Bettors made Booth the 2-5 favorite in the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 12 at Oaklawn Park and the progressive 4-year-old colt got the job done, but it was a little harder than the odds suggested.
Southern California shipper Anarchist, owned by Ilium Stables and trained by Doug O'Neill, hounded the heavy favorite from the start, as those two opened a four-length lead on the field through an opening quarter in :21.87.
The gap back to third widened to five lengths through a half in :44.66, and Anarchist stayed with Booth gamely until late stretch. Anarchist appeared to tire just before the wire, when the winner's stablemate Ryvit caught him for second by a head.
Booth and Ryvit are trained by Steve Asmussen and were ridden by his sons Erik and Keith Asmussen, respectively. The top two are owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt—Booth also in partnership with Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm.
It was Asmussen's seventh Count Fleet win and his fourth in a row, having trained 2022 winner Jackie's Warrior and 2023-24 repeat winner Skelly. Six-year-old Skelly, still trained by Asmussen, impressively won an allowance optional claiming affair by 5 1/4 lengths in the race immediately after the Count Fleet Saturday.
Booth, coming off a commanding win in the Whitmore Stakes (G3), carried 123 pounds—3-6 pounds more than his competition Saturday—and that impost may have leveled the playing field somewhat. His winning margin was three-quarters of a length as he finished six furlongs on the dirt track rated fast in 1:09.82.
It was the second graded win and sixth win in 10 career starts for the son of 2019 champion male sprinter Mitole , whom Steve Asmussen also trained for the Heiligbrodts. Booth has now earned $761,191.
"He's a special horse. He didn't break as good as I would have liked him today, and he had to take the pressure, but he proved his quality and class late," winning rider Erik Asmussen said. "Him being by Mitole—I grew up in the barn with him—and for Booth to carry so many characteristics of Mitole ... it's an honor to be a part of this."
Booth's win came a day after Mitole's 3-year-old filly Shisospicy, bred by the Heiligbrodts, won the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland. Third-crop sire Mitole stands at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington for a 2025 fee of $10,000.
Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms out of the stakes-winning Bellamy Road mare Sophia's Song, Booth is a half sibling to grade 1 winner Bright Future and grade 2 winner Musical Mischief. The Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm purchased Booth for $225,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training from the Wavertree Stables consignment.
