By J.N. Campbell
Proving to be an up-and-coming heavyweight in this male sprint division, Booth won his GIII Count Fleet Sprint Stakes bout at Oaklawn Park on Saturday afternoon with a powerful punch in the late rounds to score a Tyson-like knockout.
Named a 'TDN Rising Star' after debuting a winner at Keeneland late in his juvenile year, Booth's highlights the following season included clearing a pair of optional claimers at Oaklawn that February and Churchill Downs in December. Coming into 2025, the colt appeared ready for stakes competition, but Booth finished a disappointing fifth in the Byerley Turk Overnight Stakes at Oaklawn Jan. 23.
Back to the drawing board, the barn made some adjustments and the chestnut came blowing out of the gate to deliver a 4 3/4-length score going six panels over the local strip in the Commodore Stakes Feb. 24. Last seen taking home the GIII Whitmore Stakes trophy in similar front-running fashion Mar. 15, the betting public made Booth the 2-5 favorite here.
Flashing his now trademark speed on go, the 4-year-old was taken on by trainer Doug O'Neill's California invader, Anarchist. The pair matched strides up the backstretch and continued to trade blows around the far turn. Entering the lane for a brief stride or two it looked as though Anarchist was going to get the better of the chalk, but Booth proved to be no garden-variety puncher. Finding the wire in time, Booth got the win and his 22-1 stablemate Ryvit edged Anarchist for second.
This was Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen's fourth Count Fleet Sprint Stakes win in a row–Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in 2022, and Skelly (Practical Joke) in 2023 and 2024.
“He [Booth] ran an incredible race,” Asmussen told Oaklawn's Nancy Holthus afterwards. “He faced a lot of pressure, as you said, at 44 and four with a lot of big horses on his outside. But he proved his quality and his stuff today. This is a very special race with the Heiligbrodt partnership group and being a son of Mitole who had also won this race for us.”
Pedigree Notes:
Champion male sprinter Mitole (by Eskendereya) has two other graded winners to his credit in 'TDN Rising Star' V V's Dream and Stormcast. On Friday over Keeneland's grass course, another 'TDN Rising Star' in Shisospicy handed Mitole the FanDuel Limestone Stakes.
Booth is a half-brother to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Bright Future (Curlin), who was purchased in 2020 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable for $350,000.
Sophia's Song is also responsible for a 3-year-old colt by Tiz the Law, a 2-year-old colt by Maxfield and a colt by Jackie's Warrior last year. This dam's own half-siblings include MSW Tax Refund (Artax) and GSP Unbridled Beauty (Unbridled's Song). The latter would go on to produce GSP Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat)–a Peruvian leading sire in his second career–and GSP Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday).
Through a daughter of Unbridled Beauty, Booth is also related to GI Hopeful Stakes longshot hero Nutella Fella (Runhappy), and another daughter of that mare counts MSP-Fr Demain (More Than Ready) in her family.
Sophia's Song's winning half-sister Denali Dreamscape (Corinthian) has produced SW New Boss (Street Boss) as well as GSP Daydreaming Boy (Goldencents) while sibling Casey's Dreamin' (Unbridled's Song) is related to GIII Ontario Derby hero Ironestone (Mr Speaker). Last but not least, this is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster; MGSW Elysea's World (Ire); and GSW & MGISP Quero Quero.
Saturday, Oaklawn
COUNT FLEET SPRINT H.-GIII, $500,000, Oaklawn, 4-12, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:09.82, ft.
1–BOOTH, 123, c, 4, by Mitole
1st Dam: Sophia's Song (SW & GSP, $155,892),
by Bellamy Road
2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
($120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising'. O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Erik Asmussen. $285,000. Lifetime Record: 10-6-0-0, $761,191. *1/2 to Musical Mischief (Into Mischief), GSW & GISP, $519,276 and Bright Future (Curlin), GISW, $947,940. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ryvit, 118, h, 5, Competitive Edge–She Is Bedazzling, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($70,000 Ylg '21 TTAYHR). O-L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt; B-Curt Leake (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $95,000.
3–Anarchist, 119, h, 6, Distorted Humor–Vicarious Won, by Elusive Quality. ($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $47,500.
Margins: 3/4, HD, HF. Odds: 0.40, 22.10, 7.10.
Also Ran: Happy American, Tejano Twist, Devil's Tower, Payne.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Booth takes the pressure and kept rolling in the G3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn Park under Erik Asmussen! 🏆
A Steve Asmussen exacta with Ryvit running second.
🎥 TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/6v6ehSw4fl
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 12, 2025
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