Straight No Chaser progress toward Santa Anita Sprint Championship, BC Sprint

Straight No Chaser, the 2024 champion sprinter, continues to progress toward his first American start of the year at Santa Anita next month after working five furlongs in 1:01 at Del Mar on Thursday.

Straight No Chaser won the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February, but was eighth of 11 in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai on April 6 in his last start. Owned by the My Racehorse syndicate and trained by Dan Blacker, Straight No Chaser is scheduled to start in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs on Sept. 28.

Thursday’s workout was the fifth for Straight No Chaser since early July.

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“I’m really happy with the way he’s progressing,” Blacker said.

“Right now, we’re a week or two ahead of schedule. That’s by design so we’re not rushing him into the race. I’m happy with how we’re coming along.”

Straight No Chaser won the 2024 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, in his first start in more than four months, and followed with a title-clinching win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar last November.

The BC Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1 is the main goal of the autumn with Straight No Chaser.

“He ran so well last year” in the Santa Anita Championship, Blacker said. “We’ll follow a similar path in his works and his leadup to the race.”

The winner of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Sprint.

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