Momentum in sports can be tough to gain but can suddenly turn in a matter of seconds with a mere play or two. Racing is no exception.

During the final Breeders’ Cup preps, many of the summer’s brightest stars lost a bit of their luster, and multiple new faces emerged in a matter of minutes.

Below I analyze three horses who enter the Breeders’ Cup off of impressive wins in their final preps. All three runners have the upside to keep their momentum going and take a step forward on the big stage.

Straight No Chaser, Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Big things were expected from this horse after earning back-to-back Beyer Speed Figures over 100 from Daily Racing Form and winning consecutive races by more than seven lengths in 2023. Those plans hit a snag after he was sidelined for a year before returning to run fourth in the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes at Aqueduct in May 2024. He needed that start but broke poorly from the rail before being rushed into a hot pace and then fading.

It is easy to draw a line through this race, but he still needed a big effort in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) to restore faith that his best was not behind him. Dan Blacker’s runner delivered with an empathic win while on cruise control for much of the race. The 104 Beyer Speed Figure he earned signified that he was as sharp as ever. He will face increased pace pressure in the Breeders’ Cup, but he likely will be the speed of the speed and can take this field a long way.

Scottish Lassie, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Jorge Abreu’s filly had buzz surrounding her on debut while being bet down to favoritism against a solid field at Saratoga. She ran a decent third that day, but she ran like a filly that truly needed a race. Abreu showed his continued confidence in this runner by entering her in the Frizette Stakes (G1) as a maiden, and she did not disappoint with a nine-length victory.

The filly who ran second in the Frizette, Snowyte, defeated Scottish Lassie easily on debut, which shows just how much Scottish Lassie improved in her second start while stretching out in distance. With no standout in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenilie Fillies, this daughter of McKinzie might prove to be the horse to beat despite being a maiden just a couple of weeks ago.

Ecoro Sieg, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Many American handicappers are currently unfamiliar with this Japanese runner, but that certainly will change leading up to the Breeders’ Cup. The son of Twirling Candy is undefeated in two starts in Japan. He broke a 23-year-old course record for 2-year-olds in his last start when running the same time as a 4-year-old winner later on the same card.

He has been regarded as a rocket since his 9.4-second performance at the OBS training sale in March. This will be a field filled with unknowns, but Ecoro Sieg might be the right runner to take a chance with as he appears to be a future star in the making.