Beyond the Wire Pat O’Ryan
Where every race has a story.
No Easy Speed
Fourteen Sprinters Chase the Pat O’Ryan Handicap
California — Sunday, August 9, 2026
Grade II / Group 2 — $375,000
7 Furlongs — Fast Dirt — 3-Year-Olds & Older
Seven furlongs occupies a funny place in racing.
It is too long to simply break fast, hold your breath, and hope the wire arrives in time. Yet it is too short to surrender five or six lengths without trusting that the horses in front of you will eventually come back.
That is what makes Sunday’s Grade II Pat O’Ryan Handicap so interesting.
Fourteen runners arrive in California by very different roads. There are seasoned veterans with more than thirty starts behind them, four-year-olds still discovering how good they might become, graded winners looking to rekindle their best form, and former claimers who have climbed far enough up the ladder to earn a place in a $375,000 event.
And then there is the pace.
Several runners want to be involved early. Others would be perfectly happy watching that fight unfold from a safe distance before beginning their charge.
At seven furlongs, somebody is going to get the trip they want.
The question is who.
#1 FOREST CITY BOBCAT (10/1)
The Old Warrior
Owner: ridgecrest
Pedigree: Majestic City × Forest Wildcat × Damascus
Running Style: Deep Closer
Thirty-seven starts. Fourteen victories. More than $824,000 earned.
Forest City Bobcat has been around long enough to know that races rarely unfold exactly as planned. The six-year-old gelding has built most of his career sprinting on dirt, winning twelve times at sprint distances and capturing both graded and stakes company along the way. His strongest weapon has always been patience. He routinely settles well off the early leaders before trying to pick his way through the field late.
His recent form has been uneven, but there are signs that the old warrior still has something left. He closed to finish third over this exact seven-furlong trip in Kentucky in June, and earlier this year was beaten only half a length in the Grade II Florida BB Sprint Championship. That effort proved he remains capable of competing with graded sprinters when the race develops in his favor.
With plenty of early speed signed on Sunday, he may finally get the setup he wants.
Race-Day Question: Can the veteran turn a hot pace into one more memorable late charge?
#2 MUSIC RUNNER (8/1)
The Home-Track Tune
Owner: luckyracer
Pedigree: Maclean’s Music × Gun Runner × Malibu Moon
Running Style: Tactical Stalker
Music Runner could not arrive in better spirits.
The six-year-old returns to the same California dirt and seven-furlong distance where he scored a sharp allowance victory on July 3, earning a 111 speed figure while sitting just behind the leaders before taking command late. That effort followed another strong performance over California turf and suggests this veteran may be rediscovering his best form at precisely the right moment.
Seven of his career victories have come on dirt, with six of those at sprint distances, and his pedigree offers an appealing blend of speed and toughness. Maclean’s Music provides the obvious sprint influence, while Gun Runner and Malibu Moon add enough substance to make seven furlongs an attractive assignment.
He does not have to control the race. In fact, his best trip may come while others fight for that privilege. If Music Runner can settle into the second flight and reproduce the finish he showed last month, he becomes very dangerous.
Race-Day Question: Can the home-track specialist turn recent momentum into another California victory?
#3 REGARD THE CHULL (19/1)
The Young Gun
Owner: sremel58
Pedigree: Instilled Regard × It’s A Danzig × Indian Charlie
Running Style: Pace Presser
Regard the Chull may be one of the least experienced horses in the field, but ten career starts have already produced five victories.
That is difficult to ignore.
The four-year-old has spent his entire career sprinting and has developed into a horse who likes to stay close to the action. He generally races within a length or two of the early lead, applying pressure rather than waiting for someone else to make the first move. That approach produced a stakes victory at 6½ furlongs in May and a solid third in the Grade III Anthem Stakes most recently, where he battled throughout and missed by only a length.
His class test gets considerably tougher Sunday, but he has spent the spring proving that each new challenge is not beyond him. The Instilled Regard–Indian Charlie combination also gives him a pedigree suited to dirt racing with enough speed to remain effective around one turn.
At 19/1, he is one of the more intriguing younger runners.
Race-Day Question: Is this the afternoon Regard the Chull proves his rise through the sprint ranks has only begun?
#4 SENSE OF CANDY (13/1)
The Versatile Traveler
Owner: chips2
Pedigree: Street Sense × Candy Ride × War Front
Running Style: Mid-Pack Stalker
Sense of Candy has tried a little bit of everything.
Sprint distances. Routes. Dirt. Turf. Allowance company. Stakes races. Even Grade I competition as a three-year-old.
Through it all, the four-year-old has collected five victories and developed into the kind of runner who can adapt to whatever is happening in front of him. His most recent appearance came in the Grade II Billy and Jimmy Stakes at seven furlongs, where he raced from mid-pack and finished a respectable fourth, beaten fewer than three lengths. That is an encouraging effort heading into another race at the same distance.
His pedigree is particularly appealing for this assignment. Street Sense and Candy Ride supply plenty of dirt ability, while War Front adds another layer of athleticism. Sense of Candy does not need to dictate terms; he can settle, watch the early battle develop, and begin improving his position when the field approaches the turn.
He may not command the headlines, but he belongs in the conversation.
Race-Day Question: Can his versatility turn into a breakthrough graded performance?
#5 PROBABLY NEEDED (6/1)
The Late Arrival
Owner: grtnotion
Pedigree: Essential Quality × Candy Ride × Tiznow
Running Style: Deep Closer
Probably Needed has spent much of his career proving there is more than one path to graded company.
The six-year-old has raced 34 times, including appearances in claiming races, allowance events, stakes competition, and now repeatedly against graded sprinters. His preferred approach could not be clearer: let everyone else worry about the first half of the race.
