Masochistic (Sought After) seeks his fourth-consecutive tally with an automatic bid to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on the line in Sunday's GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar. The Cal-bred kicked off his 5-year-old season with a Santa Anita optional claiming tally Feb. 28, and was subsequently transferred from A.C. Avila to Ron Ellis after Jay Em Ess Stable bought into him. That investment proved a smart one as the bay added the GII Kona Gold S. Apr. 11, and looked even more shrewd when he aired in the GI Triple Bend S. over Appealing Tale (Tale of the Cat) and Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir), good for a 109 Beyer Speed Figure.
Masochistic has proven he can relax on the front end, and he'll have to do just that with the fleet-footed Distinctiv Passion (With Distinction) drawn inside. The Jeff Bonde representative took the GIII Midnight Lute S. late last season, and was fourth after going too quick in the GII Palos Verdes S. Jan. 31. He bounced back in the rained-off Joe Hernandez S. back in Arcadia Feb. 22, but failed to land a blow when ambitiously spotted in Meydan's G1 Al Quoz Sprint Mar. 28. Distinctiv Passion returned to the States no worse for wear, however, and ran away with the May 25 GIII Los Angeles S. against three horses, including Wild Dude, who was third.
C R K Stable's late-running Kobe's Back (Flatter), fifth in this race on the Polytrack last year in his final start for John Sadler, resurfaced to finish second to Wild Dude in Santa Anita's GII San Carlos S. Mar. 7. He shipped to Keeneland to annex the GIII Commonwealth S. Apr. 4, and checked in sixth when facing a field of monsters in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont June 6.
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