Howbeit noses C Z Rocket in Santa Anita Sprint Championship

ARCADIA, Calif. – Howbeit, a veteran claimed last year for $32,000, upset the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Saturday while even-money favorite Forbidden Kingdom misfired and finished fifth in the six-horse field.

Mike Smith rode Howbeit ($14.40) to the nose victory over C Z Rocket. Super Ocho finished a length back in third after trouble on the backstretch. None Above the Law finished fourth; fifth- and sixth-place finishers Forbidden Kingdom and Kid Corleone wilted after an early duel.

Howbeit’s trainer is Mark Glatt, whose recent top-class sprinters include Grade 1 winners Dr. Schivel and Collusion Illusion. Howbeit took a different path to his first graded stakes victory.

“When you claim a horse for $32,000, you never expect to win stakes,” Glatt said. “But numbers-wise, he fit. He ran back-to-back 99 Beyers last summer.”

Howbeit was a $4,000 supplement to the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, a race run without leading local sprinters American Theorem or Laurel River. Glatt’s instructions to Smith were to get him in the clear.

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“I told Mike, he doesn’t like to get dirt in his face. I thought breaking from the three-hole we could get outside in the clear,” Glatt said.

Smith and Howbeit raced fourth behind the dueling front-runners, who set fractions of 21.58 and 44.18. Smith angled Howbeit outside at the top of the stretch, rallied to the lead, and held by a nose. The final time of the six-furlong race was slow, 1:10.15.

Glatt was realistic about the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. “I don’t know. Full field, I don’t want to get carried away.” Howbeit, a 5-year-old by Secret Circle, has won seven races and $362,486 from 25 starts.

The disappointment in the race was comebacker Forbidden Kingdom, making his first start since April and his first start against older.

“He didn’t break as sharp as he used to,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “He looked like he didn’t have his heart in it like he used to.” Forbidden Kingdom was not quick from the gate, zoomed inside to duel with Kid Corleone, and faded in the lane.

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