Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Steve Andersen previews the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 2025, including the entries, odds, and past performances of the field.
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Reef Runner had returned to the barn after winning a $70,000 handicap at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park in early August when trainer David Fawkes declared a goal for the autumn.
“We’re going to the Breeders’ Cup,” Fawkes told his assistant, Israel Hernandez.
Reef Runner starts in Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with a leading chance in a ultra-competitive field of 12.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint will be Race 5 in your Saturday Del Mar program with post time expected to be 3:41 p.m. ET on November 1.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 2025 Entries, Horses, Jockeys, and Trainers:
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Motorious | A. Fresu | P. D’Amato | 7/2 |
| 2 | Reef Runner | T. Gaffalione | D. Fawkes | 6-1 |
| 3 | Arizona Blaze | D. Egan | A. Murray | 5-1 |
| 4 | Khaadem | L. Dettori | C. Hills | 10-1 |
| 5 | Bring Theband Home | J. Castellano | M. Casse | 12-1 |
| 6 | Governor Sam | F. Prat | G. Weaver | 15-1 |
| 7 | She’s Quality | C. Keane | J. Davison | 20-1 |
| 8 | Ag Bullet | J. Velazquez | R. Baltas | 4-1 |
| 9 | Bear River | J. Graham | J. Desormeaux | 20-1 |
| 10 | Shisospicy | I. Ortiz Jr. | J. D’Angelo | 6-1 |
| 11 | Bucanero Fuerte | U. Rispoli | A. Murray | 20-1 |
| 12 | Invincible Papa | D. Sasaki | D. Ito | 20-1 |
| AE | Puro Magic | O. Murphy | S. Yasuda | 20-1 |
| AE | Yellow Card | K. Kimura | M. McCarthy | 15-1 |
| AE | No Nay Hudson | P. Morales | W. Ward | 20-1 |
| AE | Incanto | H. Berrios | P. Eurton | 30-1 |
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Reef Runner is part of the main field in the BC Turf Sprint, with four horses on an also-eligible list. Aside from Reef Runner, there are 10 2025 graded or group stakes winners in the main field and one group stakes-placed filly. There are seven American-based runners, three from Europe, Invincible Papa from Japan, and the 9-year-old Khaadem, who is trained by Charlie Hills of Britain but has been based in the United States since late summer.
Reef Runner, who races for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, has had a dramatic build-up to the BC Turf Sprint in the last 60 days. He finished first by a nose in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 30 at Del Mar, but was disqualified and placed second for causing interference on the backstretch.
With the demotion, Reef Runner lost a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf Sprint. Pre-entry and entry fees cost the Lieblongs $30,000.
Reef Runner rebounded four weeks after the Green Flash to win the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, closing from eighth to prevail by a half-length.
On Saturday, Reef Runner starts from post 2 and will race as a closer. Tyler Gaffalione takes the mount for the first time since August 2024.
“He needs to come from off of it,” Fawkes said. “He’s got an opportunity to save ground, which you have to do on this turf course.”
Motorious, who starts from the inside post, was fifth in the 2023 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita and second by a neck to Starlust in the 2024 running at Del Mar. Motorious was the promoted winner of the Green Flash in August. After racing in traffic in the first furlong, Motorious rallied from 11th in the final furlong to just miss catching Reef Runner.
Motorious started from an inside post in the 2024 BC Turf Sprint when ridden by Antonio Fresu, who has the mount on Saturday. The post is fine with trainer Phil D’Amato.
“I’d want to be on the rail and not have a parking lot post,” D’Amato said. “It’s not the end of the world.
“We’ll have to figure out a trip. He’ll be seven or eight lengths back. He’ll be trying to find a trip.”
The closers will be chasing such speedy types as Arizona Blaze of Ireland, Bear River, who won the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint at six furlongs on Aug. 30 for his third stakes win this year; Shisospicy, who won the Grade 2 Music City Stakes for fillies and mares at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6; and Bring Theband Home, a two-time stakes winner at Saratoga during the summer.
Arizona Blaze earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf Sprint with a bold win by a length in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at five furlongs at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 14. Arizona Blaze knows Del Mar. Last November, Arizona Blaze was second by a half-length in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint at 27-1.
Arizona Blaze will be a much shorter price Saturday.
Bring Theband Home was outstanding in turf stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga, leading throughout the Harvey Pack Stakes on July 4 as well as the Grade 2 Troy Stakes on Aug. 3. Bring Theband Home was a disappointing last of seven at 1-2 in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes at five furlongs on turf on Oct. 4 at Woodbine.
The loss at Woodbine still puzzles trainer Mark Casse. Javier Castellano was aboard for those races and has the mount Saturday.
“There are a lot of question marks,” Casse said. “Javier said he was dull in the post parade. I don’t have a good excuse.”
Casse was relieved to see Bring Theband Home breeze a half-mile in 47 seconds on the training track at Belmont on Oct. 19. With that, a trip to California was worthwhile.
“In his work in New York, that was the Band we know,” Casse said. “He’s fast. There is some speed in there, but he’s fast.”
Shisospicy, the stakes-placed She’s Quality, and the local star Ag Bullet are the three fillies and mares among the 12 horses in the main field.
Ag Bullet, trained by Richard Baltas for Joey Tran and Calvin Nguyen, was third by a neck in the 2024 BC Turf Sprint. Her 2025 campaign has been geared toward Saturday’s race.
After finishing a troubled seventh as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney Stakes on May 2 at Churchill Downs in her first start of the year, Ag Bullet has won her last two starts – a two-length win the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes against males at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on June 8 at Saratoga, and a win from the front in the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 30.
Ag Bullet, who has won 8 of 15 starts, will be ridden by John Velazquez, who was aboard in the Jaipur. Ag Bullet closed from third that day. The same kind of trip may be successful Saturday.
“I’m happy that Johnny got a feel for her,” Baltas said. “When she won in New York, he let the speed go. We’ll see how the race unfolds. There may be some speed on the inside.”
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