Coil and Capital Account gave Bob Baffert the exacta in the $250,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) Saturday at the southern California track, with just a head separating the stablemates at the finish of the six furlongs.

While Castletown set a quick pace of :21.69 for the first quarter mile, Coil was in fifth about a half-dozen lengths from the leader. Going wide around the turn and into the stretch, he hid the front around the furlong marker. Meanwhile, Capital Account closed from last in the seven-horse field and couldn't quite catch the winner. Coil ran 6 furlongs in 1:09.89 under Martin Garcia. The result was a reversal of the Pat O'Brien S. (G2) at Del Mar on Aug. 26, when Capital Account beat Coil by a half-length.

"It's a great opportunity to get this horse back and I did my job," said winning jockey Martin Garcia, who had ridden Coil in five straight races before being replaced by Rafael Bejarano in the 4-year-old colt's previous two.

Coil holds off Capital Account at Santa Anita

"It was very close at the end, but I knew it would have taken a couple more jumps to beat the winner," David Flores, rider of the runner-up, said. "I have to give great credit to my horse because when I asked him to go he was responding. Maybe next time I'll have to go a little bit earlier."

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman, 4-year-old Coil surpassed the $1 million mark and has earned $1.029,360. He won both the Haskell I. (G1) and Affirmed H. (G3) during his 3-year-old campaign.
 
Baffert, who was at Hoosier Park for the Indiana Derby and Oaks, had said beforehand that Coil and Capital Account were prepping for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). However, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” event for the BC Sprint and assures the winner an expenses-paid start in the race, so plans could change for Coil, at the least.

Previously known as the Ancient Title S., Coil's victory was the first in the race for Baffert.