Breeders’ Cup Replay | 2023 Turf Sprint: Nobals Posts Upset With Rail-Skimming Rally

Nobals won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park with a rail-skimming rally that allowed him to hold off runner-up Big Invasion late.

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Watch the race replay here:

The press release:

Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Nobals parlayed a ground-saving trip into a diminishing neck victory over Big Invasion in the 16th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) for 3-year-olds and up Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.

Trained by Larry Rivelli and ridden by Gerardo Corrales, Nobals covered the 5 furlongs over a firm turf course in :55.15. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for Rivelli and Corrales.

European raider Live In The Dream (IRE) shot to the front and opened a daylight advantage through an opening quarter-mile in :21.15 while Corrales had Nobals racing on the inside.

Live In The Dream took his advantage into the stretch, where he shook off a challenge from defending champion Caravel and Arzak but left room to his inside where Nobals slipped through at mid-stretch to take command.

Nobals opened enough of a cushion to hold off Big Invasion, who had followed him along the inside into the stretch and a fast-closing Aesop’s Fables (IRE), who was another half-length back in third with Live In The Dream and Motorious completing the top five. Caravel finished 10th.

Nobals is a 4-year-old gelded Kentucky-bred son of Noble Mission (GB) out of the Empire Maker mare Pearly Blue.

The victory was worth $520,000 and increased Nobals’ earnings to $1,453,274 with a record of 18-10-3-0.