Joseph O'Brien upsets father in Irish Derby with Latrobe

A man named O’Brien won the Irish Derby on Saturday at The Curragh. That happens all the time – but not with this O’Brien.

Joseph O’Brien, the former jockey and the current son of 12-time Irish Derby-winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, won his first classic race as Latrobe edged Rostropovich in the 1 ½-mile fixture. Donnacha O’Brien, Joseph’s brother, rode the winner.

Aidan O’Brien trains Rostropovich as well as third-place finisher Saxon Warrior, fourth-place Delano Roosevelt, and fifth-place The Pentagon.

Latrobe is from the first crop of the sire Camelot, whom Joseph O’Brien rode to victory in the Irish Derby.

Donnacha O’Brien, who had ridden Saxon Warrior to victory in the English 2000 Guineas, made a quick decision to let Latrobe rove up wide in the very early stages to get to a forward position tracking Rostropovitch on the lead. That proved to be an excellent move as nothing moved from the back of the pack in the Irish Derby, with Latrobe just pushing past a stubborn Rostropovitch in the final furlong to post the upset.

Saxon Warrior, who was thought a major threat to sweep the English Triple Crown after his Guineas win, does not appear to stay 1 ½ miles and will be cut back in distance, Aidan O’Brien said. Saxon Warrior had dead aim on the top two with a clear path outside them but could not seal the deal.

Second favorite Dee Ex Bee threw in the towel with more than a quarter-mile to run.

Latrobe, who is out of the Shamardal mare Question Times, won for the second time in five starts and was coming off a maiden win, though he had shown promise racing in group stakes company while still winless.

Also showing plenty of promise is 25-year-old Joseph O’Brien, whose riding career was curtailed by his size. Now it is his flat-racing stable that is growing in size and prominence as the name O’Brien becomes even more firmly embedded in the fiber of Irish racing.