Favorite Girolamo Draws Post 2 in Sprint

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Photo: Coglianese Photos

Girolamo is the one to beat in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
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Godolphin Racing's Girolamo  , the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the six-furlong Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr.I), drew post 2 and will face 11 in the $2 million race. In his last start the son of A.P. Indy drew clear in the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) by 2 1/2 lengths Oct. 2 at Belmont Park.

Girolamo is one-for-one at six furlongs. He makes only his third start of the year for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

"The great thing about him is he has enough early speed to get position, and he won't have to work to hard to do it," assistant trainer Rick Mettee said. "He's ready to run."

Harold Queen's Big Drama, who has run his best races at six and seven furlongs, drew the rail and was installed the second choice at 7-2. Trainer David Fawkes took it in stride.

"It's the inside post; what do you say?" Fawkes said. "We'll see what happens. I don't hate it. It's the post we drew, and now we have to make the best of it."

A. Steven Miles Jr.'s Warrior's Reward   is on the other end of the spectrum with post 12. The Ian Wilkes trainee is a closing sprinter.

"No problem," Wilkes said of the post. "It's better than one, two or three. "(Jockey) Julien (Leparoux) knows him; he knows his strengths."

Warrior's Reward, at 12-1 on the line, trains at Churchill and enters the Sprint off a good third in the Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) on the Polytrack at Keeneland. The colt seems much better on dirt.

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