Dr. Venkman's victory drought ends with Pat O'Brien Stakes
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DEL MAR, Calif. - Dr. Venkman won for the first time in nearly 13 months in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar in an incident-marred sprint.
Dr. Venkman closed on the inside to win by a half-length over Stronghold. There were six starters, but only five finishers. Spirit of Makena sustained an injury midway through the seven-furlong race, unseating jockey Mirco DeMuro.
Spirit of Makena, the winner of two graded stakes for sprinters in 2023, was taken to a backstretch equine hospital to undergo X-rays, track stewards said. DeMuro was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, track stewards said.
Before the start, Spirit of Makena broke through the gate. As a reaction, Stronghold forced open the front doors of his stall. Spirit of Makena was quicky reloaded.
Once the race began, Speed Boat Beach, the 7-5 favorite and winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in December, 2023, set a moderate pace of 22.53 seconds and 44.87 for a half-mile, closely followed by 5-1 Maymun. Dr. Venkman was fourth on the backstretch while racing on the inside.
Entering the stretch, Speed Boat Beach drifted off the inside of the track, allowing jockey Umberto Rispoli to guide Dr. Venkman closer to the front while saving ground. Dr. Venkman took the lead in early stretch and led Maymun by a half-length with a furlong remaining.
Stronghold, who was third or fourth through the first five furlongs, closed well to be nearest the front at the wire.
Express Train closed from last to finish third, followed by Maymun and Speed Boat Beach. Awesome Rhythm, Man O Rose and Tapalo were scratched.
Dr. Venkman ($7.40) ran seven furlongs in 1:21.53 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
Rispoli said Dr. Venkman inherited the inside path on the turn.
“Speed Boat Beach was drifting wide,” Rispoli said. “No one wanted to be there, so that was going to be the gap.
“He’s an old fighter. He knows how to run his race.”
Stronghold, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in 2024, was the 5-2 second choice in the $250,500 Pat O’Brien Stakes, his first start since a 10th-place finish in a field of 11 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said Stronghold was affected by the incident before the start.
“He ran a good race,” D’Amato said. “The other horse acting up set him off in the gate. The good thing is he’s back.”
Dr. Venkman, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, has won 4 of 10 starts and earned $611,300. The Pat O’Brien Stakes was Dr. Venkman’s first win since the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar in July 2024. Dr. Venkman was later fourth as the 11-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles last August in his final start of 2024.
Earlier this year, Dr. Venkman was second in two Grade 3 sprints at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs, the Triple Bend Stakes and Kelly’s Landing Stakes, and fourth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on July 26.
With the win on Saturday, Dr. Venkman earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Dr. Venkman races for the partnership of Alipony Racing, Dan Agnew, Clint Bunch and James Hailey and is trained by Mark Glatt.
Glatt hinted after Saturday’s race that Dr. Venkman will be pointed to the BC Dirt Mile.
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