Howbeit must overcome rail draw

An inside post position is not what trainer Mark Glatt wanted for Howbeit in Saturday’s $75,000 Oak Tree Sprint at Pleasanton.

“He drew the miserable, rotten, stinking one-hole,” Glatt summarized Thursday morning. “Particularly for him, it’s not a good spot. He doesn’t like dirt in his face.”

There is nothing Glatt can do about the draw other than plan around it. Howbeit, the attractive winner of two allowance races for sprinters in Southern California last summer, has not raced since he finished sixth of 10 in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar last August.

Howbeit is the only runner in a field of nine with graded stakes experience. Evin Roman rides Howbeit for the first time since the summer of 2020 in the Oak Tree Sprint and will be entrusted with placing the 5-year-old horse in a position to avoid too much dirt kickback.

“He’s a big horse, a big, heavy horse,” Glatt said. “I’m guessing he won’t get away from there the best. It will be up to the jockey to negotiate the best trip. It will have to work just right to keep dirt out of his face.”

Howbeit, who races for a partnership that includes the It Pays to Dream Stable, was claimed for $32,000 in February 2021 and has since won 2 of 6 starts and earned $111,680.

In the Pat O’Brien, Howbeit was fourth in the opening quarter-mile and faded to finish sixth, beaten 10 lengths by Ginobili. Glatt said he has been encouraged by Howbeit’s recent workouts at Santa Anita.

“Hopefully, he’ll run well in there,” Glatt said. “We’ll see partially where we’re at after the long break.”

The Oak Tree Sprint field includes the 5-year-old mare Carolina Mia and 7-yearold gelding Psycho Dar, who were second and third in the Albany Stakes at five furlongs on turf June 11 at Golden Gate Fields. Carolina Mia closed well to finish a neck behind Give Me the Lute in the Albany.

Ultimate Bango, fifth in the Albany, can be a factor from off the pace. Claimed from Glatt for $32,000 on April 1 at Santa Anita, Ultimate Bango won his first start for current trainer Samuel Calvario with a 22-1 upset in the Lost in the Fog Stakes at six furlongs on April 30 at Golden Gate Fields.