My Racehorse’s Kentucky-bred Straight No Chaser rallied from off the pace to take down top prize in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.
Federal Judge set a hot pace with fractions of :21.74 and :44.12. In the upper stretch, Bentornado took over but was immediately challenged by a rallying Straight No Chaser who collared his Florida-bred rival and gradually edged away late. Straight No Chaser covered six furlongs in 1:08.62 in winning by a half-length in a determined effort. The winner is trained by Dan Blacker and ridden by John Velazquez.
First Grade 1 for Straight No Chaser
“He’s just a really talented horse. I’m just really thankful to MyRacehorse for having me,” shared Blacker. “They’ve been such great patient owners. It means a lot to me, obviously, but it’s the horse. Ultimately, he’s just a really talented horse. All the other horses in the race are great, super talented horses, too. I’m just lucky to have the best one today.”
Velazquez added, “He ran great. The pace was fast up front, and I was hoping that they would back up to me as we turned for him. I asked him for run and he responded and found another gear late. I was very proud of him.”
The victory, the first in a Grade 1 for Straight No Chaser, hiked the Kentucky-bred’s career earnings to $1,416,300 and improved his overall record to 10-6-0-1. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner is a son of Speightster out of the Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday. John Eaton and Steve Laymon bred the 5-year-old.