Globetrotting Irish sprinter A Case Of You is hopefully heading stateside once again this fall for the Grade I Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on November 5. Fifth in last year’s race at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, his trainer Adrian “Ado” McGuinness hopes for better down a longer home stretch this time around.
Already a Group 1 winner in Europe and the Middle East, A Case Of You has had the summer off. He should return to the track in his native Ireland for the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on September 10. McGuinness has the same campaign planned for his four-year-old Hot Streak colt.
“A Case Of You is going to do exactly what he did last year,” the trainer told the Racing Post. “No sprinter wins five Group 1 sprints every year, that’s just the way it is. We think Keeneland will really suit him.
“He’s a strong horse and the little bit of juice in the ground at Keeneland will be good for him. They have a longer straight [home stretch] there too. The straight at Del Mar is very short and he was flying home, another two or three strides and he was probably up for third.”
Longer Distance to Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland
Last year’s edition of the World Championships saw the Turf Sprint race run over its minimum distance of around 1,000m. When Keeneland last hosted the Breeders Cup in 2020, this event was contested over 100m or so further. That should suit A Case Of You much better on his second try in the race.
His breakthrough Group 1 success came in the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc de Triomphe day at Longchamp in Paris, France last fall. A Case Of You needed every stride of the sprint course, a straight 1,000m on testing heavy going, to win. He pulled five lengths clear of the 2020 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint heroine Glass Slippers, bringing this race onto his radar.
Of the European horses who crossed the Atlantic and went to Del Mar, only Haydock Sprint Cup winner Emaraaty Ana was home in front of A Case Of You but also missed the show in fourth. American turf sprinters enjoyed a 1-2-3 led by Wesley Ward’s Golden Pal.
A Case Of You proved his Abbaye win was no fluke with victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the UAE on World Cup Night this spring. He had the Platinum Jubilee Stakes hero from Royal Ascot, Creative Force for Godolphin, and Fourstardave Handicap scorer Casa Creed, who already has an invite to the World Championships after that Breeders Cup Challenge Series win, in-behind.
Flying Five Try & Abbaye Defense on Agenda
Before McGuinness can really start thinking about Keeneland, though, A Case Of You has targets closer to home. He placed behind Romantic Proposal in the Flying Five on Irish Champions Weekend last fall. Although A Case Of You did turn the tables on that speedy mare out of Breeders Cup Classic legend Raven’s Pass, going one better this year is definitely his first mission.
Mounting a defense of the Abbaye crown on October 2 is also part of the plan. No horse has backed-up in France’s premier sprint race since 1994, however. The challenge for A Case Of You is he doesn’t get the weight for age enjoyed by three-year-olds now.
While British and Irish trainers have a fabulous record in the Abbaye, the fact remains that five of the last six winners came from that age group. Both races on A Case Of You’s agenda are “win and you’re in” for the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint, so he’s got two chances for automatic entry.
Anyone who’s followed Irish horse racing and betting closely in recent years knows what a terrific target trainer McGuinness is. If A Case Of You can punch his ticket to Keeneland, he looks sure to turn up in Kentucky for the World Championships again.
British and Irish oddsmakers across the Atlantic have him between 14-1 and 16-1 (+1400 to +1600) for the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. That futures betting price will only shorten should A Case Of You win one or both of his prep races.
Golden Pal Favorite for Breeders Cup Turf Sprint Again
Last year’s world champ Golden Pal is favorite across the pond for a successful title defense. Ward’s barn is in the Keeneland locale, so it’s easy to see why. Golden Pal is unbeaten in three career starts at the track including a win in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint from 2020.
Also an early fancy with handicappers for the Turf Sprint at the World Championships is Christophe Clements’ Big Invasion. He’s on a roll after six consecutive wins. A three-year-colt by 2013 Breeders Cup Classic third Declaration of War, Big Invasion has three Listed victories and a Grade III success on his resume.
York Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Highfield Princess is also in the form of her life. She looks the strongest contender from the potential transatlantic challenge at this stage. Last year’s Breeders Cup Turf Sprint second Lieutenant Dan, four-year-old Kodiac filly Campanelle (known for her exploits in Europe), and fellow Ward-trained Arrest Me Red are prominent in the market too.
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