Dr. Schivel challenges old guard in Santa Anita Sprint Championship
The first three across the wire from last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship renew acquaintances Saturday in the latest edition of that race, but they all may be taking a back seat to a young upstart looking to kick sand in their face.
Dr. Schivel, just a 2-year-old last year, has come back better than ever at age 3. He will look to firmly establish himself as the best sprinter on the West Coast – and a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint five weeks later – when he runs Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 race against five older horses, including last year’s top three finishers, C Z Rocket, Flagstaff, and Collusion Illusion.
The Santa Anita Sprint Championship, race 8 on the 11-race card, is a Win and You’re In toward the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Both are at six furlongs.
Dr. Schivel already is in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, via his victory in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar. His trainer, Mark Glatt, purposely rested Dr. Schivel after that race with the idea of running in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and then moving on to the Breeders’ Cup.
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“I just didn’t feel like I could fit another race in,” Glatt said Thursday morning. “I wanted to run once before the Breeders’ Cup, approximately a month out. This worked out well timing-wise.”
Dr. Schivel, 4 for 6 lifetime, has won both his starts this year. He got a Beyer Speed Figure of 93 in the Bing Crosby while downing Santa Anita Sprint rivals C Z Rocket and Vertical Threat.
Glatt also sends out Collusion Illusion, whose 2021 campaign was delayed and then altered further owing to a minor setback that caused his lone outing to be on the turf. It didn’t go well. Collusion Illusion beat one horse going five furlongs in the Grade 3 Green Flash at Del Mar.
“That’s a tough race if you’re not a specialist,” Glatt said.
He is better than that, and by drawing outside – which Collusion Illusion has shown is his preference – he is capable of bouncing back.
Flavien Prat has ridden both Dr. Schivel and Collusion Illusion in their recent outings. He chose Dr. Schivel, so Juan Hernandez picks up the mount on Collusion Illusion, who is adding blinkers, owing to a recommendation from Prat.
C Z Rocket and Flagstaff have been at or near the top of the local sprint division for two seasons. C Z Rocket was a close third in the Crosby, then second in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien, over a Del Mar surface trainer Peter Miller thought hindered his late run.
Flagstaff was third in the O’Brien going seven furlongs, a distance he may prefer.
“I’m not sure how the race is going to set up for him,” said his trainer, John Sadler. “Six furlongs might be a little short for him”
Del Mar allowance winner Colt Fiction and recent Charles Town stakes winner Vertical Threat complete the field.