California Flag has lived up to his favorite's status by winning the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
The 5-year-old gray gelding defeated Gotta Have Her by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Santa Anita. It was the first Breeders' Cup win for 20-year-old jockey Joe Talamo and trainer Brian Koriner, who along with California Flag are based in California.
California Flag paid $8.80, $5.60 and $3.80 as the favorite, a year after finishing 10th in the same race. He ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf in 1:11.28, just off his own track record of 1:11.10.
Gotta Have Her returned $8.80 and $5.60, while Cannonball was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $4.80 to show.
Delta Storm was fourth in the field of 14.
