Silent Bird made new favorite for Pat O'Brien

With early 7-5 favorite Danzing Candy out due to a career-ending injury incurred during a routine gallop on Friday, track oddsmaker Russ Hudak has revised the morning line for Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes.

Danzing Candy suffered a hairline fracture to the right front ankle that X-rays revealed when the 4-year-old Twirling Candy colt, owned by Ted Aroney (Halo Farms) of Rancho Santa Fe and Jim and Diana Bashor of La Jolla, started favoring the leg during a cooling-off period a half-hour after the morning exercise.

With the injury due to be surgically repaired, the earner of $700,930 will begin a career at stud next year.

Hudak stayed, essentially, with his initial morning line but lowered the numbers on most of the field and dropped Silent Bird from 5-1 to 4-1 to inherit the favorite’s role.

The new morning line, from the rail: Moe Candy (Victor Espinoza, 9-2), Solid Wager (Martin Pedroza, 12-1), Mr. Hinx (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1), Silent Bird (Kent Desormeaux, 4-1), Blameitonthelaw (Evin Roman, 6-1), Kobe’s Back (Flavien Prat, 5-1), Calculator (Rafael Bejarano, 5-1), Home Run Kitten (Brice Blanc, 20-1), Giant Expectations (Gary Stevens, 6-1) and Denman’s Call (Tyler Baze, 6-1).

The Pat O’Brien, a “Win and You’re In” Challenge series qualifier for the $1 million Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here on Friday, November 3, is the ninth on a 10-race card.

Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club