GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Speightstown took the shortest way home to a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.
With jockey John Velazquez at the controls, Speightstown skimmed the rail, right behind a blistering early pace. As the field turned into the Lone Star Park stretch, front-runner Abbondanza left running room on the inside and that was all Speightstown needed. He spurted through, opened up a quick lead and was a clear winner.
Kela made a late run from the back of the 13-horse field, followed home by two longshots, My Cousin Matt and Bwana Charlie.
Speightstown's final time for 6 furlongs was 1:08.11, just shy of the track record.
Before finishing third in his last start, the 6-year-old son of Gone West had won eight of his last 10 races, finishing second in the other two. Neither of the two horses who beat him last time was entered Saturday.
The victory was the second of the day for trainer Todd Pletcher, who had not won a Breeders' Cup race before.
