TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had to scratch morning-line second choice Lord Nelson from the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but Baoma Corp.’s Drefong came in off the bench and gave Baffert his fifth score in the six-furlong race.

Racing for the first time since his Aug. 27 Ketel One King’s Bishop score at Saratoga Race Course, the 3-year-old Gio Ponti colt turned back 8-5 favorite Masochistic to land his second consecutive Grade 1 by 1 1/4 lengths. Grade 2 winner Mind Your Biscuits was third by a nose.

“Drefong looked so good in the paddock, this is probably the sharpest he’s ever been,” Baffert said. “We’ve been taking our time bringing him up to this point.”

The winning time was 1:08.79 on a fast track.

Martin Garcia sent Drefong up to the front to challenge Masochistic early on from post-position 2, and those two clicked through early quarter-mile fractions of :21.49 and :44.03 with Delta Bluesman keeping close company.

“I was pretty confident since I got on him in the paddock. I was really comfortable,” Garcia said.

Masochistic dug in off the turn for home, but Drefong turned him back through five-eighths in :55.98 en route to victory.

“I knew there was going to be a little bit of a speed duel; I was worried about the inside post because it would force his hand, but Martin let him ease up there without forcing the issue,” Baffert said. “Masochistic is a really good horse, and I thought we were going to run second. ... Those two horses really threw down in the stretch.”