By Alan Carasso
Seven times second in his 11 previous trips to the post and still eligible for a second-level allowance, Anarchist (Distorted Humor) earned an all-expenses-paid berth into the field for this year's GI BigAss Fans Dirt Mile with a hard-fought success in Saturday's GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar.
Beaten for speed from his high draw, Anarchist settled about four paths off the rail and in centerfield as Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride) and Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) (Flyer {Chi}) matched motors through a sizzling opening quarter that was posted in :21.49. The well-backed Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) came after Brickyard Ride with a two-wide run around the turn, but Anarchist had the move covered and moved simultaneously three deep before poking his head in front nearing the stretch. Shoved over onto his correct lead by Ramon Vazquez at the eighth pole, Anarchist opened a clear advantage and held sway late as Bye Bye Bobby (Quality Road) flashed home from a distant last. C Z Rocket (City Zip) was third.
Anarchist joined the Doug O'Neill barn this past winter, having broken his maiden at Ellis Park for Chris Davis last summer, and was second in his first four outings for the barn, including the GIII San Simeon S. sprinting down the hill Mar. 5 and the Apr. 22 GIII Kona Gold S. on the main track. A 3/4-length winner of the GIII Jacques Cartier S. at Woodbine May 13, the bay was runner-up to champion Elite Power (Curlin) in the GII True North S. at Belmont June 10 and again in this track's GI Bing Crosby S. July 29.
Pedigree Notes:
Anarchist is one of five winners from six to race out of a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Win With a Wink, a stakes winner in New York-bred restricted company. Vicarious Won was sold for $20,000 in foal to Runhappy at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, and the resulting produce–a filly named Won Happy Mama–broke her maiden at first asking by 5 1/2 lengths in an Iowa-bred maiden at Prairie Meadows July 31. Vicarious Won has a yearling filly by Kantharos and was bred to Blame this season.
Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-26, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–ANARCHIST, 121, c, 4, by Distorted Humor
1st Dam: Vicarious Won (MSP, $138,339), by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Win With a Wink, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: With a Wink, by Clever Trick
($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: GISP-US, GSW-Can, 12-3-7-0, $460,508. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bye Bye Bobby, 121, c, 4, Quality Road–Revel in the Win, by Red Bullet. ($870,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-B4 Farms, LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $50,000.
3–C Z Rocket, 121, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $30,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 33.40, 15.60.
Also Ran: Sir Atticus, Spirit of Makena, Hoist the Gold, Moose Mitchell, Brickyard Ride, Vivir Con Alegria (Chi), Go Joe Won. Scratched: Visitant.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
ANARCHIST ($7.00) held off a late flying Bye Bye Bobby to win the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at @DelMarRacing. A @LanesEndFarms @BreedersCup Challenge Series Race. Trained by @DougONeill1, ridden by @JockeyRamonVazq, owned by Ilium Stables. Congrats to the connections! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BWs8eruSd7
— TVG (@TVG) August 27, 2023
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