DEL MAR — Trainer Mark Glatt wasn’t totally happy to have Dr. Venkman breaking along the rail going into Saturday’s Grade II Pat O’Brien Stakes.
But it worked out perfectly. The 5-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper ran close to the shortest race possible, broke through an opening in the stretch and then held off two challengers in the final strides to win the $250,000 race and earn an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli saved ground early in the race marred by the breakdown of Spirit of Makena in an incident that saw jockey Mirco Demuro taken to a nearby hospital for observation.
“Umberto rode a very patient race and when it opened up, he was able to get through,” observed Glatt. “When Dr. Venkman took the lead he started to pull up, so maybe I was a l