The Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes is Sunday.
It’s traditionally the final prep race for California sprinters in advance of the World Championships yet it was never a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
This year’s contest is now a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, with the winner automatically getting a spot in the gate as well as an expense paid trip to Del Mar at the end of October.
Here is a brief look at the field of eight runners.
1. DR. VENKMAN [ML 3-1] Jockey; Umberto Rispoli. Trainer: Mark Glatt. Has yet to run a bad race through 10 career starts and earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with a Win and You’re In victory last out with a seven-furlong victory in the Pat O’Brien Stakes. He prefers slightly longer distances but will be ready to capitalize if that contender is not up to speed.
2. STRAIGHT NO CHASER [ML 7-5] Jockey: John Velazquez. Trainer: Dan Blacker. Merited Champion sprinter honors in 2024 with back-to-back impressive wins in this race and then the BC Sprint. Traveled to the Middle East for a two-race assignment last spring and dominated the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, then flopped in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Hasn’t ran since that race in early April but has been training well.
3. AWESOME RHYTHM [ML 12-1] Jockey: Armando Ayuso. Trainer: Victor Garcia. Enters on a three-race win streak sprinting in California, all races held at six furlongs. Only problem is that those races were at the Allowance-optional claiming or straight claiming level, and he’s yet to test Stakes-level company through 19 career starts.
4. SMOOTH CRUISEIN [ML 30-1] Jockey: Kyle Frey. Trainer: Karen Headly. Has run decent against Stakes company this summer, although his recent runner-up finish in the two-turn Shared Belief Stakes came against only two opponents. He was well-beaten in two sprint Graded Stakes before then.
5. SPEED BOAT BEACH [ML 10-1] Jockey: Mike Smith. Trainer: Bob Baffert. Was one of California’s best sprinters in 2023, losing the Santa Anita Sprint Championship by a head and running a good 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. That said, after taking 18 months off- he’s showed little in two starts this year, finishing last of 10 in a Stakes and then a distant 4th as the 7-5 favorite in the Pat O’Brien. Recent workouts on this track have been good.
6. WOUND UP [ML 15-1] Jockey: David Cohen. Trainer: Librado Barocio. A speedster who racked up an impressive win record while competing in Allowance and Starter-optional Claiming races and took a six-race win streak into the Green Flash Handicap on turf in late August. He flopped in that race and finished last of 12, and is now back on dirt in a tougher spot.
7. MBAGNICK [ML 12-1] Jockey: Hector Berrios. Trainer: John Sadler. Another longshot contender who did little in a recent Stakes appearance, in his case finishing last of nine in the Bing Crosby Stakes. Has competed mainly in Allowance races prior to that, however he did not embarrass himself in two February Stakes attempts on this track.
8. IMAGINATION [ML 5-2] Jockey: Juan Hernandez. Trainer: Bob Baffert. Has shown glimpses of top-notch talent in his career, most notably when finishing 2nd by a neck in last year’s Santa Anita Derby. That started a seven-race losing streak that he takes into this contest. Finished a tiring 4th in his last out- the San Pasqual Stakes held at 1 1/8 miles.
The Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes is listed as race nine on a Sunday card of ten with a scheduled Post Time of 8:10.
Best of luck however you play it.
