By Jill Williams
Dr. Venkman (g, 5, Ghostzapper–Theory of Change, by Archarcharch), winner of the GII San Diego Handicap at Del Mar 13 months ago, returned to the scene of his biggest career triumph to add the GII Pat O'Brien Stakes Saturday. The $250,000 Pat O'Brien, run at seven furlongs, offers a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, to be held over this surface Nov. 1.
Despite a field of veterans, the Pat O'Brien was not without incident. Two of the six horses–Stronghold (Ghostzapper) and Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper)–dramatically broke through the gate before the start. The pair was reloaded while Dr. Venkman, in the first stall, appeared unfazed.
The 5-year-old bay broke cleanly and settled into a midpack spot as 2023 GI Malibu Stakes winner Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) and two-for-two 'TDN Rising Star' Maymun (Frosted) traded punches up front through :22.53 and :44.87 fractions. Dr. Venkman held his rail spot, with Spirit of Makena to his outside early. While the eventual winner advanced along the fence, Spirit of Makena, who had dropped back to last, sustained an injury nearing the three-eighths pole. His rider, Mirco Demura, was unseated and transported to a hospital for observation, while it was reported by the track that Spirit of Makena, who was vanned off, injured his left front fetlock and will undergo surgery.
Dr. Venkman continued to hug the rail and was rewarded when a wide-open seam opened at the top of the lane. He cut the corner, found the front, and held sway gamely, getting the seven panels in 1:21.53. The 2024 GI Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold finished second, while veteran Express Train (Union Rags), whose last stakes win was in the 2022 GI Santa Anita Handicap, was third.
“Seems at the break Speed Boat Beach kept drifting out, and you know, having a one-on-one can be tricky. But sometimes it can be a help; in this case, he's a smart horse, he's a fighter,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli. “He knows how to run his races. I just kept him on the fence, just looking ahead of me, looking to see a horse on the rail. No one wanted to be there, so at that point I saw that, that was going to be my gap. That is the spot where you get the momentum. Every time he runs he runs with his heart, he can run a mile or a sprint. This horse can be versatile.”
A $105,000 Keeneland September purchase by Mark Glatt, who trains the gelding for the partnership of Alipony Racing, Dan J. Agnew, Clint Bunch, and James Hailey, Dr. Venkman was last seen finishing fourth in the July 26 GI Bing Crosby Stakes, which followed runner-up finishes in the GIII Kelly's Landing Stakes at Churchill and the Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita. In addition to his San Diego win last year, he has also placed in the GII Triple Bend Stakes and the Perryville Stakes.
Dr. Venkman gets an appreciative pat from Umberto Rispoli | Benoit
Pedigree Notes:
Ghostzapper, the sire of 59 graded winners and 106 black-type winners, relocated from Kentucky to Frank Stronach's Adena Springs North in Ontario for the 2025 season to cover a limited book of mares. The 25-year-old Awesome Again stallion was named Horse of the Year in 2004 during a stellar racing career which saw him win the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the GI Met Mile, the GI Vosburgh, and the GI Woodward. Dr. Venkman will try to add another Breeders' Cup win for Ghostzapper, whose four championship day wins as a sire include the 2024 Filly & Mare Turf winner with Moira, as well as the 2022-23 Filly & Mare Sprint with Goodnight Olive.
Theory of Change has produced two of the nine stakes winners out of daughters of Archarcharch, the late 2011 GI Arkansas Derby winner who spent his final years at stud in Korea. While Dr. Venkman is Ghostzapper's only black-type winner out of an Archarcharch mare, Ghostzapper does have three stakes winners out of mares by his sire, Arch, and all are graded winners: MGISW Contested, MGSW & GISP Proctor's Lodge, and GSW In Good Spirits.
Theory of Change, purchased by Hidden Brook for $45,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale, has a yearling colt by Maxfield and an Apr. 30-foaled filly by Cody's Wish. She did not catch in foal for next term.
Squeezing through! 🎙️
Dr. Venkman & @umbyrispoli win the Pat O'Brien Stakes and earn a ticket to the @BreedersCup Dirt Mile. pic.twitter.com/310eBhcTrY
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 24, 2025
Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $250,500, Del Mar, 8-23, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.53, ft.
1–DR. VENKMAN, 121, g, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Theory of Change, by Archarcharch
2nd Dam: Gal of Mine, by Mining
3rd Dam: Dansait Dame, by Dance Bid
($105,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Alipony Racing, Dan J. Agnew,
Clint Bunch, and James Hailey; B-Ghostzapper Syndicate &
Hidden Brook Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt; J-Umberto Rispoli.
$150,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-4-0, $661,300. *1/2 to
Tranche (Collected), SW, $149,515. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree
or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stronghold, 123, c, 4, Ghostzapper–Spectator, by Jimmy
Creed. O/B-Eric M. Waller and Sharon Waller (KY); T-Philip
D'Amato. $50,000.
3–Express Train, 121, h, 8, Union Rags–I'm a Flake, by
Mineshaft. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC;
B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. $30,000.
Margins: HF, HF, 1. Odds: 2.70, 2.60, 16.50.
Also Ran: Maymun, Speed Boat Beach, Spirit of Makena. Scratched: Awesome Rhythm, Man O Rose, Tapalo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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