Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

ARCADIA, Calif., — Midnight Lute became the first back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion went he repeated in the six-furlong race on Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Midnight Lute came from last to first around the turn to run down Fatal Bullet to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths in 1:07.08. Street Boss was third and In Summation was fourth.

The defending champion was sent off as the second favorite at 5-2, while Fatal Bullet was given the nod by the bettors at 2-1.

First Defence, Fatal Bullet and Fabulous Strike were the quickest from the gate and blazed the first quarter in :21.28 seconds. First Defence still was dictating the pace at the half-mile in :43.85 with Fatal Bullet breathing down his throat. Fabulous Strike was wilting at five-furlong mark in :55.14 and Midnight Lute was revving up from the back.

Midnight Lute came seven wide and Fatal Bullet was nearer the rail as they battled from the eighth pole. Midnight Lute got the advantage before the sixteenth pole and steadily pull away to his margin of victory.

Midnight Lute is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Weitman Performance. He is trained by Bob Baffert and is a 5-year-old son of Real Quiet, the 1998 Kentucky Derby winner. Garrett Gomez was the winning jockey and it was his third win on Breeders’ Cup card.

Gomez was happy with Midnight Lute from the start. “He settled in really well. He actually settled better without the blinkers on, and I had to ask him to stay up with the pace. He waited on my commands, which has been unlike him, even last year in the Sprint, which makes him that much better. I’m very happy with his performance. He got into that long stride. After he went past the wire, his ears went up and he began looking at everything. He enjoyed himself, taking it all in like an old pro.

“He’s a big old colt. He’s something else. Without the blinkers, I wanted to get the jump on (jockey David) Flores (on Street Boss). I knew if I could do that, we’d get there.”

Baffert had nothing but praised for his horse. “Winning this race twice shows what a great horse he really is. He is a freak. He had a hock injury after he won last year, and we thought we were going to have to retire him. We X-rayed him after 60 days and it had healed. We tried to get a race into him at Del Mar, and it didn’t work out (10th in Pat O’Brien).

“We took the blinkers off. He is getting old and he doesn’t need blinkers. I’ve always been bragging on him, but today he showed what a great horse he is. I’ve never seen a horse like this. He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained.

“(Owner) Mike (Pegram) is like a brother to me. He’s the one that talked me into coming over to the thoroughbreds and has been a big boost to me.”

Eurico Da Silva was on Fatal Bullet. “He broke real well. He was running comfortably and was running strong, and I didn’t want to get him boxed in. He ran his best race ever, and this is the first time he has ever run in this kind of heat.” 

David Flores was on Street Boss. “When I got to rolling (on the turn) there was all sorts of traffic in front. I didn’t want to take a hold of him – he’s such a big horse you don’t want to do that — so I looked for the best hole I could see. I had to ease out and ease around. When I did I saw that big horse (winner Midnight Lute) outside me. He was running free and easy. Then he was gone.”

John Velazquez  was on In Summation. “He ran well. He just needs everything to be perfect if he’s going to win. At the quarter-pole, we got surrounded and he sucked back out of there. I knew I couldn’t win then. But those three in front of us are all good horses. That’s for sure.”