Horse Racing 2022: Pat O’Brien Stakes Day AUG 27Laurel River © Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/CSMUSA

Laurel River wins Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes

Homebred colt Laurel River posted a three and three-quarter length victory in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes on Saturday (27th August).

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 28th August 2022:

The Gr.2 Pat O'Brien Stakes was billed as a softer spot for Gr.1 winner Speaker's Corner to land after facing leading older horses Flightline and Life Is Good in his
last two starts, but apparently the lightly raced Laurel River 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 Gr.1 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 - winner of the Gr.1 Bing Crosby Stakes over this surface in July - 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, three and three-quarter lengths in arrears, while Speaker's Corner reported home in fourth behind the hard-trying Senor Buscador.

"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 four-year-old homebred for Juddmonte, Laurel River was winning his first blacktype race in the O'Brien. He had one outing as a two-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 Gr.3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes and an optional allowance win. Back to the sidelines for the next ten and a half months, he made his first start of 2022 (31st July) 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.