Pat O'Brien Stakes

Breeders' Cup Challenge Series > Pat O'Brien Stakes

Pat O'Brien Stakes Race Facts

• Location: Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar, CA
• Inaugural Race: 1980
• Distance: 7/8ths of a mile (7 furlongs)
• Track Type: Left-handed, Dirt
• Age Qualifications: Three Year Olds and up
• 2024 Purse: $250,000
• 2024 Race Date: Saturday, August 24th

2024 Pat O'Brien Stakes Race Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $1.00 Exacta (4-6) Paid: $12.40
• $0.50 Trifecta (4-6-5) Paid: $25.85
• $0.10 Superfecta (4-6-5-7) Paid: $15.95

Watch the 2024 Pat O'Brien Stakes

Pat O'Brien Stakes Race History

The Pat O'Brien Handicap is a Grade II horse race run each year at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, CA. The race is named for Del Mar co-founder Pat O'Brien, an accomplished character actor who often starred along with Hollywood legend James Cagney. A massive fan of horse racing, O'Brien served on the founding Board of Directors for Del Mar along with other notable figures such as Bing Crosby and Willam A. Quigley.

A few notable horses have won the race, including the 1995 winner Lit de Justice. Not only did he set the dirt speed record* with a time of 1:20.06, but he went on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint the next year as part of his Sprint Horse Championship campaign. 1996 winner Alphabet Soup went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic that year, and 2014 winner Goldencents parlayed his victory into a repeat win at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Currently, Victor Espinoza is the winningest jockey in the races' history with six, a title he has held since 2009. Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has notched a record eight wins at the race, including four straight victories between 2010 and 2013.

The race is featured in the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" Series, awarding the winner an automatic bid to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

*Goldencents holds the Polytrack speed record with a time of 1:20.99 which he set in 2014

Pat O'Brien Stakes Past Winners