Straight No Chaser Delivers in Riyadh Dirt Sprint

Saturday marked his second consecutive victory in a $2 million race, with the potential for a third with a planned start in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on Dubai World Cup day, April 5, at Meydan.

Although Straight No Chaser came from off the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a deviation from his customary front-running style, he was prominent from the start in Saturday’s race. Breaking well under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, he briefly tracked a hard-hustled Jasper Krone  before asserting his authority into the turn of the approximately six-furlong race. Shedding Jasper Krone entering the stretch, he pulled clear, with only a stalking Muqtahem, in contention after a three-wide bid. But under confident handling from Velazquez, who merely hand rode and flashed his riding crop at his speedy mount, Straight No Chaser cruised under the finish line without being threatened.

Gabby’s Sister came on for third, a half-length behind the runner-up.

Straight No Chaser was timed on a fast surface in 1:11.16

“It’s a different track, a little slower than America, but he still handled it very well,” Velazquez said.

Last year’s Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter was heavily favored in an international pari-mutuel wagering pool. He paid $3.90 to win for a $2 wager.

Besides those cashing on him, many happy viewers were watching from the United States with the American-based Straight No Chaser owned by MyRacehorse, which allows its partners to buy microshares in racehorses. Straight No Chaser has more than 900 owners.

One of those, Steve Carpenter, was in attendance Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse alongside MyRacehorse racing manager Joe Moran. Carpenter won a lottery among the microshare partners to attend.

“It’s just a dream come true for me,” he said.

With the Riyadh Dirt Sprint announced Feb. 21 as added to the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, Straight No Chaser earned an automatic paid berth in this fall’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 1, once again staged at Del Mar.

Long before that race, a more immediate goal is the Dubai Golden Shaheen, provided Straight No Chaser exits the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in top condition. A lightly raced 6-year-old, Straight No Chaser’s racing schedule has been interrupted by physical setbacks, always addressed with patience by Southern California-based trainer Dan Blacker.

“We’ve always tried to do the right thing by the horse. Let him tell us where to go next, and that’s not going to change,” he said.