Dr. Schivel guts out win in Santa Anita Sprint Championship

ARCADIA, Calif. – It was not easy for Dr. Schivel. It was not supposed to be.

The 5-year-old sprinter scored his first graded stakes victory in two years Saturday at Santa Anita, where he won a dogfight in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Despite breaking a step slow from an inside post, despite being hooked every step, Dr. Schivel ($6.80 favorite) won the six-furlong race by a head over Speed Boat Beach. The win stamped Dr. Schivel as one of the leading contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4.

It will be his second shot. Dr. Schivel finished second by a nose in the 2021 BC Sprint.

“Hopefully he’s got one more good one in him [before] he gets to go on to his second career,” trainer Mark Glatt said.

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Dr. Schivel already compiled an outstanding career. His win Saturday was his seventh from 14 starts, and though the margin was only a nose, few of his victories were as courageous.

“He was really game today,” jockey Juan Hernandez said. “My horse was really brave.”

He had to be after breaking step slow from post 2. From there, Dr. Schivel never had a breather. Racing inside pacesetter Sir Atticus, Dr. Schivel was asked by Hernandez to maintain position on the turn. The fractions, over a wet-fast track, were 22.08 and 44.27.

“Around the turn, I saw a little bit of space ([on the rail], and I kind of asked him to get there,” Hernandez said. Dr. Schivel responded, but pace-presser Speed Boat Beach, the second favorite, was rallying outside. Dr. Schivel had to fight back, and he did. He held by a head in 1:08.49. The final time should equate to a Beyer Figure in the 100 range.

Fort Bragg rallied for third; Sir Atticus held fourth. The disappointment in the race was 3.10-1 third choice Arabian Lion, who finished seventh in the nine-horse field.

The win by Dr. Schivel validated California’s top sprinter. The Chosen Vron defeated Anarchist and Dr. Schivel last out the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar; both Anarchist and Dr. Schivel won graded stakes next out. Runner-up Anarchist won the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes in his next start.

Those three – The Chosen Vron, Anarchist, and Dr. Schivel – will meet again in the BC Sprint on Nov. 4, a race also expected to attract top East Coast sprinter Elite Power and possibly the filly Echo Zulu.

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