A data storage device and method for race-based data access in a multiple host memory buffer system are provided. In one embodiment, the data storage device stores data in a plurality of host memory buffers in the host instead of in just the host memory buffer usually associated with the data. To read the data, the data storage device sends read commands to all of the host memory buffers. That way, even if some of the host memory buffers are busy, the data can be returned from another one of the host memory buffers. In future reads in similar workloads, a read command can be sent to the host memory buffer that returned the data. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.