Beaten for speed from his high draw, Anarchist settled about four paths off the rail and in centerfield as Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride) and Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) (Flyer {Chi}) matched motors through a sizzling opening quarter that was posted in :21.49. The well-backed Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) came after Brickyard Ride with a two-wide run around the turn, but Anarchist had the move covered and moved simultaneously three deep before poking his head in front nearing the stretch. Shoved over onto his correct lead by Ramon Vazquez at the eighth pole, Anarchist opened a clear advantage and held sway late as Bye Bye Bobby (Quality Road) flashed home from a distant last. C Z Rocket (City Zip) was third.

Anarchist joined the Doug O'Neill barn this past winter, having broken his maiden at Ellis Park for Chris Davis last summer, and was second in his first four outings for the barn, including the GIII San Simeon S. sprinting down the hill Mar. 5 and the Apr. 22 GIII Kona Gold S. on the main track. A 3/4-length winner of the GIII Jacques Cartier S. at Woodbine May 13, the bay was runner-up to champion Elite Power (Curlin) in the GII True North S. at Belmont June 10 and again in this track's GI Bing Crosby S. July 29.

Pedigree Notes:

Anarchist is one of five winners from six to race out of a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Win With a Wink, a stakes winner in New York-bred restricted company. Vicarious Won was sold for $20,000 in foal to Runhappy at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, and the resulting produce–a filly named Won Happy Mama–broke her maiden at first asking by 5 1/2 lengths in an Iowa-bred maiden at Prairie Meadows July 31. Vicarious Won has a yearling filly by Kantharos and was bred to Blame this season.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-26, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–ANARCHIST, 121, c, 4, by Distorted Humor
                1st Dam: Vicarious Won (MSP, $138,339), by Elusive Quality
                2nd Dam: Win With a Wink, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: With a Wink, by Clever Trick
($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: GISP-US, GSW-Can, 12-3-7-0, $460,508. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bye Bye Bobby, 121, c, 4, Quality Road–Revel in the Win, by Red Bullet. ($870,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-B4 Farms, LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $50,000.
3–C Z Rocket, 121, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $30,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 33.40, 15.60.
Also Ran: Sir Atticus, Spirit of Makena, Hoist the Gold, Moose Mitchell, Brickyard Ride, Vivir Con Alegria (Chi), Go Joe Won. Scratched: Visitant.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

ANARCHIST ($7.00) held off a late flying Bye Bye Bobby to win the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at @DelMarRacing. A @LanesEndFarms @BreedersCup Challenge Series Race. Trained by @DougONeill1, ridden by @JockeyRamonVazq, owned by Ilium Stables. Congrats to the connections! pic.twitter.com/BWs8eruSd7

— TVG (@TVG) August 27, 2023

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Quigley – whose paddock observations and handicapping tips from Southern California racetracks are a mainstay on Twitter at @Quigleys_Corner – points out that the Del Mar Derby was first run in 1945 as the Quigley Memorial. No, Tom Quigley is not THAT old; the race was named in honor of William A. Quigley, a former college football player and coach who lived in La Jolla, just a few miles south of Del Mar.

Inspired by Santa Anita's opening in December 1934, Quigley brought the idea of a racetrack at Del Mar to singer Bing Crosby in 1936 and was a founder of the seaside oval with Crosby and entertainer Pat O'Brien.

So there's the history of the Del Mar Derby's original name.

More importantly, who will win this year's renewal? Watch the video below to see who Tom, Michelle and I like in the 2021 Derby.

Beat Ray Everyday is a season-long free to play handicapping contest offering as first prize two VIP tickets to the 2021 Breeders' Cup world championships, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6. Contestants have had the opportunity to wager a mythical $100 in win, place and show bets on a selected race each day of the meet, and the winner will be the person who has the highest bankroll after Monday's closing day. Here are the current standings.

Beach Boss will be back for the Bing Crosby meeting that opens on Nov. 3 and runs through Nov. 28. Details will be available here.

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How will the track be playing? Will it favor speed horses or come-from-behind types? Because one trainer's “too fast” is another's “not fast enough.”

Case in point, Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes, the seven-furlong follow-up to the Grade 1, $300,000 six-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes four weeks ago in Del Mar's handicap division sprint graded event series.

The Crosby victory having assured a spot in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint here on Nov. 6, winner Dr. Schivel is not entered in the O'Brien. But three of the next four Crosby finishers are set to run, fully aware that the O'Brien is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fan Dirt Mile on the same day.

