Straight No Chaser Rockets to Sprint Championship Win

Straight No Chaser  returned with a vengeance Sept. 29, cruising to a scintillating victory in the $201,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Considered one of the leaders in the sprint division following his victory in the 2023 Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) on Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course, the son of Speightster was sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the year.

In the 16 months since, Straight No Chaser had started just once for trainer Dan Blacker and owner MyRacehorse. A stumbling start in the May 11 Runhappy Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack led to a fourth-place finish, but more rest and a perfect start Sunday led the 5-year-old to the winner's circle.

"(MyRacehorse) have been so patient. Let the horse train himself and don't rush him," Blacker said. "We had an eventful year with him, little issues coming up, but they have just been so patient with us and let us give him some time to get right and ready. This is the end result."

Straight No Chaser looked very comfortable while setting the pace despite receiving pressure from Roll On Big Joe  and For All Mankind . Fort Bragg , the 3-2 co-favorite, launched a rally on the outside as they turned for home and looked a real threat. However, Straight No Chaser wasn't the least bit tired despite fractions of :21.83 and :44.28.

Jockey John Velazquez had plenty of gas beneath him and widened his margin through the wire, winning by 6 1/4 lengths while stopping the clock in 1:08.54. He paid $5.00 to win.

"I was not surprised. I was looking forward to seeing this horse because he's done it before," Velazquez said of the explosive stretch run despite coming off a long layoff. "The way he finished, he told me he was ready."

With the victory, Straight No Chaser earned a $30,000 credit toward Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) entry fees should he run thanks to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Series. Runner-up Roll On Big Joe earned a $15,000 credit and third-place finisher See Through It  receives a $7,500 credit. The $2 million Sprint will be held Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Straight No Chaser was bred in Kentucky by John Eaton and Steve Laymon. MyRacehorse purchased the horse for $110,000 from the Paul Sharp consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He has now earned $376,300. His second graded victory marked a fifth win in nine career starts.

By 2015 Dwyer Stakes (G3) winner Speightster, Straight No Chaser is out of the winning Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday. Speightster was euthanized in 2022 after breaking his leg in a stall incident. The stallion stood at Northern Dawn Stables in Ontario, Canada.