Bing Crosby Winner Earns Ticket to Breeders’ Cup Sprint

A field of nine line up in Saturday’s $300,000 Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar. (Photo credit: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club).

A field of nine sprinters will line up in the feature at Del Mar on Saturday, the $300,000 Bing Crosby (G1) at six furlongs on the main track.

The winner stamps his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) as the race is a “Win and You’re In” race for the year end championships, which will be held at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.

The Peter Miller trained C Z Rocket is the 5-2 morning line favorite. The seven-year-old ran second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint which was held at Keeneland. The gelding has won seven of nine starts since Miller claimed him for $40,000 last April.

There is no shortage of early speed in the race led by Brickyard Ride (7-2), who wired the field in the California bred Thor’s Echo in his last outing. He drew off to win by 4 ¾ lengths for trainer Craig Lewis and earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the effort.

“We’re going to do what got us here,” Lewis said. “Rock and roll. We’re going to leave and if something wants to run with us, that’s up to them.”

There are several foes in the race that can do just that including Vertical Threat (8-1) and Quick Tempo (12-1).

2021 Thor’s Echo Replay

The Mark Glatt trained Collusion Illusion (4-1) is the defending champ in the Bing Crosby. He came into last year’s edition off a victory in the Laz Barrera (G3) and this year will be coming back off a seven-month layoff.

Glatt will also saddle Dr. Schivel (7-2) who beat second level optional claimers in his last outing. His jockey Flavien Prat won the Crosby in five of the last six years. Glatt has Law Abidin Citizen (12-1) entered but indicated the gelding might scratch.

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Let’s head out to Del Mar for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Del Mar Race 10 The Bing Crosby G1 6:36 PT

6 Collusion Illusion 4-1

3 C Z Rocket 5-2

9 Brickyard Ride 7-2

8 Dr. Schivel 7-2

Collusion Illusion

This colt is the defending champ, winning this race last year as a three-year-old by a nose at 9-5 and it was his third win in a row since cutting back from a route and returning off a layoff. He was then placed second in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) thanks to a DQ and then never got untracked in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) where he checked in 12^th at 15-1. He bounced back with a better effort in a third-place finish in the Malibu (G1) to end his campaign. The runner up in that race was Express Train who has won a couple of G2 races since and ran second in the Big ‘Cap (G1). The Glatt barn is 19% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. Solid looking works on the morning tab and he is going to get an honest pace in front of him here.

C Z Rocket

This veteran is cutting back from a mile where he pressed the early pace and was no match for Mo Mosa in the slop in a runner up finish in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star. The winner came back to run fourth in the San Diego Handicap (G2) in his next start. The Miller barn claimed this old timer for just $40,000 last April and he has racked up 7 wins in 9 starts with three stakes and a runner up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). The cut back suits although today he will a race without lasix for the first time in his career. The gelding owns a solid pace profile throughout with good late pace numbers. The race sure looks as if it will set up for him. I just can’t get too excited about him if he dips below his 5-2 morning line.

Brickyard Ride

This colt earned the top last out speed fig with a gate to wire score in the state bred Thor’s Echo last out. It was his eighth win in 16 career starts. The colt owns solid early and mid pace numbers and his connections have made it known he is going to the lead There is plenty of early speed in here to make things interesting. It is tough to explain his clunker two back and three back he regressed off his previous career top four back where he was a sharp winner of the San Carlos (G2). If he is able to get clear he could be tough but he just is not very reliable.