Gutierrez picks up mount on Battle of Midway for Pat O'Brien Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Mario Gutierrez has been booked to ride Battle of Midway in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar, the first start of 2018 for the 4-year-old colt who was a failure at stud earlier this year.

The $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes will be Battle of Midway’s first race since he won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here last November. Battle of Midway was sent to stud in Kentucky last winter, but was put back in training in the spring when he was found to be subfertile.

“He’s ready to run, and we want to get a race into him,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Wednesday.

The Pat O’Brien is projected to have a small but elite field. Aside from Battle of Midway, the expected runners are Ransom the Moon and Roy H, the first two finishers of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 28; and Catalina Cruiser, the undefeated winner of the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 21.

Gutierrez will ride Battle of Midway for the first time. He replaces Flavien Prat, who is booked to ride Ransom the Moon.

Roy H won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint here last year and was voted champion sprinter.

Battle of Midway has won 5 of 10 starts, including the Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds here last August.

The winner of the Pat O’Brien Stakes receives a fees-paid berth for the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.