Dr. Schivel, the 2021 Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up who has not started since last year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 26, is set to return Saturday in a six-furlong classified allowance at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Dr. Schivel will face four rivals in his long-awaited comeback including C Z Rocket, the 2022 Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up at Keeneland. Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez has the call on Dr. Schivel.
Trained by Mark Glatt, Dr. Schivel has been working at Santa Anita since early February. Following a series of rainstorms at Santa Anita that wreaked havoc on training schedules, Dr. Schivel has since been on a once-a-week work pattern. Most recently, he worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 on May 1 and returned with a five-furlong move in 1:01.20 on Monday.
Glatt had considered sending Dr. Schivel to Pimlico for a try in the G3 Maryland Sprint on the Preakness undercard but the decision was ultimately made to stay home.
“When a horse has been off that long, you want to make it as easy as you can. But they're never easy,” Glatt noted. “We're trying to get a race under his belt and see where he's at off this layoff.”
A 5-year-old full horse by Violence, Dr. Schivel has a record of 5-2-2 in 10 starts with earnings of $1,076,500. As a 3-year-old, he won the G1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar and G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship before a heartbreaking nose defeat to Aloha West in that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar.
Dr. Schivel's only start last year was a third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in the Middle East. Glatt said his charge returned from the trip with bone bruising and he was ultimately given the rest of the year off.
“He's doing well. He seems to be about the same as he was as a 4-year-old,” Glatt said. “He's certainly fresh for Saturday.”
C Z Rocket was entered in last Saturday's G1 Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard but was scratched. An earner of just under $2 million, C Z Rocket has not started since finishing eighth in this year's Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25. He will be ridden on Saturday by Ramon Vazquez.
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