OBrien Stakes- Grade II
7 Furlongs Dirt Graded Stake Purse $250.00 Three-Year-Olds And Upward. At DMR

1st      Brooklyn Bash             First Flight Stable      22-1 HRP 10-1 SRF

Brooklyn Bash prepped for this race just three weeks ago with a win in a high-priced DMR in a mile Opt/Claimer and looks to have worked nicely. This is the first graded stakes win for the four-year-old gelding in thirteen tries, but he usually places. In the prep race, he went wire-to-wire. In the Obrien, he laid back in sixth until the turn home when he started his move on the extreme outside and entered the stretch fourth in the middle of the track passing the remaining challengers masterfully.

2nd      Exploration Bay                Mb Stables          11-1 HRP *4-1 SRF

Here we go. Although I didn’t expect Exploration Bay to win, I did expect him to be the slight favorite. Instead, the general public made him an 11-1 outsider. I don’t claim to be even a good handicapper, but I think 11-1 on this horse is ridiculous. Anyway, his race was a pretty thing as he showed courage battling from start to finish and missing by only three-quarter length.

3rd      Excogitator             Family Racing                   7-1 HRP 4-1 SRF

Excogitator was my choice to defend his title in this race but came up a little short. I don’t see any excuses; he ran a good race just a length short. He stalked the leaders from a couple of lengths back, began closing in around the far turn but flattened out down the stretch and could offer nu threat to the winner although came within a nose of Exploration Bay.

4th      Indiscretion           John Henry                          5-1 HRP 6-1 SRF

Indiscretion went back to front-running and dueled with Exploration Bay for the lead the whole way and was still only a length back in fourth when they hit the wire.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES