Roy H

Roy H made the defense of his title in the $2 million TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint look like a casual jog in the park on November 3. The six-year-old More Than Ready gelding cruised to a greater than three-length win under the twin spires at Churchill Downs, giving rider Paco Lopez his first Breeders' Cup victory.

Roy H hit the side of his starting stall from post nine, but still broke on top. Lopez eased him back off the lead as Promises Fulfilled set the pace. Distinctive B followed in second, while Roy H cruised along comfortably in fourth. He wouldn't stay there long, swinging wide and clearing the front after the first half mile. Roy H was never threatened in the run down the long stretch, scoring in 1:08.24.

“He brings it every time, and I couldn't be more proud,” said trainer Peter Miller afterward. “Words don't even express my feelings."

“I loved my position early,” said Lopez, as he basked in the glow of winning his first Breeders’ Cup event. “I let him go a little early and he started a big move. I knew they were going fast up front. I just had a really good ride from him.”

That win was a milestone in Breeders' Cup 35-year history, as Miller became the first trainer to saddle back-to-back winners of the same Breeders' Cup event. Earlier in the afternoon, he sent out Stormy Liberal to capture the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for the second consecutive time. Both horses share the same ownership as well, in Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen.

The Sprint was Roy H's third win in five starts this year, and his ninth of 22 lifetime. Lifetime, he's closing in on $1.7 million in earnings.

The bay's first 13 starts were in allowance company, before an attitude adjustment in the form of gelding him put him on the road to stardom.

He notched his first stakes win in his graded debut, taking the True North in June of 2017. Since then, he's won five more times, run second twice and third once – all in graded stakes company.

Capturing last year's TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar earned Roy H the Eclipse award as the 2017 champion sprinter with a record of five wins and a second in six 2017 starts.

“He always had this ability. As a colt, as a younger horse, he just never seemed to put it together,” said trainer Miller before his Breeders' Cup victory last year, “Once we gelded him and gave him some time off, he just blossomed into a different horse. He’s all business and just a very, very good horse.”

Roy H was again voted Champion Male Sprinter.