Dr. Venkman. (Benoit photo)
Del Mar Press/Edited
DEL MAR, Calif.—Alipony Racing, Agnew or Bunch, et al’s Dr. Venkman took advantage of a hot early pace Saturday and closed nicely late to come away a half-length winner in the $250,500 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar.
The seven-furlong, Grade II testing, which finished up in 1:21.53, saw closers run 1, 2 and 3 in the six-horse field after stablemates Speed Boat Beach and Maymun cut out rapid early splits, then backed up late.
Finishing second was Eric and Sharon Waller’s Stronghold and third, another half-length back, was C R K Stable’s veteran Express Train.
Trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Umberto Rispoli Dr. Venkman paid $7.40 to his backers in the Saturday crowd.
Earlier in the day three scheduled O’Brien starters – Awesome Rhythm, Tapato and Man O Rose—all withdrew from the dash. That cut the field down to six runners and one of them, Kristine Chandler’s Spirit of Makena, failed to finish the course.
“With the late scratches and the leaders floated off the rail a little bit, it didn’t ever get tight. Umberto (Rispoli) rode a very patient ride and when it opened up, he was able to get through. When he made the lead, he started to pull himself up, so maybe a little anxious there late,” remarked Glatt.
It was the first win in the Pat O’Brien for both jockey Rispoli and trainer Glatt.
The winning ownership group – Alipony Racing, Agnew or Bunch, et al is headed by Mark Cohen of Los Angeles.
“Seems at the break Speed Boat Beach kept drifting out, and you know, having a one-on-one can be tricky. But sometimes it can be a help, in this case, he’s a smart horse, he’s a fighter. He knows how to run his races.” Said Rispoli.
“I just kept him on the fence, just looking ahead of me, looking to see a horse on the rail. No one wanted to be there, so at that point I saw that, that was going to be my gap. That is the spot where you get the momentum. Every time he runs, he runs with his heart, he can run a mile or a sprint. This horse can be versatile.”
Dr. Venkman, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, earned a first prize of $150,000 to increase his winnings to $661,300 with his second stakes score and fourth victory overall in his 10th lifetime start. Additionally, the bay veteran earned a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile via the “Win and You’re In” conditions of the race put on by the Breeders’ Cup people. The $1-million BC Dirt Mile will be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 1.
Racing will resume at Del Mar on Sunday with a first post of 2 p.m.
