CHRISTMAS morning.

For Thoroughbred racing fans in America, the Breeders’ Cup is better than Christmas. Championship races come at you hard and fast over seven hours and 20 minutes at Santa Anita.

wn skill from trainers who usually don’t force the issue.

8:21 Twinspires Breeders´ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Dirt) 6f

Three-year-old Drefong rides a four-race win streak for Baffert. Masochistic tries to pad Mike Smith’s lead as the all-time leader in Breeders’ Cup wins. And A. P. Indian tries to cap his 2016 record at a cool seven-for-seven. The six-year-old gelding has been perfect over five different surfaces this year.

Trainer Arnaud Delacour put the finishing touches on the son of Indian Charlie this week, working him five furlongs at Fair Hill Training Center.

“When he’s really fit, that’s what he does,” Delacour said, as A. P. Indian blew out easily. “He’s going to do a breeze like that which is a consequential breeze, pull up, take a breath - whew - and then that’s it. That’s when he’s really fit. You’re going to see him cool out, he wants to stop, wants to look at the other horses and stuff. A lot of horses, you give them a good breeze like that it takes them awhile to come down from it. This guy comes right back to himself. That’s a good sign. The day he is different would tell me he’s not really enjoying it and we have to back off.”

SELECTIONS: 1 A. P. Indian, 2 Masochistic, 3 Drefong

9:05 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Turf) 6f110y

Down the hill, across the dirt, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is always a puzzler.

Veteran Irish-bred Obviously shortens from his customary mile. Mongolian Saturday, without lasix, won this race at Keeneland last year and erased a four-race losing streak (Hong Kong to Britain) with a win in the Woodford October 8th.

Foreign challengers Home Of The Brave, Karar and Washington DC try their luck over the unique course. Californians Ambitious Brew and Holy Lute have experience over the course but might not be good enough. Pure Sensation has won his last three but needs to carry his speed another furlong.

Wow, throw the darts.

SELECTIONS: 1 Pure Sensation, 2 A Lot, 3 Karar.

9:43 Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) (2yo Colts & Geldings) (Dirt) 1m110y

The best of New York, the best of California, the best of Kentucky and the best of Florida clash in the $2 million stakes for two-year-olds on the dirt.

New Yorkers Practical Joke and Syndergaard battled for a mile in the Champagne, with the undefeated Practical Joke winning the nod. They’re back. Todd Pletcher, who trains Syndergaard, also arrives with the undefeated Theory.

Classic Empire made up for dropping his jockey coming out of the gate in the Hopeful by winning the Breeders Futurity at Keeneland. Not This Time represented Kentucky with a romp in the Iroquois.

Klimt chased Gormley in the Frontrunner at Santa Anita in October, he’ll chase him again. Gormley owns two wins from two starts for trainer John Shirreffs, who’s best known for developing older horses (Zenyatta!).

Three Rules hasn’t been touched in five starts in Florida, but gets the acid test here. Take a good look in the paddock and choose who looks best. And, yes, Practical Joke is that beautiful.

SELECTIONS: 1 Gormley, 2 Practical Joke, 3 Classic Empire

10:22 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Turf) 1m4f

Irish-breds Mondialiste, Ulysses, Found and Highland Reel cast long shadows. Well, they’d be a lot longer if it wasn’t for Flintshire, the British-bred six-year-old who has already banked $8.9 million in his career.

Owned by Juddmonte Farm and trained by Chad Brown, Flintshire came to America with one goal in mind - the Breeders’ Cup Turf and a championship. He’s won three of four starts this year, losing his most recent start over yielding turf in the Turf Classic at Belmont Park. Quick as a cat on firm turf, Flintshire should relish the return to firm turf.

Found makes her 10th start this year, three weeks after finishing second in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

SELECTIONS: 1 Flintshire, 2 Found, 3 Highland Reel

11:01 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Grade 1) (3yo+ Fillies & Mares) (Dirt) 7f

As the Breeders’ Cup expanded into 13 races over two days, the expansion has come at a cost to history. Dayjur and Safely Kept’s compelling clash would not exist today, as Dayjur would likely be in the Turf Sprint and Safely Kept would be in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Homogenisation? Perhaps, but don’t tell Tom Morley, he’s got a chance to win his first Breeders’ Cup race with favorite Haveyougoneaway in the Filly & Mare Sprint. A winner of three of four since joining Morley’s New York barn, the five-year-old daughter of Congrats rides a three-race win streak into the sevev-furlong stakes.

Morley simplified the process of training Haveyougoneaway this summer at Saratoga. “You just try and not get in her way too much,” he said. “The really good ones do it for you.”

SELECTIONS: 1 Haveyougoneaway, 2 Carina Mia, 3 By The Moon