Santa Anita Sprint Championship | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dr. Schivel Streaks Into Santa Anita Sprint

The streaking Dr. Schivel (Violence) will take a four-race winning streak into Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S.

Last term's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity winner is perfect in two attempts since joining Mark Glatt's barn this year, most recently delivering a neck victory in Del Mar's GI Bing Crosby S. July 31. The 2-1 morning-line favorite is drawn on the rail in this six-horse field.

The one-two-three finishers across the line of this race last year–C Z Rocket (City Zip), Flagstaff (Speightstown) and Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy)–meet again.

C Z Rocket, second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has held his form during his 7-year-old campaign, posting a record of 5-2-2-1, led by a win in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. at Oaklawn. A late-running third, beaten just a neck in the Bing Crosby, C Z Rocket enters off a second-place finish as the favorite in the GII Pat O'Brien S. Aug. 28.

Flagstaff tested positive for Clodronic Acid, a bisphosphonate otherwise known as Osphos, and was disqualified from purse money in last year's Santa Anita Sprint Championship. A narrow winner of the GI Churchill Downs S. May 1, he followed a second-place finish in Belmont's GII True North S. June 4 with a third-place finish in the Pat O'Brien.

Last year's GI Bing Crosby S. winner and GI Malibu S. third Collusion Illusion kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a seventh-place finish in the grassy GIII Green Flash H. at Del Mar Aug. 22.

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Equibase Analysis: Vertical Threat Can Lead All The Way In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

This Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes is a “Win & You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Although only drawing a field of six, there is not one horse entered who is without a chance to succeed.

Leading the field is C Z Rocket, who has earned nearly $1.5 million while winning 11 of 28 races in his career, including the 2020 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes.
Flagstaff was beaten a head in last year's edition of the race and has done little wrong in his last four races, winning the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes in May and most recently finishing third and a head behind runner-up C Z Rocket in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes.
The third place finisher last year was Collusion Illusion, who had won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes one month earlier. After taking eight months off following a third place finish last December in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, Collusion Illusion most recently finished seventh while trying turf for the first time in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap and could improve back on the surface where he has won five of eight races in his career.
Vertical Threat has won four of five dirt sprints in his career, three of those stakes including the Steel Valley Sprint last November and most recently the Russel Road Stakes.
Dr. Schivel, the only 3-year-old in the field, won the Bing Crosby this year as Collusion Illusion had done last year at the same age before finishing third in this race. Winner of four races in a row after losing his first two, Dr. Schivel appears to be on the verge of another top effort.
Colt Fiction rounds out the field. Runner-up in the Thor's Echo Stakes for California bred horses only in June, he enters the Santa Anita Sprint Championship off a victory against softer foes in an allowance race.

As mentioned previously, Vertical Threat is a perfect four for five in dirt sprints. Three of those three wins came at the six furlong distance of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The fastest of those came last November when leading from start to finish to draw off by seven and one-half lengths in the Steel Valley Sprint, earning a career-best 118 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure on par with the 117 figure C Z Rocket earned winning this race last year. Although this field is composed of some top sprinters, none has the early speed of Vertical Threat, which he not only used to win the Steel Valley Sprint but also most recently when winning the Russell Road Stakes. Leading from start to finish on fast fractions for the track at Charles Town, Vertical Threat still pulled away late to win by three and one-half lengths.

Cutting back from seven furlongs to the six furlong trip he so dearly loves, and making his third start after returning from an eight month layoff, I have little doubt jockey Abel Cedillo is going to put Vertical Threat on the lead and play “come catch me” with the field. Considering those tactics were successful in the colt's last two wins and considering the 118 figure earned in one of them is good enough to win in this field, Vertical Threat may be very tough to beat in this situation.

C Z Rocket was claimed for a fairly paltry $40,000 in April of 2020, compared to the more than $1 million he's earned since then winning seven of 10 races. He won the 2020 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar with a 110 ™ figure before a career-best 117 figure in last year's Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Not disgraced one bit following that when second in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint, C Z Rocket returned in March to win the Hot Springs Stakes (111 figure) and the Count Fleet Stakes (114 figure) and has run well in three races since, all graded stakes, without winning. It's possible the seven year old has lost a step but on the other hand considering he's on the same pattern as before winning last year's edition of this race by cutting back from seven furlongs to six, he must be respected as a contender.

Flagstaff won the Commonwealth Stakes at seven furlongs in April and the Churchill Downs Stakes in May then cut back to six and one half furlongs and ran in to a buzzsaw in Firenze Fire when second in the True North Stakes with a 110 figure in June. Rested nearly three months while pointing to his race, Flagstaff was only a head behind C Z Rocket in the Pat O'Brien and so is on the same pattern he was last year when second in the Pat O'Brien behind C Z Rocket before losing by a head to the same horse in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. That effort tied a career-best 117 figure earned when beaten a neck in the Palos Verdes Stakes in January of 2020 at this six furlong trip. Cutting back a furlong while making his second start off a layoff just as he did when almost winning this race last year, Flagstaff has a strong chance to add to his seven for 21 record on dirt and $1 million in career earnings.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Collusion Illusion (114), Colt Fiction (110) and Dr. Schivel (109).

Win Contenders:
Vertical Threat
C Z Rocket
Flagstaff

Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes – Grade 2
Race 8 at Santa Anita
Saturday, October 2 – Post Time 7 PM E.T.
Six Furlongs
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $200,000

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Dr. Schivel Chasing Fifth Straight Victory In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

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 2, $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 1, $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 1 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 1 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 1 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 1 winner at age three who was in need of his most recent start in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf Aug. 22. Idle since a close third to top colt Charlatan in the Grade 1 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 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes Aug. 28 and a close third in the Grade 1 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 1 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 1 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.

Winless in six starts since taking the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes here in September, 2019, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings will be making his fourth start of the year on Saturday. Second, beaten a neck by Dr. Schivel two starts back in the Grade 1 Crosby, he finished a decent fourth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien on Aug. 28. Owned by Coolmore Stud, Madaket Stables, LLC, Starlight Racing, et al, this 4-year-old Empire Maker colt will hope to step forward on Saturday.

THE GRADE 2 SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Dr. Schivel—Flavien Prat—122
Vertical Threat—Abel Cedillo—122
Colt Fiction—Geovanni Franco—122
C Z Rocket—Florent Geroux–124
Flagstaff—Joe Bravo—126
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.

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Flagstaff Ordered Unplaced Over Bisphosphonate Positive; No Hearing Yet Scheduled For Sadler

A stewards' ruling released on Saturday ordered Flagstaff unplaced from the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes Sept. 27, 2020, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., due to the presence of clodronic acid, a bisphosphonate sold under the brand name Osphos, in a post-race sample, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Flagstaff finished second in that race, and stewards have ordered the purse money to be redistributed.

The bisphosphonate positive was originally announced in late May and trainer John Sadler could still be facing Class 1 drug sanctions, but no hearings have yet been scheduled, according to the DRF report.

Because clodronic acid is not included on the CHRB's current list of prohibited substances, under the regulatory body's rules it automatically falls under the most severe drug category, Class 1. A medication classification proposal working its way through the CHRB's approval process recommends classifying clodronate (clodronic acid) as Class 3, but in the A penalty category.

Sadler referred questions to attorney Darrell Vienna, who said Flagstaff was legally treated with Osphos on an unspecified date “late in 2019” when Flagstaff was 5 years old.

Vienna cited the extended half life of Osphos as an explanation for the positive test, saying it can linger in a horse's system for many months or even longer than a year.