Straight No Chaser's brilliance, on display in winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) last fall at Del Mar, shone similarly in the Saudi Arabia desert when he romped by 3 3/4 lengths in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saudi Cup day, Feb. 22.
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 Racecourse.
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 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.
Straight No Chaser was a $110,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Speightster, his sire, won three of four starts, including a victory in the 2015 Dwyer Stakes (G3). The young stallion died before the 2022 breeding season. The Sprint winner is out of the Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday and was bred by John Eaton and Steve Laymon in Kentucky.
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Ascoli Piceno Takes Thrilling 1351 Turf Sprint, Howard Wolowitz 10th
It was all about the Japanese runners in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G2T) as Ascoli Piceno, Japan's champion 2-year-old filly in 2023, ran down pacesetting Win Marvel in a thrilling stretch drive.
Jockey Christophe Lemaire found himself in a perfect stalking position on the rail tucked in behind Win Marvel. Then, when that front-runner kicked away entering the stretch, it allowed room for Ascoli Piceno, and she surged to find open space to mount a rally. Win Marvel hung tough, but the Japanese champion's class proved too much as she surged in the final yards to win by a head. Goemon, who tracked directly behind Ascoli Piceno on the far turn, finished third.
"The horse on the inside (Win Marvel) was resisting very well," Lemaire said. "(Ascoli Piceno) was very genuine to keep accelerating. ... She's a fantastic filly."
Grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz, the lone American participant in the race, broke poorly and was rank in the opening yards as jockey Emisael Jaramillo tried to position him. Jaramillo took a strong hold of his mount as he tracked the pacesetters from the outside. The 4-year-old colt was empty as they turned into the stretch, fading to finish 10th, beaten 11 1/4 lengths.
Ascoli Piceno paid $6.20 for her victory in the international pari-mutuel pool while completing about 6 3/4 furlongs on good-to-firm turf in 1:17.88. An exuberant Yoichi Kuroiwa, who trains the grade 1-winning filly for Sunday Racing, said that he knew his filly got up in time, but the determination of Win Marvel caused him some stress down the lane.
"She's best over a mile; this (race) is a little bit shorter distance (than what she prefers)," Kuroiwa said through a translator, "but she broke well, and everything went smooth."
It was a needed return to form for the filly, who ended her 2024 season on a sour note while finishing 12th in her first international venture to Australia. She had developed a cough in the lead-up to the race, which caused an issue with her breathing. Yet, she was only defeated 3 1/4 lengths.
The rebound victory Saturday opens many possibilities for the remainder of Ascoli Piceno's season, although Kuroiwa said he would need to calm down from the excitement of winning the $2 million race before planning next steps.
Ascoli Piceno is a daughter of Daiwa Major, a son of the great Sunday Silence.
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Undercard Roundup
Reflecting the international flavor of Saudi Cup day, in other notable action during the undercard:
- American jockey Joel Rosario piloted Naghimsh Fahad A. Alajmi's Almobeer to victory in the $1.5 million Jockey Club Local Handicap for Saudi Arabia-bred runners
- Al Shaqab's Qatar-based Austral captured the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap under Christophe Soumillon for trainer Jean de Mieulle, a fellow Frenchman
- Japanese star Shin Emperor prevailed in the $2 million Neom Turf Cup (G2T). Ryusei Sakai piloted the winner for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi
- Japan picked up a third victory on the undercard when Byzantine Dream was ridden to victory by Oisin Murphy in the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap (G2T) for trainer Tomoyasu Sakaguchi and owner Kazumi Yoshida
