SA Sprint Championship (Grade 2) (BC)- $200.000 Purse
SA- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
September 28, 2025

The great racing at SA continues on Sunday with the 22nd running of the SA Sprint Championship, a Grade 2 that offers a spot into the BC Sprint in just a little more than a month. There have been two examples in the past where a SA Sprint Championship winner would then go on to win the BC Sprint as well. The first time came in 2013 when Bold Star accomplished the feat, and then three years later, No Doubt About It would also pull it off. Last year’s winner, the Riggins Racing- trained Raging Heights did not actually run in the BC Sprint and has since been deactivated. Last year, the race did offer the same purse but was not graded (only time it has not been), so the free ticket for the BC was not in play. The stakes are greater this time around in more ways than one, so let’s meet the twelve that will be heading to the starting gate:

1- Pincay (Royalty Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- After four starts, Pincay was gelded and would break his maiden in the race that followed. Off of that, the trainer had a high level of confidence in him, and Pincay showed that it was not misplaced by running third in the Grade 1 Stephens against some very tough company. I’m a little surprised that he was dropped into overnights after that, even if they were still at SAR. Pincay did not show much in July but was better last month. I’m glad he’s getting another shot at this level.

2- Senor Vinagre Y Agua (YME Stable, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This gelding has most been known for running long, and in May, he earned his biggest career win, though had to share the top prize in the Grade 3 Blame. After a couple of subpar outings at ten furlongs afterward, YME Stable takes a different approach by running him here. This is the first time since 2022 that he has run fewer than seven furlongs, so Velazquez will need to have him ready for the wire so quickly. Does have a running style, at least recently, that should make the transition perfectly fine.

3- Shake It Up And Go (John Henry, ridden by R Bejarano)- He’s had his moments this year, but for the most part, Shake It Up And Go has had an inconsistent 2025. That would lead to him being gelded in August and ran as a first-time gelding two weeks after. It wasn’t an immediate success story, as he was third in a five-horse field at the Elgin Stakes up north at WO. When Shake It Up And Go is on his game, he can be very good, and he will have to be to have a shot in this one.

4- Elvis Lives Party (Mb Stables, ridden by B Curtis)- Raced on the turf early in his career, but his consistency has improved significantly since being moved to the dirt. Started the year with a great six-race stretch that included four wins and two seconds, showing the ability to move forward from overnights to graded competition with his run in the Grade 3 Cartier Stakes in May. More recently, he was second in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes with a career high 101 SRF. Figures to be full of life right here.

5- Lennon (Mb Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Next to Elvis, we have Lennon, with their trainer hoping to make sweet music with them. Lennon is no stranger to running in these races and was a BC Sprint runner last year in what would be his final race for Fractious. He’s been inconsistent with Mb Stables, with their lone win together being an allowance at SUN. Didn’t do well afterwards for several races but did go second in the Grade 2 O’Brien last month. Can he do that again, though?

6- Creepy Romantic (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Ro Maragh)- After being picked up in private sales last year for $150.000, Creepy Romantic has exclusively been a sprinter running in overnights. A steady string of races that saw him hit the board resulted in a victory at CD and led to his first stake attempt in this barn. That would be a big success, as he won the Grade 2 Vanderbilt Handicap at SAR in July. After two months off, he’s poised to build on that result.

7- Chisel (Pan Farms, ridden by M Franco)- After a memorable finish to his three year old campaign, winning the BC Sprint and then the Grade 1 Malibu for good measure, Chisel was sold to Pan Farms for $1,300.000. Thus far, there has not been much of a return for the new trainer. He did win the Grade 3 Whitmore in March, but that’s been about it. You don’t pay that amount for a third place in a MTH allowance, which was the case in his last start. Perhaps, there is post-racing career value with this one, too, but Chisel is running out of chances to step up in his new barn.

8- Investment Center (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Bravo)- Been running long since June of last year, and after some initial success, he has been struggling as off late with three straight flat efforts. Now, the trainer will shake things up by running him in a sprint again, but whether that will make that much of a difference really remains to be seen. Have to try something, though.

9- Only Way Is Up (The Sidley Stud, ridden by P Lopez)- His sire, No Doubt About It, is a former SA Sprint Championship winner, who, as mentioned above, followed up his 2016 win by winning the BC Sprint. Now, Only Way Is Up looks to follow his lead. Looked strong at the start of the year, winning three out of four races with two of them being Grade 3’s. That led to a start in the Grade 1 Crosby and a respectable fifth place effort. Wasn’t as good last time out, but I don’t see any reason why we cannot simply throw that one out. Dad will be watching, and Only Way Is Up hopes to deliver.

10- High Time (Maxmillion Farm, ridden O Moreno)- Last fall, High Time finished second in the $300.000 Louisville Thoroughbred at CD, a race that was inexplicably left off the schedule this year (it’s the scene of one of my most exciting wins as a trainer so I’m also partial to it). Afterward, he ran in the BC Sprint but did not perform well. After that big race, High Time has been relatively lightly raced this year, and has cashed some part of the purse in all five of the races he has been in. His lone win on the year came in May at the $275.00 Aristides BC and enters this off a fourth place run in the Crosby, a race he won in 2024. More of the same could get it done here.

11- Dorian Gray (Mb Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- He’s been seeing a lot of High Time recently, and it seems as though they like finishing one spot away from one another. While High Time would forego a race in August, Dorian Gray went to SAR for the Grade 1 Forego, started in post 11, and finished in spot 11. He’s actually only won once this year, coming in January, but other than that last start, he’s cashed in with something. Therefore, he should bounce back, unless 11 is unlucky to him.

12- So Slick (Asgar, ridden by D E Centeno)- This will be the 27th career start for So Slick, and he’s been good on both the dirt and the turf. In June, he won the $125.000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at LS but also boasts a win in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes on the main track, which came around this time last year. Additionally, he looked good up at WO last time out in the Grade 3 Bold Venture where he came from behind to be fourth. Needs to be a little better, but I think he is capable of doing so.

Prediction: 10-11-4-6

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES