Bing Crosby Runners Back for More in Pat O'Brien

Eight Rings , C Z Rocket , and Brickyard Ride , who finished second, third, and fifth in the July 31 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at six furlongs, return in the Aug. 28 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar at seven furlongs. 

Dr. Schivel , winner of the Bing Crosby, was not nominated to the Pat O'Brien, which drew a field of 10. The O'Brien is a "Win & You're In" race for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Del Mar hosts this year's Breeders' Cup Nov. 5-6.

Eight Rings (jockey Abel Cedillo, post 5) and Flagstaff  (Joe Bravo, post 8) are the two grade 1 winners in the O'Brien. Eight Rings' grade 1 came around two turns in the 2019 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) when he scored by six lengths at 1 1/16 miles. Flagstaff captured the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford(G1) May 1 by a head.

C Z Rocket (Florent Geroux, post 9) and Flagstaff are the only returnees from last year's O'Brien. They finished one-two, a half-length apart.

Peter Miller trains C Z Rocket for his own Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, Gary Barber, and Tom Kagele. Miller claimed C Z Rocket for $40,000 in April of 2020 and has since won four stakes with the 7-year-old Florida-bred son of City Zip —Successful Sarah , by Successful Appeal . C Z Rocket finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

A close third in the Crosby after running seventh early and racing wide, C Z Rocket could end up passing the O'Brien. Initially, after the Crosby, Miller thought he might wait for the Santa Anita fall meeting for C Z Rocket.

"He ran great, but you can't make up as much ground as he needed to on this track the way it's playing," Miller said.

Santa Anita offers the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) Oct. 2. Miller won back-to-back Breeders' Cup Sprints with Roy H  in 2017-18 going from the Crosby to the Sprint Championship to the Breeders' Cup. Roy H ran second in the Crosby and won the Sprint Championship both years.

John Sadler trains Flagstaff, a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Speightstown  , for Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing. Sadler and Hronis collaborated with Tripoli  to take the Aug. 21 TVG Pacific Classic (G1). Flagstaff has yet to beat C Z Rocket in the three times they have met.

Eight Rings lost the Crosby by just a neck and came out of the race with one shoe bent in half. Bob Baffert trains the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Empire Maker  for Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, SF Racing, and Starlight Racing.

"We were happy with him and thought he showed a lot of heart," Baffert said after the Crosby.

Brickyard Ride bobbled at the start of the Crosby, set the pace until inside the final furlong, and finished fifth. Craig Lewis trains the 4-year-old California-bred son of Clubhouse Ride  for owner/breeder Alfred (Sonny) Pais. Brickyard Ride this year has won the San Carlos Stakes (G2), Thor's Echo Stakes, and Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint Stakes. Juan Hernandez will be aboard Brickyard Ride from post 7.

The 10th of 11 races at Del Mar, the Pat O'Brien has a scheduled post time of 6:30 p.m. PT.

Entries: Pat O'Brien S. (G2)

Del Mar, Saturday, August 28, 2021, Race 10

• Grade II
• 7f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Ginobili (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Richard Baltas	-
2	Howbeit (KY)	Kyle Frey	121	Mark Glatt	-
3	Surfing Star (CA)	Jessica Pyfer	121	Karen Headley	-
4	Mo Mosa (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	121	Michael J. Maker	-
5	Eight Rings (KY)	Abel Cedillo	121	Bob Baffert	-
6	Classier (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	118	Bob Baffert	-
7	Brickyard Ride (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	123	Craig Anthony Lewis	-
8	Flagstaff (KY)	Joe Bravo	125	John W. Sadler	-
9	C Z Rocket (FL)	Florent Geroux	121	Peter Miller	-
10	California Street (KY)	Wayne A. Barnett	121	Patrick Gallagher	-