HORSE RACING

2022 Pat O'Brien Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

Leading sprinters from across the country gather Saturday, August 27 at Del Mar for the Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2)!

Leading sprinters from across the country gather Saturday, August 27 at Del Mar for the Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2)! The race features not only a $250,000 purse, but an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Spring (G1) for the winner of the race. The race drew a field of ten, including Grade 1 winners American Theorem, Get Her Number, and Speaker’s Corner. These more proven horses will clash against up-and-comers like Laurel River and The Chosen Vron, making this a fascinating betting race!

Keep on reading to meet the field, find out about the race’s history and trends, and see how to watch and wager on the race online!

Pat O'Brien Stakes 2022 Information

Race Date: Saturday, August 27, 2022
Track: Del Mar
Post Time: 6:00 p.m. Pacific time
Distance: seven furlongs (dirt)
Age/Sex: three-year-olds and up
Where to Watch: TVG.com
Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Pat O'Brien Stakes Odds

On August 24, Del Mar drew the official field for the 2022 Pat O’Brien Stakes. Keep in mind that the morning line is just a guide: it is an experienced Del Mar follower’s estimate of the odds come post time, and should be a solid suggestion of who the likely short prices and long shots will be. However, the price will fluctuate until the horses break from the gate.

This is the field in the 2022 Pat O’Brien Stakes in post-position order including their trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Post Horse Trainer Jockey Odds
1 C Z Rocket Peter Miller Umberto Rispoli 15-1
2 Principe Carlo Librado Barocio Victor Espinoza 15-1
3 Restrainedvengence Val Brinkerhoff Tiago Pereira 30-1
4 American Theorem George Papaprodromou Joe Bravo 4-1
5 Get Her Number Peter Miller Ramon Vazquez 8-1
6 The Chosen Vron Eric Kruljac Hector Berrios 12-1
7 Laurel River Bob Baffert Juan Hernandez 5-1
8 Speaker's Corner Bill Mott Mike Smith 6-5
9 Defunded Bob Baffert Abel Cedillo 8-1
10 Senor Buscador Todd Fincher Edwin Maldonado 30-1


These prices will drift until post time, since pari-mutuel prices are based on what everyone actually wagers on horses. Make sure to keep it TVG up until the race to track those odds and get the latest news on each of the contenders. In addition to tracking the news, tracking the odds is a smart move since you can decide whether a horse is still giving you the value you want, and you can make a smart decision if a runner is bet far more or far less than you thought. Playing the board can provide useful clues!

Pat O'Brien Stakes Prep Results

Unsurprisingly, several contenders come into the Pat O’Brien from the Bing Crosby (G1), the last major sprint race at Del Mar, held about four weeks ago. American Theorem finished a confident length and a half ahead of Get Her Number, and fifth-place Principe Carlo also tries to get back on track in the Pat O’Brien. Two others, Defunded and Senor Buscador, last raced in the San Diego (G2) at Del Mar on that same day. They finished seventh and eighth, respectively, and will try to improve on the turnback in distance.

Speaker’s Corner, the lone east-coast shipper, last finished second in the John A. Nerud (G2) behind the nation’s best middle-distance horse, Life Is Good. Restrainedvengence gets back on the dirt after three off-the-board turf tries, most recently in the American (G3) on June 19. Three others step up from ungraded company: The Chosen Vron missed by a neck in the California Dreamin’ Stakes last out, and both C Z Rocket and Laurel River won allowances.

Pat O'Brien Stakes Contenders

C Z Rocket: The 2020 winner of this race, he has been on the bench more than the racetrack this year. However, his victory in an allowance at Del Mar last month came back fast enough to suggest that he may be in the right form to step up to this level again. He should be sharp second off the layoff, he has tactical versatility, he can handle the rail, and he has solid form over this extended seven-furlong sprint distance.

Principe Carlo: He looked like he was going the right way with a pair of second-place finishes in graded stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year, but disappointed in the Bing Crosby. However, that last race was six furlongs and his best races have come at six and a half or seven furlongs. Thus, the stretch-out means Principe Carlo may bounce back at a great price.

Restrainedvengence: More than anything, it seems like they are trying something different to wake this millionaire back up. He has typically been going two-turn distances, switching between dirt and turf, and his last factory came in a nine-furlong stakes at Albuquerque. He needs a step forward from his recent form to be competitive, and he will probably have a lot to make up late while going so short.

American Theorem: He has been a revelation in his last two starts, since cutting back to a sprint distance. He impressed in the six-furlong Bing Crosby last out—but was also gritty and relentless when getting up by a nose to win the Triple Bend (G2) going seven furlongs two starts back. With a smart late run, an aptitude for the trip, and a good relationship with jockey Joe Bravo, he shapes as one of the major contenders.

Get Her Number: He ran a credible second behind American Theorem in the Bing Crosby last out, an effort good enough to make him the Peter Miller “A” in this spot. He has not missed the board in two seven-furlong attempts, and his last-out race was good enough to suggest he can handle Del Mar. He is also versatile enough to run well from anywhere in the pack.

