Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

ELITE POWER DEFENDS HIS TITLE IN QATAR RACING BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2023) – Juddmonte’s Elite Power took over at mid-stretch and eased away from Gunite by a half-length to win the 40th running of the $2 million Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) for 3-year-olds and up and become the third back-to-back winner of the race Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita to close out the World Championships.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Elite Power covered the 6 furlongs in 1:08.34 over a fast track. It is the third victory of the weekend for Mott and Ortiz and back-to-back wins for the duo in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Ortiz also won the 2020 Sprint with Whitmore at Keeneland.

The other horses to repeat in the Sprint are Roy H in 2017-2018 and Midnight Lute in 2007-2008.

Speed Boat Beach led the field through an opening quarter in :21.99 but by the time he completed a half-mile in :44.35, he had company on the front end in Gunite as Elite Power was beginning a three-wide move.

At the head of the stretch, Gunite took over but was quickly joined by Elite Power as Speed Boat Beach backed out of the fray. Elite Power gradually eased away from Gunite to secure the victory.

Gunite held second by a half-length over Nakatomi, who finished a length in front of Speed Boat Beach.

The victory was worth $1,040,000 and increased Elite Power’s earnings to $3,775,711 with a record of 13-9-1-1.

Elite Power is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin out of the Vindication mare Broadway’s Alibi.