Blazing Lexicon Sends a Message

The Sprint Stakes is traditionally one of the most difficult races to handicap on the Breeders’ Cup card--only three winning favorites from 15 runnings--but in recent years paying attention to the California-based horses has mattered.

California horses have won the last four Sprints and six of the last seven, and this year, at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 6, there’s going to be plenty of West Coast contenders for the $1-million, six-furlong race.

The Gulfstream list grew by at least two Sunday when Lexicon broke the stakes record with a 1:07 4/5 clocking to beat favored Kona Gold by two lengths in the $207,500 Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

The record for the six-furlong Ancient Title was set in 1989 by Sam Who and matched in 1993 by Cardmania, who was able to stay home, winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita three weeks later.

Artax, whose career began in California before his transfer to New York early this year, may have become the mild Breeders’ Cup Sprint favorite with his blazing 1:07 3/5 effort Saturday at Belmont Park, but the California connections are undeterred.

“Nobody ever said this horse was going to be the next Man o’ War, but this is a hard-trying horse,” said Richard Mandella, who trains Lexicon for owners-breeders Jerry and Ann Moss. “He’s just naturally quick. The other day, I wanted to breeze him [a half-mile] in about 46 [seconds], and the exercise rider thought she was doing that. But here he did it faster [in :45 2/5, which was the fastest of 51 horses at Santa Anita that day].”

Kent Desormeaux, who won a pair of stakes at Keeneland on Saturday, returned to ride Lexicon in the Ancient Title. He broke the 4-year-old quickly from the outside post in the eight-horse field, and they were never headed. Kona Gold, third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs, tracked Lexicon all the way, but couldn’t overtake him in the stretch. Regal Thunder finished third, six lengths behind Kona Gold. Lexicon, winning for the seventh time in 19 starts, paid $8.40 as the second choice and earned $125,400.

“My horse controlled the race because he just goes so fast,” Desormeaux said. “He was sure ready to roll and he was going fast, but he was always well within himself. Richard (Mandella) had him breathing fire today. He would have put away a lot of horses that [can run in 1:07] today.”

Big Jag, another Breeders’ Cup contender, beat Lexicon by 1 3/4 lengths when Mandella’s colt finished third on Sept. 11 in the Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Sprint Handicap. Mandella said that Lexicon jumped some shadows that day, hurting his chances.

Mandella remembered running Lexicon early in 1998 for a $40,000 claiming tag.

“He was better than what I thought he’d be,” the trainer said. “I’m glad nobody claimed him.”

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The $1.56-million Canadian International produced another contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf when the Canadian-bred Thornfield, at 18-1 the longest shot on the board, beat Fruits Of Love, the favored British invader, by one length at Woodbine. Courteous, who tried to win the 1 1/2-mile race on the lead, finished third and Tanaasa was fourth.

Thornfield, owned by Steve Stavro, the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a son of Sky Classic, who won the Woodbine stake in 1991. The winner, timed in 2:32 1/5 on a course listed as good, was ridden by Richard Dos Ramos and paid $39.70.

Fruits Of Love, sent off at 9-5, prefers firmer going and had trouble getting through on the turn for home. He’ll skip the Breeders’ Cup and shoot for the Japan Cup in Tokyo.

Horse Racing Notes

In another race at Woodbine, Insight, ridden by Mike Smith, won the $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes for fillies and mares. Cerulean Sky, ridden by Chris McCarron, was second and Midnight Line, with David Flores aboard, was third. . . . At Keeneland, Scratch Pad, a Calder shipper, earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a three-length win over Rare Beauty in the $442,400 Alcibiades Stakes. . . . Laffit Pincay reached the 8,802-win mark with two victories at Santa Anita.