NEWS
El Brujo adjusts his game to win Pat O’Brien
Posted: Saturday, August 28, 2010 10:13 PM
EL BRUJO
Benoit & Associates photo
To view the Pat O'Brien Stakes, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Primarily running from off the pace throughout his career, El Brujo showed he can adjust his game on the fly when necessary on Saturday at Del Mar.
Arnold Zetcher’s four-year-old Candy Ride (Arg) gelding gave trainer Bob Baffert, who was in New York, his second Grade 1 win of the card with a front-running victory in the $298,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G1). Two races earlier, Baffert won the Pacific Classic Stakes Presented by TVG (G1) with Richard’s Kid for the second consecutive year.
“If you get a flyer out of the gate, you don’t want to take him back,” said Baffert’s assistant, Jim Barnes. “You have to let him go and get comfortable and do the best you can with the situation. It worked out for us today.”
With the win, El Brujo secured a starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on November 6 at Churchill Downs as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Sangaree, E Z’s Gentleman, and Tropic Storm, who has raced on or near the lead throughout his career, all were scratched from the race, leaving Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) winner Smiling Tiger as the probable pacesetter. At the break, jockey Joel Rosario and El Brujo seized command while Kanan Dume stalked from second and Smiling Tiger settled in third.
El Brujo led through a quarter-mile in :22.83 and a half-mile in :45.48 with Smiling Tiger chasing from within a couple of lengths. When Victor Espinoza asked Smiling Tiger for more entering the stretch, however, he failed to respond and El Brujo steadily extended his lead.
“He’s a long strider,” Rosario said. “Even when we turned for home and the other horses came to him, I knew he wasn’t going to stop. He just kept going.”
Grade 2 winner Crown of Thorns, making his first start since his runner-up finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) last November, closed with a rush in the final furlong but finished a half-length shy in second. Smiling Tiger held on for third.
El Brujo covered seven furlongs on the synthetic Polytrack surface in 1:21.70 for his fifth stakes win. He won the Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) and Perryville (G3) Stakes last year, both on Polytrack.
Bred in Ontario, El Brujo improved to seven wins from 18 career starts and earnings of $721,439. He is one of seven winners from eight starters out of the winning Devil’s Bag mare Enchanted Spell.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
