In a thrilling finish, trainer Mark Glatt's Howbeit was up to win Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, stamping himself as a possible starter in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5. A $32,000 claim 10 starts back on Feb. 13, 2021, Howbeit, ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, registered his first-ever stakes win at the Arcadia, Calif., track.
Fourth at the rail, about 2 ½ lengths off a three-horse spread comprised of Kid Corleone, Forbidden Kingdom and Super Ocho a quarter of mile from home, Smith angled three-deep at the top of the lane and in a gutty effort, somehow managed to prevail over a late charging C Z Rocket at the fence.
A solid third in a second condition allowance at six furlongs Aug. 27, Howbeit was off at 6-1 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $14.40, $5.20, and $4.20.
A 5-year-old horse by Secret Circle out of the El Corredor mare Emeralaude, Howbeit, who is owned by It Pays to Dream Stable, Inc., Saints or Sinners, Danny Haramoto, Sheldon Kawahara and Gregory Yamamoto, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $362,486.
In his third career stakes engagement, he improved his overall mark to 25-7-3-2.
In a heart breaker, veteran sprinter C Z Rocket, a winner of the 2020 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, just missed with Ramon Vazquez up at 5-1 and paid $4.60 and $3.60.
Chilean-bred Super Ocho, off at 10-1 with Hector Berrios, paid $6.80 to show.
Fractions on the race were 21.58, 44.18 and 56.99.
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