The GII Pat O'Brien S. was billed as a softer spot for GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) to land after facing leading older horses Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in his last two starts, but apparently the lightly raced Laurel River (Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker) didn't get the memo as he stormed home to take the seven-furlong Del Mar sprint, a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Laurel River broke smoothly and immediately attended the pace before relinquishing his spot to track in a close fourth through a quarter in :22.41 and a half in :44.74. With American Theorem (American Pharoah)–winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. over this surface July 30–very wide and threatening with a big move on the outside, Laurel River found on dream seam on the turn, set sail for home and left them all behind, leaving no doubt as to the best horse on the day. American Theorem chased him home, 3 3/4 lengths in arrears, while Speaker's Corner reported home in fourth behind the hard-trying Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). C Z Rocket (City Zip), who won this race in 2020 and was second in the event last year, was eighth. The Pat O'Brien is named for one of Del Mar's founders.
“That feels great, really good, when you ask a horse to run like that,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “I asked him and he responded really well. He went between the horses and he showed he's a good horse. Bob [Baffert] told me to ride this horse to win, so that's what I did.”
A 4-year-old homebred for Juddmonte, Laurel River was winning his first black-type race in the O'Brien. He had one outing as a 2-year-old, finishing off the board at Santa Anita. Six months later, at three, he reappeared to break his maiden and finished 2021 with just three more starts, which included a second in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. and an optional allowance win. Back to the sidelines for the next 10 1/2 months, he made his first start of 2022 July 31 over a mile on this track after two bullet breezes, taking another optional allowance by daylight and getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
Pedigree Notes:
The 114th black-type winner and 52nd graded winner bred in the Northern Hemisphere for Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief, Laurel River is out of a full-sister to Juddmonte's four-time GISW Emollient (Empire Maker). Like so many of the mares in the Juddmonte broodmare band, Calm Water has a powerhouse family behind her. Her third dam is French champion Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to French champion and stellar sire Machiavellian. The family is positively littered with accomplishment, none more important than Coup de Genie's third dam, Natalma (Native Dancer), who produced the great Northern Dancer.
Calm Water is by another Juddmonte homebred in Empire Maker, the late stallion who spent part of his sire career in Japan. Laurel River is the 72nd black-type winner out of one of his daughters. Five of those are by Into Mischief, including MGISW Mandaloun, GSW Center Aisle, and Laurel River. Calm Water has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Laurel River named Castlewarden and produced fillies the last two years by Constitution. She was also bred back to Constitution for 2023.
Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-27, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–LAUREL RIVER, 121, c, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Calm Water, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold
3rd Dam: Glia, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0,
$314,620. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–American Theorem, 125, r, 5, American Pharoah–Mighty
Renee, by Maria's Mon. ($190,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP).
O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-George
Papaprodromou. $50,000.
3–Senor Buscador, 121, c, 4, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.;
B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W.
Fincher. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.90, 5.10, 21.00.
Also Ran: Speaker's Corner, The Chosen Vron, Defunded, Get Her Number, C Z Rocket, Principe Carlo, Restrainedvengence.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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