in the peak form he displayed in 2017.

"I don't think he was comfortable in Dubai," Trump said. "You can chalk that up to travel for him. (In the Bing Crosby), he didn't have that punch, and I don't know why.

"You've always got to remember, they're not machines. They can't repeat, repeat forever. He may not be the same horse. I don't know. But this weekend will be a good sign for us to know if he can come back for the Breeders' Cup."

Ransom the Moon benefited from a quick pace in the Bing Crosby that set up his closing drive. D'Amato is a bit concerned the five-horse field for the Santa Anita Sprint Championship may not present an ideal pace scenario for his horse.

"It's a five-horse field, and it's not the same conditions," D'Amato said. "My horse is ready, but it sounds like (Miller's) horse is ready, too.

"The other speed horse (Distinctive B) is a Peter Miller horse, and (trainer John Sadler) has two (Horse Greedy and Edwards Going Left)—and we don't know if he's going to run both—so we'll find out. If Miller can set a controlled pace, so be it. We're a victim of circumstance, because he's better with pace to run at."

Entries: Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, October 06, 2018, Race 5

• Grade I
• 6f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Horse Greedy (KY)	Stewart Elliott	121	John W. Sadler	8/1
2	2Roy H (KY)	Paco Lopez	125	Peter Miller	6/5
3	3Distinctive B (FL)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Peter Miller	8/1
4	4Edwards Going Left (CA)	Tyler Baze	121	John W. Sadler	9/2
5	5Ransom the Moon (ON)	Flavien Prat	125	Philip D'Amato	7/5