DEL MAR, Calif.— The third of six Breeders’ Cup Challenge races at Del Mar this summer takes place Saturday with the 37th running of the G2 Pat O’Brien Stakes. A field of 10 sprinters will go to the gate in the seven-furlong test with a free entry in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile up for grabs.
Kretz Racing’s American Theorem looks to keep his winning streak alive. The son of American Pharoah has won two in a row since trainer George Papaprodromou shortened him up. He won the seven-furlong G2 Triple Bend at Santa Anita on Memorial Day weekend then followed with a win in the six-furlong G1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar last month.
“He’s doing good,” Papaprodromou says. “He’s on his form right now, he’s on his peak right now.”
The victory in the Bing Crosby punched American Theorem’s ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Kenneland on November 5. A victory in the Pat O’Brien would provide the connections with an option of running in the Sprint or the Dirt Mile.
American Theorem may have the best form on paper but the Pat O’Brien is far from being a walkover. Especially with the entry of Godolphin’s Speaker’s Corner from the Bill Mott barn. The east coast invader is coming off a well-beaten second to Horse of the Year candidate Life Is Good in the G2 John Nerud at Belmont Park July 2. But he’s a three-time stakes winner this year who figures double tough Saturday.
Trainer Bob Baffert brings a pair of runners to the O’Brien. Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Defunded was runner-up to There Goes Harvard in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup on Memorial Day. Royal Ship, winner of the G2 San Diego at Del Mar, ran third that day.
The other Baffert horse is Juddmonte Farm’s Laurel River, who has been running primarily in allowance company though he did finish second to Sondereker Racing, et al’s The Chosen Vron in the G3 Laz Barrera at Santa Anita in May. The Chosen Vron is also entered in the O’Brien.
Trainer Peter Miller is packing a one-two punch with Kagele, Barber or Madaket Stable’s C Z Rocket and Gary Barber’s Get Her Number. C Z Rocket is a multiple graded stakes winner who won the Pat O’Brien in 2020 and was runner-up to Ginobili in last year’s edition. Get Her Number was runner-up to American Theorem in the G1 Bing Crosby last month.
Here’s the field for the G2 Pat O’Brien from the rail with jockeys: C Z Rocket (Umberto Rispoli); Principe Carlo (Victor Espinoza); Restrainedvengence (Tiago Pereira); American Theorem (Joe Bravo); Get Her Number (Ramon Vazquez); The Chosen Vron (Hector Berrios); Laurel River (Juan Hernandez); Speaker’s Corner (Mike Smith); Defunded (Abel Cedillo), and Senor Buscador (Edwin Maldonado).
DMTC Press Release
Photo: American Theorem wins the Grade 2 Bing Crosby (Benoit Photo)
