Glatt’s Dr. Schivel Seeks Fifth In-A-Row In Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship
ARCADIA, Calif. – Unbeaten in three tries at six furlongs and in search of his fifth consecutive win, trainer Mark Glatt’s Dr. Schivel heads a solid field of six 3-year-olds and up in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs. A Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race qualifier, the winner will earn a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
With defending champ C Z Rocket and sharp horses such as Flagstaff, Eight Rings, Vertical Threat and Colt Fiction all rating big chances, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship figures to provide players with ample value.
A game neck winner of the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes going six furlongs at Del Mar July 31, Dr. Schivel, a 3-year-old colt by Violence, has defeated older horses in his last two starts, including a second condition allowance two starts back on June 18 at Santa Anita. A winner of the Grade I Del Mar Futurity in his final start at age two, Dr. Schivel, who is owned by Red Baron’s Barn, LLC and Rancho Temescal, seeks his third career Grade I victory and rates top billing.
In what will be his third start of the year, Dr. Schivel, who has won four out of six career starts, was trained through his 2-year-old campaign by Luis Mendez.
Glatt will also send out top sprinter Collusion Illusion, a Grade I winner at age three who was in need of his most recent start in the Grade III Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf Aug. 22. Idle since a close third to top colt Charlatan in the Grade I Malibu Stakes here Dec. 26, Collusion Illusion was never a factor in the Green Flash, but he figures to run much better on Saturday. Owned by Dan Agnew, Jerry Schneider, Rodney Orr and MyRacehorse, this 4-year-old Twirling Candy colt gets a nice outside draw and he’ll be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez.
The leading money earner in the field with more than $1.4 million, Peter Miller’s C Z Rocket, who finished second in the Grade II Pat O’Brien Stakes Aug. 28 and a close third in the Grade I Crosby July 31, was favored in both races and is without a doubt regarded as one of the nation’s top sprinters.
Following his win in last year’s Sprint Championship, C Z Rocket went on to finish second in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7. With a 5-2-2-1 mark this year, it would appear this 7-year-old City Zip gelding is still at the top of his game as he points to another Breeders’ Cup appearance on Nov. 6.
Owned by Tom Kagele, Altimira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC and Gary Barber, C Z Rocket, who was claimed for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park 12 starts back on April 30, 2020, has an overall mark of 28-11-4-3 as he seeks his first Grade I win.
A close third in Del Mar’s Pat O’Brien Stakes, John Sadler’s reliable Flagstaff, who was second, beaten a head by C Z Rocket in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship, has run extremely well in six starts this year, including a win three starts back going seven furlongs in the Grade I Churchill Downs on May 1. Owned by Lane’s End Racing and Hronis Racing, LLC, Flagstaff, a 7-year-old gelding by Eclipse Champion Sprinter Speightstown, is 21-7-6-4 overall with earnings of $1,035,585.
The Grade II Santa Anita Sprint Championship with jockeys & weights in post order
Race 8 of 11, Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
1. Dr. Schivel—Flavien Prat—122
2. Vertical Threat—Abel Cedillo—122
3. Colt Fiction—Geovanni Franco—122
4. C Z Rocket—Florent Geroux—124
5. Flagstaff—Joe Bravo—126
6. Collusion Illusion—Juan Hernandez—122
The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is one of five stakes on an 11-race program Saturday, with special early first post time at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
Going to Vegas Looks For Third Straight Win In Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes
Going to Vegas won the Santa Ana Stakes with Umberto Rispoli in the irons by 3 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita Park on March 27, 2021. (Benoit Photos)
Fresh off the biggest win of her career and in search of her third consecutive victory, the Richard Baltas-trained Going to Vegas heads an evenly matched field of nine fillies and mares three and up going a mile and one quarter on turf in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. A Breeders’
Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race qualifier, the Rodeo Drive winner will earn a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6.
A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Goldencents, Going to Vegas comes off a rousing 2 ¼ length win going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade II John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar Sept. 4, a race in which she pressed the early pace and kicked clear through the lane as the 9-5 favorite.
Owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion Racing and MyRacehorse, Going to Vegas has a win and a second place finish from two tries at a mile and one quarter. Claimed for $50,000 12 starts back on June 12, 2020, she’s banked $242,400 this year from five starts and has overall earnings of $454,151. With an overall mark of 21-6-8-2, she’ll be seeking her first Grade I victory.
Second in her last four starts, including the John C. Mabee on Sept. 4, LNJ Foxwoods’ homebred Dogtag has two wins and three third place finishes from five starts over the Santa Anita lawn and she has a win and a second from two tries at the Rodeo Drive distance. A 5-year-old mare by War Front, she’s trained by Richard Mandella and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.
LNJ Foxwoods will have another homebred, Luck, in the Rodeo Drive lineup fresh off a most impressive U.S. debut going a mile and one sixteenth on turf in a first condition allowance Aug. 7 at Del Mar. A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Kitten’s Joy, Luck won two out of her four starts in France before joining the barn of Richard Baltas this past summer. Ridden to victory by Umberto Rispoli at Del Mar, she’ll be handled by Flavien Prat on Saturday, and she has the look of a filly very much on the improve.
Trainer Leonard Powell’s 4-year-old French-bred Neige Blanche, a winner of the Grade III Santa Barbara Stakes here three races back, comes off an ungraded stakes win going a mile and three eighths on turf at Del Mar Aug. 14 and would be well served by a fast early pace. Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Marsha Naify, et al, she’ll be ridden back by Juan Hernandez.
The Grade I Rodeo Drive with jockeys & weights in post position order
Race 9 of 11, Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
1. Dogtag—Joe Bravo—122
2. Fast Jet Court—Drayden Van Dyke—124
3. Neige Blanche—Juan Hernandez—124
4. Going to Vegas—Umberto Rispoli—124
5. Rideforthecause—Mario Gutierrez—122
6. Crystalle—Abel Cedillo—122
7. Magic Attitude—John Velazquez—124
8. Luck—Flavien Prat—122
9. Red Lark—Mike Smith—122
The Rodeo Drive is one of five stakes on an 11-race card Saturday with first post time at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
For info on the Best Breeders’ Cup Seminar click HERE.
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Office
Top Photo: A speedy Dr. Schivel nips Eight Rings at the wire by a nose to win the Bing Crosby G1 at Del Mar on July 31, 2021. Flavien Prat got the win betting Abel Cedillo aboard Eight Rings. (Benoit Photos)
