Sprinters Feature at Santa Anita

Six months ago when he won the 1 1/8 miles Santa Anita Derby, the connections of Goldencents started to wonder if perhaps they had a horse who was going to be able to outrun his pedigree and find success running two-turn races. But a seventeenth-place finish in the 1 ¼ miles Kentucky Derby, followed by a fifth-place finish in the 1 3/16 miles Preakness Stakes – where he stalked the pace in second to the 1/8 pole, and then tired – seemed to answer that question the negative. Back in sprint company, he’s run second in both of his last two.

Goldencents has had success on Santa Anita dirt

Those were the Grade I Bing Crosby going six furlongs, and the Grade II Pat O’Brien going seven, both at Del Mar. Now back in his comfort zone, the three-year-old Into Mischief colt is expected to be one of the favorites going to the gate for the $250,000 Grade I Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes, a 'Win and You’re In’ race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, going six furlongs. Throw out his trouble on the Triple Crown trail, and Goldencents has two wins and two seconds in his five other starts this year, with both of the wins on the Santa Anita dirt.

Points Offthebench wants to prove Crosby no fluke

He will have to turn the tables on the horse that beat him in the Bing Crosby, Points Offthebench, who won his first graded-stakes try that day after starting the 2013 season with a runner-up finish against $40,000 claimers.  Also in the field will be Trinniberg, the 2012 BC Sprint champion who has not won in three tries this year, but finished second against a pretty good field in a Grade II race at Calder. In with a shot at a big price might be Declassify, who has only run twice in maiden and allowance races, but won those by a combined 18 lengths.