With no exclusive options for female turf sprinters in the World Championships, the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) has played host to a heroine defeating the boys on five separate occasions since its inaugural running in 2008. With a trio of speedy fillies and mares in the starting gate Nov. 1, it's possible Del Mar will play host to the sixth.
Ag Bullet nearly became that sixth a year ago when beaten just a neck in third by Starlust in the 5-furlong contest. The Richard Baltas-trained daughter of Twirling Candy has come back stronger as a 5-year-old, beating the boys at Saratoga Race Course in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) to clinch her spot in the Breeders' Cup.
Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Ag Bullet is typically swift on her hooves out of the gate, as are many of the rivals she faces Saturday.
Shisospicy, Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's 3-year-old filly, is one of those. In seven American starts, she's only been outside the top two at one single point of call on Equibase charts: the finishing spot of third place in a 2-year-old stakes race on dirt.
A two-time graded winner this season, the daughter of Mitole faces an uphill battle facing older horses for the first time—no sophomore filly has ever won the Turf Sprint—but trainer Jose D'Angelo is confident she is up to the task.
Video
Both runners exit victories at Kentucky Downs and now return to the standard oval for a 5-furlong contest that is a pure test of their speed. Charles Marquis' Bear River also exits a victory in Franklin, Ky., after taking the Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) gate to wire.
With those three just a few that prefer to be forwardly placed, the race could be over from the first jump, or be sent into chaos as the speed flames out. That situation would be no surprise in a race that has averaged a $30.09 payout for a $2 win bet through its 17 runnings and a $60.99 average over the last three years.
One who may be threatening late is Anthony Fanticola's Motorious, who closed from 10th to just miss by a neck in last year's edition, nosing out Ag Bullet for third. His late kick is consistent, with that loss being his lone one in his last five starts.
Another threat with a late charge will by Mrs. Fitriani Hay's 9-year-old iron horse Khaadem. The Turf Sprint has not fared too kindly to European shippers over the years, with Starlust's 2024 victory just the second for horses based overseas.
However, Khaadem is not the average European shipper as he's made his last two starts in America for trainer Charlie Hills, tasting a last-to-first victory in Keeneland's Woodford Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4.
Khaadem is joined in the quest to give Europe consecutive winners by Amo Racing USA and Adrian Murray's 1-3 finishers of the Flying Five Stakes (G1): Arizona Blaze, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) last year, and Bucanero Fuerte. Aristia Park and Quality Time Racing's She's Quality, a 4-year-old filly who was fourth in the Flying Five, also crosses the pond after a group 1 placing in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (G1).
In search of their first Turf Sprint win, Japan is represented by Mikako Sakota's grade 3 winner, Invincible Papa.
Del Mar, Saturday, November 1, 2025, Race 5Entries: Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Motorious (GB) Antonio Fresu 126 Philip D'Amato 7/2 2 2Reef Runner (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 126 David Fawkes 6/1 3 3Arizona Blaze (GB) David Egan 124 ADRIAN MURRAY 5/1 4 4Khaadem (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 126 Charlie Hills 10/1 5 5Bring Theband Home (FL) Javier Castellano 126 Mark E. Casse 12/1 6 6Governor Sam (KY) Flavien Prat 124 George Weaver 15/1 7 7She's Quality (IRE) Colin T. Keane 123 Jack W. Davison 20/1 8 8Ag Bullet (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Richard Baltas 4/1 9 9Bear River (KY) James Graham 126 J. Keith Desormeaux 20/1 10 10Shisospicy (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Jose Francisco D'Angelo 6/1 11 11Bucanero Fuerte (GB) Umberto Rispoli 126 ADRIAN MURRAY 20/1 12 12Invincible Papa (AUS) Daisuke Sasaki 126 Daishi Ito 20/1 13 13Puro Magic (JPN) Oisin Murphy 123 Shogo Yasuda 20/1 14 14Yellow Card (KY) Kazushi Kimura 126 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1 15 15No Nay Hudson (IRE) Pablo Morales 126 Wesley A. Ward 20/1 16 16Incanto (IRE) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 Peter Eurton 30/1