And for two of them – defending race champion C Z Rocket trained by Peter Miller and California-bred speedster Brickyard Ride trained by Craig Lewis – how the track plays on Saturday is of foremost concern.

In the immediate aftermath of the Crosby, in which C Z Rocket closed from fifth to third in the stretch, nearly making up a four-length deficit to lose only by a neck, Miller said he'd pass on the O'Brien. Which, the trainer said this morning, could still happen.

“We're still not 100 percent sure,” said Miller, who has consistently expressed concerns over what he considers a speed-favoring track throughout the meeting. “We're going to keep an eye on the track and see how it's playing. The post (No. 9) is good. I just don't want to run him if it's not a fair track. I'm just trying to be fair to the horse, and the public, that's all.”

Claimed for $40,000 in April of 2020, the O'Brien win, followed by a victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Sprint were keys to a nine-race campaign in 2020 that produced $651,901 in earnings. The seven-year-old gelded son of City Zip has added $536,000 from four 2021 starts for career earnings of more than $1.4 million.

Brickyard Ride overcame a bobble at the break to go straight to the lead in the Bing Crosby through early fractions of :21.80 and :44.60 on a track that the Daily Racing Form analysts rated as favoring closers, before being passed by four horses in the stretch.

The 4-year-old son of Clubhouse Ride, an Alfred Pais homebred, has career earnings of $470,477. Of that, $300,200 has been accumulated via three wins in six starts this year, highlighted by a victory in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita in March.

“I'd like to see a little better start and a little more glib track (than the Crosby), but you can't control that,” Lewis said of his O'Brien hopes. “Certain horses like it certain ways and he (Brickyard Ride) wants to go the speed route. We'd like a quick track, that's the bottom line.

“Other than that, he's good to go. We just need things to go our way, which is asking for a lot. There's a lot of nice horses in a very competitive race.”

The field for the Pat O'Brien from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Ginobili (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1); Howbeit (Kyle Frey, 6-1); Surfing Star (apprentice Jessica Pyfer, 30-1); Mo Mosa (Ramon Vasquez, 10-1); Eight Rings (Abel Cedillo, 6-1); Classier (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1); Brickyard Ride (Juan Hernandez, 8-1); Flagstaff (Joe Bravo, 3-1); C Z Rocket (Peter Miller, 5-2), and California Street (Wayne Barnett, 30-1).

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The extended dash offers extra incentive to its participants: it is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge race providing an all-fees-paid admission to the $1-million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Foremost among the runners is the defending O'Brien champ, Madaket Stables, Barber or Kagele, et al's C Z Rocket, a veteran gelding who found a new lease on life when he was haltered for $40,000 16 months ago and took up residence in the barn of trainer Peter Miller. All the 7-year-old has done since is win seven races, four of them stakes, and place in three other added-money tests to bank more than $1.1-million for his new connections.

His regular rider of late, Florent Geroux, will come into town to accept the mount Saturday and they'll break from Post 9 in the seven-furlong chute. C Z Rocket has been made the 5/2 morning line favorite by Del Mar's morning line maker Jon White.

Here's the full field for the O'Brien from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

1. Slam Dunk Racing, McClanahan or Nentwig, et al's Ginobili (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1)
2. Little Red Feather Racing, It Pays to Dream Racing Stable or Kawahara, et al's Howbeit (Kyle Frey, 6-1)
3. Barnhart, Foxx or Naify, et al's Surfing Star (apprentice Jessica Pyfer, 30-1)
4. Martin or Martin's Mo Mosa (Ramon Vazquez, 10-1)
5. Coolmore Stud, Madaket Stables or Starlight Racing, et al's Eight Rings (Abel Cedillo, 6-1)
6. SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables, et al's Classier (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1)
7. Alfred Pais' Brickyard Ride (Juan Hernandez, 8-1)
8. Lanes' End Racing or Hronis Racing's Flagstaff (Joe Bravo, 3-1)
9. C Z Rocket
10. Gilbert and Sones' California Street (Wayne Barnett, 30-1)

Chief threat to C Z Rocket appears to be another classy veteran, the 7-year-old Flagstaff, a winner of seven races and $1,011,585. The gelding by sprint champion Speightstown has made five starts this year, but this will be his first in his California home base. He's run at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York, winning a pair of Graded stakes and placing in another. Flagstaff ran second in the O'Brien last year, a half length behind C Z Rocket.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair in the dash in Eight Rings and Classier. The former, a 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker, was second beaten only a neck in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs earlier in the meet. Classier, a 3-year-old colt also by Empire Maker, shortens up off a score in the Los Alamitos Derby at nine furlongs on July 4.

