Straight No Chaser

Straight No Chaser began his career with a win at first asking as a 3-year-old in a five-furlong turf sprint at Del Mar on July 24, 2022. He was soon switched to the dirt and his career took off from there.

Straight No Chaser won his first dirt race which came on Oct. 29 in a six-furlong race at Santa Anita where he went wire to wire. He completed his 3-year-old season with a seventh-place finish behind Taiba in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26.

The career of Straight No Chaser kicked into high gear early in his 4-year-old season. After a third-place finish in the Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 5, 2023, Straight No Chaser found the winner's circle for the first time as a 4-year-old when he took an allowance race at Oaklawn Park by 7 1/4 lengths on April 1.

For his next start, Straight No Chaser was sent to Pimlico to run in the Grade 3 $100,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes on the May 20 Preakness Day undercard. Going six furlongs on the dirt, Straight No Chaser burst out of the gate the fastest and went wire to wire in a time of 1:08.27 to win by 7 1/4 lengths.

Those two overpowering wins set Straight No Chaser up to be a force in the dirt sprint division, but the horse did not make another start for nearly a year, resurfacing May 11, 2024, in the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes at Belmont at the Big A. He stumbled at the start of that six-furlong race and weakened late to finish fourth of five, after which he spent over 4 ½ more months on the shelf and missed a planned start in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes in August.

After more rest, Straight No Chaser returned in the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Presented by Estrella Jalisco Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who had ridden the horse in his two standout wins in 2023 and in his Runhappy return, traveled west for the mount, and he wasted no time sending Straight No Chaser to the lead. The horse shook off some mild early pressure in the turn of the six-furlong dash and powered clear of the field in early stretch en route to an impressive 6 ¼-length score, finishing up in 1:08.54.

John Velazquez teamed up with Straight No Chaser again in his next start, which was a big one in the $2 million Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, and the combo of Velazquez and Straight No Chaser again turned out to be unbeatable. Sent out as the 6.10-1 fifth choice on the tote board in an 11-horse field in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Straight No Chaser was able to ration his speed while pressing the :21.2 and :44 pace no more than a length or two behind much of the way. Straight No Chaser then challenged in the final furlong, dueled outside in deep stretch, and prevailed late by a margin of a half a length in a final time of 1:08.62 for the six furlongs. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory helped Straight No Chaser secure the Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter of 2024.

Straight No Chaser is trained by Dan Blacker. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Speightster out of the mare Margarita Friday by Johannesburg.