Eight Names Entered for Pat O’Brien at Del Mar
St. Joe Bay makes his third start for Hronis/Sadler since being claimed from Miller back in May. He was a head shy of winning the San Carlos in his first start for his new connections, but was a flat fifth in the Bing Crosby last out. He fits much better here with the competition level mostly lower, so if he can handle the pressure from his stablemate to his inside early on the lead and still have something in the tank, he will make a formidable competitor.
Sadler will also tighten the girth on former claimer Horse Greedy, also owned by Hronis Racing, who was third in the San Carlos Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita in June in his first start for Hronis Racing. He came back to win a nice, 6 ½-furlong optional claimer for his new connections a month ago as a prep for this, so he’s likely a go here. He has the ability to put up big numbers and seems to be improving, so a top placing — if not an upset — under Stewart Elliott isn’t unfathomable.
Vorticity may have found a spot to earn a graded stakes placing for the first time on the West Coast, having earned two (as well as other black type) on the East Coast. He’s one from trainer D’Amato who will likely run and his best should be sufficient to hit the board.
The unusual heat and humidity in the Del Mar area has finally subsided and Saturday is expected to be beautiful with highs in the mid-70s. The Pat O’Brien is the day’s seventh race.
California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.
She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law in Kentucky known as the “Borell Law.”Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time.She lives in Robinson, Texas, with her longtime beau, Tony. She is the executive director of the 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue, The Bridge Sanctuary.