Raging Torrent got the best of The Chosen Vron by a neck to win the Pat OBrien Stakes at Del Mar. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire)
It takes a lot of courage to go against The Chosen Vron, and Raging Torrent had plenty. A 3-year-old taking on older runners for the first time, Raging Torrent battled with a much more seasoned The Chosen Vron and came away the winner in the $250,000 Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes Aug. 24 at Del Mar.
On paper the seven-furlong race looked like an intriguing matchup between California sprint specialist The Chosen Vron, most recently a superb victor in the six-furlong Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, and multimillionaire Senor Buscador, a router shortening up making his first start since winning the Saudi Cup and running third in the Dubai World Cup.
Bettors did not ignore Raging Torrent after a couple of sharp seven-furlong wins at Churchill Downs that included the Maxfield Overnight Stakes. The Chosen Vron went off as the logical 1-2 favorite, with Senor Buscador a narrow $4.30-1 second choice over Raging Torrent at $4.40-1. As a 3-year-old, Raging Torrent received seven pounds from the other two, carrying 118 pounds to 125 for The Chosen Vron and Senor Buscador.
When the gate opened, The Chosen Vron broke on top, but Raging Torrent and regular rider Antonio Fresu took over the lead. Hector Berrios let The Chosen Vron gallop along in fourth as Raging Torrent completed the first quarter mile in :22.56.
Going into the turn, The Chosen Vron pulled up alongside Raging Torrent, thrusting his nose in front. That should have ended the race right there, but Raging Torrent wasn't even close to finished. He fought back valiantly, wresting the lead away from the 6-year-old star with a sixteenth to go. The pair raced head and head to the wire, with Raging Torrent edging The Chosen Vron by a neck and stopping the clock in 1:21.17.
Big City Lights, who has made a habit of running second to The Chosen Vron, finished third, 3 1/2 lengths back. Senor Buscador made a late run to get fourth, three lengths behind Big City Lights.
The O'Brien is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, and Raging Torrent earned a "win and you're in" berth into the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The Chosen Vron already has earned a berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint through his victory in the Bing Crosby.
Doug O'Neill trains Raging Torrent and acknowledged that receiving weight from The Chosen Vron helped him. The trainer added that Raging Torrent "is a tall, long horse who covers a lot of ground and acted like a two-turn type of horse." While O'Neill said the colt might eventually get two turns successfully, "right now he's a one-turn specialist - and wow."
