Champion Straight No Chaser Far Too Classy In Riyadh Dirt Sprint

[Wandering Eyes]

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA — Recently crowned champion sprinter STRAIGHT NO CHASER (h, 6, Speightster–Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg) was forced to absorb plenty of pressure from his outside in the form of the fleet Japanese galloper Jasper Krone (Frosted), but looked to have his measure at every stage, put him away approaching the stretch and powered home to take out Saturday's G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint. The victory earns the 6-year-old a fees-paid berth into the 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, a race in which he capped his championship campaign in 2024. Away alertly from a high gate, the handsome dark bay led through the opening strides, but the bald face of Jasper Krone pressed forward to make the lead, as expected, with Straight No Chaser stuck down inside for the run to the turn. A horse with a well-documented 'light mouth', Straight No Chaser was under a light hold traveling extremely well passing the 400-meter pole and kept on very well for the victory. The locally based Muqtahem (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}) raced reasonably handy to the pace and claimed second ahead of Japan's Gabby's Sister (Jpn) (Apollo Kingdom) in third. Sales history: $110,000 2yo '21 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: 11-7-0-1, $2,616,300. O-MyRacehorse; B-John Eaton & Steve Laymon (KY); T-Dan Blacker.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
RIYADH DIRT SPRINT-G2, $2,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-22, NH/SH3yo/up, 1200m, 1:11.16, ft.
1–STRAIGHT NO CHASER, 125, h, 6, by Speightster
                1st Dam: Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg
                2nd Dam: Smile Maker, by Capote
                3rd Dam: Desireux, by Fappiano
($110,000 2yo '21 FTIMAY). O-My Racehorse; B-John Eaton &
Steve Laymon (KY); T-Dan Blacker; J-John Velazquez;
$1,200,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Male Sprinter-US, GISW-US,
11-7-0-1, $2,616,300. *1/2 to Hangover Saturday (Pomeroy),
SW-US, $106,875. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Muqtahem (Ire), 125, g, 4, Soldier's Call (GB)–Smooth Sailing
(GB), by Bated Breath (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP
   BLACK TYPE. (£27,000 Ylg '22 GOFAUG; £60,000 2yo '23
GOFAPR). O-Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah;
B-Ballyhane (Ire); T-Thamer Aldaihani; J-Muhammad Aldaham;
$400,000.
3–Gabby's Sister (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Apollo Kingdom–Ange d'Etoile
(Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn). O-Kazuhiko Nagashima; B-Apollo
Thoroughbred Club (Jpn); T-Kazutomo Mori; J-Christophe
Lemaire; $200,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, HF, 3.
Also Ran: Halaa, Saodad (KSA), Ancestral Land (GB), Remake (Jpn), Power Of Beauty (Ire), Jasper Krone, Chikappa (Jpn), Igniter (Jpn), Nonesense. VIDEO.

 

HOW IMPRESSIVE WAS STRAIGHT NO CHASER?!?!

He did not mess around in the $2,000,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at @TheSaudiCup. @dan_blacker trains the @MyRacehorse stallion. @ljlmvel piloted him perfectly. Congrats to all the connections!

Play the next: https://t.co/ebKi95dING pic.twitter.com/dvbN7cO4Z7

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 22, 2025

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