The Chosen Vron: This California-bred came close when trying a two-turn turf race last out, but is more proven in extended one-turn races on dirt. This company will give him a class test and will require him to fire his best shot. But, this four-year-old has upside returning to his more proven footing second off the lay, his running style gives him options, and trainer Eric Kruljac can pop at a price in graded races.

Laurel River: One of two entrants for trainer Bob Baffert, he tries graded company for the first time since a second-place finish behind The Chosen Vron in the Laz Barrera last year. His allowance win last out came in his first start in nine and a half months, suggesting that he is in form to try this level again and can move up further second off the lay. He cuts back from a mile for this outing, but with the sprint speed he showed last year he should still be prominent from beginning to end.

Speaker’s Corner: Bar none, this East Coast raider has kept the best company of anyone in the Pat O’Brien. He spanked a very good horse, Mind Control, going this distance in the Carter three back. He lost his last two, but he was facing horses like Flightline and Life Is Good. His four starts at seven furlongs are good enough to suggest it is his best trip, and he gets a big-race rider, Mike Smith. He is the one to beat.

Defunded: The “other Baffert” in the race, he cuts back to one turn for the first time since his maiden win in March 2021. A poor start means his disappointing last-out seventh may be a toss, and perhaps he can improve second off the lay. However, he will have to prove that he can rally from off the pace against this class of company, not an easy task.

Senor Buscador: The least experienced runner in the field, he only has five starts underneath him. Though he was off for almost 17 months between early last year and this summer, he came back with a six-and-a-half-furlong win at Lone Star off the bench. The result was not nearly as good in the San Diego last out, which may raise class questions. On the other hand, he is undefeated at one turn, and perhaps he takes a step forward third off the lay and back at a shorter trip.

Pat O'Brien Stakes Past Winners Past Performances

Two races that show up often on this year’s Pat O’Brien past performances are common sources of winners in the last ten years: the San Diego and the Bing Crosby. Despite being a two-turn race, the San Diego has produced three of the last ten winners of the Pat O’Brien: Appealing Tale (2015) prepared with a second-place finish, and Catalina Cruiser (2018, 2019) prepped for both of his Pat O’Brien wins in the San Diego. Two of the last ten winners came from the Bing Crosby: Capital Account (2012) was third and Goldencents (2014) was second.

Only one of the other five winners in the last ten years prepared in a stakes at all: Fed Biz (2013) was fourth in the Eddie Read. The other four came in from allowance company. Masochistic (2016), C Z Rocket (2020), and Ginobili (2021) all had previous stakes form and beat top-shelf conditioned allowance foes, while Giant Expectations (2017) ran second in a first-level allowance and made his stakes debut in the Pat O’Brien.

Pat O'Brien Stakes Undercard

The Pat O'Brien Stakes is the featured ninth race of Del Mar’s 10-race card on Saturday. Though it is the only stakes race on the card, the rest of the races include competitive affairs including five races with double-digit fields. TVG is the place to watch every race at Del Mar, on Saturday and all summer long, and you can place your bets at both TVG and FanDuel!

Del Mar Race Track

Del Mar Race Track is located just north of San Diego and about two hours south of Los Angeles. As Pat O'Brien’s famous song says, you can “take a plane, take a train, take a car.” After all, the rail line stops just yards away from the track entrance. Fans can see the ocean from up in the grandstand off past the head of the stretch.

There are several trackside restaurants available, including Red Star Café, Stretch Run Grill, Veranda Café, and 17 Hands. Horsemen and fans alike gather to dine overlooking the paddock or just above the finish line and enjoy both cuisine and racing action.

Del Mar Race Track has a one-mile oval with chutes for 7/8 and 1 1/4 mile races and a seven-eighths mile oval with a diagonal straight away chute for 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 mile horse races. The turf course is a combination of Common Bermuda and Hybrid Bermuda.

More recently, the Del Mar Race Track underwent a major renovation to modernize facilities. Thanks in part to those changes, as well as a widespread advertising campaign anchored by the slogan, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf,” the Del Mar Race Track continues to post records in handle and attendance while offering some of the greatest thoroughbred horse racing in America.

Pat O'Brien Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Pat O'Brien Stakes?
A: Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Q: Where is the Pat O'Brien Stakes?
A: It takes place at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Pat O'Brien Stakes?
A: Trainer Bob Baffert has a record seven victories in the Pat O’Brien Stakes; his most recent one came in 2013 with Fed Biz. Baffert enters two in the 2022 edition, Laurel River and Defunded.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Pat O'Brien Stakes?
A: Speaker’s Corner has been facing the toughest company and deserves to be the favorite; the 6-5 morning line shows the Del Mar morning line maker agrees with that assessment.

Q: Who is the best Pat O'Brien Stakes jockey?
A: Jockey Victor Espinoza leads all riders with six victories, most recently with Zensational in 2009. Espinoza rides Principe Carlo this year.

Q: Who won the Pat O'Brien Stakes in 2021?
A: Ginobili won the Pat O’Brien in 2021. His trainer Richard Baltas cannot currently race in California; Ginobili’s jockey, Drayden Van Dyke, does not have a call in this year’s race.