El Corredor Sprints to Del Mar Victory

El Corredor won the $150,000 Pat O’Brien Handicap by 1 1/2 lengths Sunday in front of 18,772 at Del Mar.

El Corredor, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Victor Espinoza, surged to the lead in the upper stretch and held off the late challenge of Swept Overboard. The winner ran the seven furlongs in 1:20 2/5, two-fifths slower than the track record set by Solar Launch in 1990.

Ceeband was third, a length behind the runner-up and four lengths ahead of fourth-place Blade Prospector in the field of seven. Lexicon was withdrawn from the original field.

Baffert became the first trainer to win the Pat O’Brien twice. He won it last year with Love That Red.

El Corredor, who had not raced since winning the Cigar Mile Handicap in New York in November, earned $90,000 for the victory, his sixth in eight career races. The 4-year-old has lifetime earnings of $577,920.

As the 3-2 favorite, El Corredor paid $5. He won twice at Del Mar last summer, including the Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

*

Sultry Substitute, owned by Sid and Jenny Craig and trained by Bill Spawr, has joined the list of probables for Sunday’s $1-million Pacific Classic. Laffit Pincay Jr. will ride.

Out of Mind now appears to be only a possible for the race following a one-mile workout Saturday that didn’t impress trainer Richard Mandella.

Eddie Delahoussaye will ride if Mandella decides to run the horse.

The field is expected to be led by defending champion Skimming, with Garrett Gomez riding; Captain Steve (Espinoza), Futural (Chris McCarron), Dixie Dot Com (David Flores) and Until Sundown (Gary Stevens).

Skimming, who won the San Diego Handicap for the second consecutive year on July 29, is scheduled to work out this morning.

*

Favored Penny’s Gold beat Babae by three-quarters of a length to win Saratoga’s $210,200 Ballston Spa Breeders’ Cup for fillies and mares.

Ridden by Jerry Bailey, she ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 3/5 on the turf.

Penny’s Gold remained undefeated in four starts this year. Before making her U.S. debut at Gulfstream Park in February, she raced in France.