Ginobili comes into the heat of a romping nine and three-quarter lengths triumph in an allowance race at Del Mar on July 17. He was running a mile that day and will be looking for his first stakes victory Saturday.

Howbeit is another coming into the race off a smart allowance score – two of them, in fact. The Secret Circle 4-year-old has six wins and $230,956 in earnings.

Brickyard Ride, one of only two California-breds in the field, sports a record of eight wins with earnings of $470,477. Much of his money making has been accomplished against state-breds, but he has won against open company, including a tally in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita this past March.

Post time for the Saturday 11-race card is at 2 p.m.

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Favored at 5-2 on the morning line is Flagstaff (Speightstown) for the powerful John Sadler barn. The 6-year-old’s 2020 campaign has included a victory in the GII San Carlos S. over this trip in March and a narrow second to Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. in April. He’s been off since finishing fourth in the GII Triple Bend S. in June, but has been working swiftly in preparation for this (See XBTV video of Aug.  22 breeze in which he finished clear of stablemate Shortlist {Congrats}, an optional claiming winner at the beginning of the month).

Seven-year-old Giant Expectations (Giant Surprise) hasn’t won since 2017, but his best effort would make him tough to beat. He took this event in the same year as his last victory, and was second by a head in it last term. He was last seen being eased after a slow start in the Dirt Mile Nov. 2.

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The O'Brien, a seven-panel spin for 3-year-olds and up, carries a purse of $150,000 and Grade II status. It also is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” race that guarantees the victor entry with all fees paid to the $2,000,000 BC Dirt Mile to be run on Saturday, November 7 at Keeneland in Kentucky.

Flagstaff, the horse, is a 6-year-old gelding by 2004 sprint champion Speightstown who has been judiciously spotted and raced by trainer John Sadler for the Kentucky-bred's owners — Lanes End Racing or Hronis Racing. He didn't make it to the races until his 4-year-old season and only shows 13 starts in total. Five of them have been wins, though — the last two coming in stakes at the O'Brien's seven-furlong distance — and he sports earnings that read $485,785.

The chief treat to Flagstaff is likely to be the comebacking Giant Expectations, a 7-year-old horse by Frost Giant who races for the partnership of David Bernsen and Exline-Border Racing and is trained by Peter Eurton. The winner of $1,336,600 will be making his first start in nearly 10 months and gets Del Mar's leading rider, Umberto Rispoli, along for the outing.

Giant Expectations has a history with both the Pat O'Brien and the BC Dirt Mile. He won the former back in 2017 as a 4-year-old, then ran second in it last year. He's run in the BC Dirt Mile the last three years, though he hasn't had much success in the race. The 2019 BC Dirt Mile on November 2 at Santa Anita was his most recent start.

Here's the full O'Brien field from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Agnew, Schneider or Xitco's Law Abidin Citizen (Abel Cedillo, 5-1); Little Red Feather Racing and Vanderslice's P R Radio Star (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Gust or Warren's Manhattan Up (Tiago Pereira, 15-1); Flagstaff (5/2); Tom Kagele's C Z Rocket (Flavien Prat, 4-1); Slam Dunk Racing or MyRacehorse.com's Vertical Threat (Heriberto Figueroa, 8-1); Giant Expectations (7/2), and Doubledown Stables' Blameitonthelaw (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1).

C Z Rocket is the lone out-of-towner to tackle the local sprinters. California trainer Peter Miller claimed the City Zip gelding for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park this past April and subsequently won three straight races with him in Kentucky. He was shipped to Monmouth Park in New Jersey in July, but never started there. He's won seven races and $341,641.

Law Abidin Citizen was the third-place finisher in the six-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes earlier in the Del Mar meet. The 6-year-old gelding by Twirling Candy has won seven races and more than $500,000, all out of the barn of trainer Mark Glatt.

P R Radio Star will be trying to win his first stakes race in his 31st start. The 5-year-old gelding by Warrior's Reward has won twice already at the current Del Mar meet, taking a pair of allowance sprints.

First post for the 11-race Saturday card is 2 p.m.

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“If I had an outside post, I was going to take a chance at it,” Baffert told drf.com. “But he's down in the four-hole, and this track's been playing weird. It's real loose and deep. A horse like him wouldn't have a chance.”

Instead, Baffert plans to wait for the G2 Pat O'Brien over seven furlongs on Aug. 29. Though the “Win and You're In” race offers a berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Baffert's long-term goal for McKinzie is still the Breeders' Cup Classic over 1 1/4 miles.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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