Speed Boat Beach © Benoit Photo

Pat O’Brien, the renown American actor, was a pal of Bing Crosby’s from their days doing the Hollywood thing during the golden era of the movies. They found out they had similar likes and dislikes.

One thing they both agreed on was this new-found sport called horse racing that had come to California in the 1930s was fun, especially when it came to a man betting a bob or two on a favored runner.

All of which led to Bing giving Pat a jingle when he signed on to help open a racetrack on the Fairgrounds at Del Mar, on the coast near his home in Rancho Santa Fe. Bing brought on other Hollywood types, too – Oliver Hardy and Joe E. Brown, among others – but O’Brien was his right-hand man and they both led the charge following the 1937 opening of the racecourse that would become known as the place “where the turf meets the surf.”

So, naturally enough, the folks running the operation at Del Mar named one of their key races after Der Bingle. It has now been run 80 times. And, eventually, they realized that O’Brien deserved to be honored, too.

This Saturday we’ll be part of the 40th edition of the Pat O’Brien Stakes, a Grade II crucible that carries a purse of $250,000.  It also is a Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Races, giving its winner automatic entry into the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, which will carry a purse of $1,000,000 and be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 1.

The seven-furlong O’Brien has lured a field of nine fast horses, including Del Mar track record holder (5 ½ furlongs in 1:01.86) Speed Boat Beach, a now 5-year-old owned by the trio of Pegram, Watson and Weitman who is in the midst of a comeback after losing all of 2024 to injury.

The son of Bayern is a triple stakes winner who has banked just shy of $500,000. He made his first start in more than 16 months at Churchill Downs this past May, but faded badly in a sprint and had to be aided getting off the track. Trainer Bob Baffert has brought his horse back home and put a long series of stout works into him for his latest comeback. He’ll have leading rider Juan Hernandez up for his retry Saturday and looms the likely favorite in the headliner.

Also of note in the extended dash is Rick or Sharon Walter’s 4-year-old Ghostzapper colt Stronghold, a multiple-stakes winner who has put more than $1.1 million in the bank and will be making his first start in seven months. The Phil D’Amato-trained bay will have regular rider Antonio Fresu at the controls and he, too, has been working forwardly for his Saturday date.

The mystery horse in the O’Brien lineup is another Baffert-trained youngster, this one a 4-year-old by Frosted named Maymun who also will be making a comeback. The lightly raced bay will be making only the third start of his career and his first in more than 18 months. He is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, owned by Amr Zedan, the Saudi Arabian businessman who paid $900,000 for him at a 2-year-old in-training sale in Florida. He won both his starts at the beginning of 2024, but now faces stakes company for the first time off a substantial layoff, though backed by a series of sharp morning drills.  Kazushi Kimura has the riding call.

Here’s the complete lineup for the O’Brien in post position order with riders and morning line odds:

Alipony Racing, Agnew or Bunch, et al’s Dr. Venkman (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1); Speed Boat Beach (5/2); Kris Chandler’s Spirit of Makena (Mirco Demuro, 20-1); Maymun (5-1); Rafael Gutierrez’s Awesome Rhythm (Armando Ayuso, 20-1); Stronghold (3-1); C R K Stable’s Express Train (Hector I. Berrios, 12-1); Hronis Racing’s Tapalo (Abel Lezcano, 12-1), and B & B Zietz Stables’ Man O Rose (Edwin Maldonado, 8-1).

The O’Brien will be Race 9 on a 10-race card. First post Saturday is 2 p.m. and the O’Brien is scheduled to go off at 6 p.m.