Stronghold back in action for Pat O'Brien

The retirement this summer of Raging Torrent was bad news for the miler division, but good news for the horses entered in the $250,000 Pat O'Brien (G2) at Del Mar on Saturday.

Raging Torrent won four of his five final starts, starting with the 2024 Pat O'Brien last August and culminating with an upset of the Metropolitan H. (G1) in June. He likely would have used the Pat O'Brien again as a springboard toward the Breeders' Cup, but his departure allows others to vie for the automatic entry to the Dirt Mile (G1) awarded to the Pat O'Brien winner.

The seven-furlong test marks the return of Stronghold, the 2024 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner who has not run since finishing well up the track in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January. Stronghold concluded his three-year-old campaign with three straight second-place finishes, including the Malibu (G1) won by Raging Torrent.

Speed Boat Beach has sufficient back class to win, but the five-year-old with only eight lifetime starts has raced but once since winning the 2023 Malibu, that being a last-of-10 finish in the May 1 St. Matthews S. at Churchill Downs. Bob Baffert has also entered the late-blooming Maymun, a four-year-old who began his career with two wins last winter but unraced since Feb. 11.

Other notables in the lineup are Grade 2 veteran Dr. Venkman, most recently fourth in the Bing Crosby (G1), and the grizzled veteran Express Train.