Straight No Chaser leads all the way in Santa Anita Sprint Championship

ARCADIA, Calif. - After stumbling in his 2024 debut in New York in April and missing a major stakes at Del Mar in the summer because of a training setback, the 5-year-old Straight No Chaser had a good day at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Straight No Chaser led throughout the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs, a race trainer Dan Blacker hopes will lead to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

“We’d like to take a shot at the Breeders’ Cup,” Blacker said.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Straight No Chaser ($5) won the $201,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship by a commanding 6 1/4 lengths, finishing in 1:08.54. Straight No Chaser earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 104.

Roll On Big Joe, a 21-1 outsider, stalked the pace and held second, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of 13-1 See Through It.

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Fort Bragg, the 3-2 favorite, stalked Straight No Chaser on the backstretch, but posed no threat in the stretch, fading to finish 9 1/4 lengths behind the winner.

Mbagnick finished fifth, followed by For All Mankind and Neiman.

The complexion of the race changed earlier in the week when the stakes winners Dr. Venkman and Speed Boat Beach were not entered. Both would have been leading contenders.

Straight No Chaser set a solid pace of 21.83 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.28 after a half-mile. After a half-mile, Straight No Chaser led by two lengths, an advantage that grew to four lengths with a furlong remaining.

“He broke really quick and when I saw how easy he was going on the turn, I felt pretty confident,” Blacker said.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship was Straight No Chaser’s fifth win in nine starts, a light record for an older horse. Straight No Chaser was the easy winner of the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Championship at Pimlico in May 2023 in what turned out to be his final start of the year.

In his comeback in the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes at six furlongs at Aqueduct on May 11, Straight No Chaser was the 7-10 favorite, but finished fourth after stumbling at the start and fading from the front in the final furlong.

Straight No Chaser missed a start in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 27 after he was scratched on the day of the race.

“He had an issue three days before the race,” Blacker said. “We got him right and gave him the time.”

By Speightster, Straight No Chaser, who races for the My Racehorse syndicate, has earned $376,300.

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