Three horses connected to Keeneland sales captured Saturday races at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar. 

Leon King Stable’s favored Bentornato led the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) from the start of the 6-furlong race and scored a 2¼-length win for trainer Jose D’Angelo and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. 

Three days before the race, a 25% ownership interest in Bentornato, a 4-year-old son of Valiant Minister bred by Tanma Corp., sold to Michael and Jules Iavarone for $1 million at the Keeneland Championship Sale in the Del Mar Paddock. 

In the race preceding the Sprint, D’Angelo and Ortiz Jr. teamed with Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing’s 3-year-old filly Shisospicy to record a front-running 2½-length victory in the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at 5 furlongs. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the daughter of Mitole as a yearling to the 2023 January Horses of All Ages Sale, where she sold to Fish Stables for $100,000. Shisospicy was bred by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt. 

At Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 4, Shisospicy’s winning full sister Sapphire Nights is cataloged as Hip 967. She is in foal to Domestic Product. 

A head separated the top two finishers — Nysos and champion Citizen Bull — in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Flavien Prat rode 4-year-old Nysos for trainer Bob Baffert, who trains both colts. The two are graduates of Keeneland sales. 

Brookdale Sales, agent for CASA Farms I, consigned Nysos as a weanling to the 2021 November Sale. The son of Nyquist, who sold to Cypress Creek for $130,000, was bred by Susie Atkins and races for Baoma Corp. 

Nysos’ half-sister Bernetta, by Street Sense, is Hip 44 in the November Breeding Stock Sale. Bernetta is in foal to Arabian Knight. 

Keeneland Fall Meet connections 

To prepare for the Breeders’ Cup, South Florida-based D’Angelo trained Bentornato and Shisospicy at Keeneland in October during the Fall Meet. 

One Breeders’ Cup winner who raced at Keeneland last month was Distaff (G1) winner Scylla, who was third in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1)