LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trainer Bill Mott won his second Breeders’ Cup race within an hour’s time with another late-developing and versatile 4-year-old as Elite Power rallied to a 1 1/4-length decision over the elder statesman, C Z Rocket, in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Earlier, Mott sent out Cody’s Wish to a popular victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Jackie’s Warrior, who went postward as the 3-5 favorite, closed out his award-winning career by finishing a tiring third, the second disappointing outcome in this race in as many runnings for the reigning sprint champion. Jackie’s Warrior ran sixth as an even more prohibitive 1-2 choice in the 2021 Sprint. Elite Power was unraced at 2 and was still a maiden after two starts at 3 before blossoming as a 4-year-old in 2022. He had registered four consecutive one-sided victories coming into the Sprint, including the best performance of his career to that point - a 5 3/4-length tour de force in making his stakes debut in the Grade 2, seven-furlong Vosburgh at Aqueduct on October 8. With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for the first time on Saturday, Elite Power broke alertly before dropping back toward the rear of the field in the run down the backstretch. He advanced to closer contention three-wide leaving the turn, then angled to the middle of the track while continuing his bid on settling into the stretch before finishing full of run down the middle of the course to win going away. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. The 8-year-old C Z Rocket, making his third consecutive appearance in the Sprint, rallied near the inside to stick his head in front after five furlongs before proving no match for the winner at the end.  Jackie’s Warrior did not break with his usual alacrity, then rushed forward to chase the pace of the 41-1 Super Ocho while well off the rail. He was fanned even wider by Super Ocho entering the stretch, remained with the leaders to midstretch, before gradually giving way through the final furlong. Aloha West, the defending Sprint champion, was never a factor, finishing 11th and last. Elite Power is owned by Juddmonte, who purchased the son of Curlin for $900,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale. He earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for covering six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.11 and paid $13.10. “He’s got a profile very similar to the one (Cody’s Wish) who won earlier, not that you can compare the two," Mott said. "They were both late developing, but not without talent and both have come around very well this year.  I think he had baby issues. We didn't get him until his 3-year-old year. And it was just a matter of waiting for him to get right. "We brought him back this year, and he's been sound as a bell of brass. And it's been very rewarding to have him put in a string of races, he’s been very good at a variety of distances, and, of course, ending up the season with the Breeders' Cup.” Mott said getting a clear run at the end was key to Elite Power’s success in the Sprint. “Irad had commented after the race how well he broke," Mott said. "He said, boy, when he broke that way, he said, I was really feeling pretty good about it. It looked like he was able to tip-out and get a clear run through the stretch. And that's really what this horse needed. Once he gets his rhythm going, he still has a little tendency, when he's going by horses, sometimes he'll want to lay-in on them a little bit, which I forewarned Irad about. And I think as you could tell, he got him out away from everybody and got him down the middle of the racetrack. And he came with a good run.” Trainer Peter Miller was elated with C Z Rocket’s performance. C Z Rocket had also finished second when the Sprint was run at Keeneland two years ago. “He ran his eyeballs out,” Miller said. “He’s something else. I don’t know how he keeps doing it at the age of 8.”  Trainer Steve Asmussen was obviously disappointed, but tipped his hat to the winner in the aftermath of Jackie’s Warrior’s career finale. “I was happy with where he was, although if you could do it over again, I wouldn’t have wanted him to get hung out like he did,” Asmussen said. “It’s impossible to put into words what a horse like this means to everybody, the whole barn, just the pride that goes into a horse like this, the opportunities he’s given us. It’s amazing what a horse can do to make you feel good about yourself.”   :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.