Probably Needed routinely settles near the back before beginning one long, sustained charge. That style produced a strong third in the Grade II Foolish Tom on July 4, when he rallied from thirteenth to finish only a length behind the winner while earning a 111 speed figure. He used a similar late run to finish third in the Grade III Back Back Handicap in May.
The win column has been quiet recently, but his current form is considerably better than that statistic suggests. If the front-runners turn Sunday’s seven furlongs into a battle for survival, Probably Needed may be the one enjoying the view.
Race-Day Question: Will there be enough early heat to unleash one of the field’s most dangerous closing kicks?
#6 JAKE PLUMMER (23/1)
The Climber
Owner: jmsstable
Pedigree: Practical Joke × More Than Ready × Hennessy
Running Style: Tactical Stalker
There may not be a better example in this field of a horse earning his way upward than Jake Plummer.
The four-year-old gelding has won nine of nineteen starts, but his journey has included claiming races, starter allowances, and ordinary allowance company rather than a résumé filled with graded trophies. That makes Sunday’s Grade II assignment easily the biggest opportunity of his career.
Yet look at what he has done recently.
Jake Plummer has won his last two starts at 6½ furlongs, including an impressive five-and-a-half-length allowance victory in Maryland in June. Rather than relying on blazing early speed, he has learned to settle behind the first wave before accelerating when the leaders begin to tire. His Practical Joke–More Than Ready pedigree certainly gives him every right to continue thriving as a dirt sprinter.
The jump in class is real. So is the confidence.
At 23/1, bettors are being compensated for the risk.
Race-Day Question: How high can a former claimer climb when he’s winning races this easily?
#7 STORMY WAR FRONT (6/1)
The Comeback Threat
Owner: dkstables28
Pedigree: War Front × Seeking the Gold × Storm Cat
Running Style: Tactical Stalker
Stormy War Front comes into the Pat O’Ryan with something every trainer wants to see beside a horse’s name: a recent victory.
The six-year-old returned to the winner’s circle in New York on July 5, sitting just behind the leader before taking command and earning a sharp 113 speed figure. That performance looked much more like the horse who captured the Grade II Billy and Jimmy Stakes last season and the Grade III Ice Luge Stakes before that.
Seventeen of his twenty-three starts have come at sprint distances, producing all seven of his career victories. He has enough speed to remain close without demanding the lead, which could be especially valuable Sunday with several committed front-runners drawn around him. If others get impatient, Stormy War Front can wait.
His Grade II credentials are already established. The challenge now is showing that last month’s victory represented a genuine return to his best rather than simply a favorable afternoon.
Race-Day Question: Has Stormy War Front rediscovered the form that once made him one of the division’s toughest sprinters?
#8 BIOEYE (14/1)
The Almost Horse
Owner: enjoyment
Pedigree: Speightstown × Deputy Minister × Storm Bird
Running Style: Pace Presser / Stalker
Four wins may not leap off the page, but Bioeye’s record tells a much more interesting story.
The five-year-old has finished in the money in 14 of 21 starts, including six third-place finishes and four runner-up efforts. He has spent much of his career knocking on the door, particularly over sprint distances, and his three most recent starts have all resulted in second-place finishes.
Most recently, Bioeye was beaten only a head over seven furlongs in Kentucky after racing prominently throughout. Earlier he chased the pace at 7½ furlongs before again settling for second. His Speightstown pedigree gives him all the sprint credentials anyone could ask for, and he possesses enough tactical speed to either press the leaders or sit immediately behind them.
Sunday represents a significant class test, but horses that consistently place themselves in contention always deserve respect.
Perhaps this is finally the afternoon when one of those near misses becomes something bigger.
Race-Day Question: After so many close calls, can Bioeye turn consistency into the biggest victory of his career?
#9 CHANGE IN A SINE (11/1)
The Proven Winner
Owner: cajunboy2
Pedigree: Union Rags × Midnight Lute × Danzig
Running Style: Front Runner / Pace Presser
Nine victories from twenty-one starts tell you Change In A Sine knows how to finish the job.
The four-year-old colt enjoyed a tremendous sophomore campaign, winning three consecutive stakes or graded races during the second half of 2025, including the Grade II Action Hero Stakes and Grade III Select Bud. At his best, he uses his natural speed to stay close to the lead—or simply take it himself—and force everyone else to react.
His 2026 campaign has been more difficult. Grade I and Grade II competition exposed a few vulnerabilities, and most recently he set the pace in the Grade III Anthem Stakes before fading to sixth. Still, that same running line demonstrates the weapon he brings to California: legitimate early speed.
The question is whether he can ration it effectively for seven furlongs against a field with other horses willing to engage early.
At 11/1, you’re betting on proven ability returning at exactly the right time.
Race-Day Question: Can Change In A Sine rediscover the winning form that made him one of last year’s most exciting young sprinters?
#10 GOLDSTAR AGGRESSOR (29/1)
The Hot Hand
Owner: fury
Pedigree: Violence × Deputy Minister × Seeking the Gold
Running Style: Deep Closer
The longest price in the field happens to belong to the horse carrying the longest active winning streak.
Goldstar Aggressor enters the Pat O’Ryan having won three consecutive allowance races, and the most encouraging part has been how he has done it. In his last two starts he settled near the rear, gradually improved his position, and then finished with purpose to win going away.
The four-year-old is stepping into graded company for the first time, so the 29/1 morning line reflects a very real jump in difficulty. But winning breeds confidence, and Goldstar Aggressor has spent the spring learning exactly what his late kick can accomplish. His most recent victory came from tenth early before he swept past the field to win by two lengths at 6½ furlongs.
Seven furlongs may give him even more time to work.
The competition is dramatically stronger, but this is precisely the sort of horse the Equinics reminder applies to: respect what he has earned.
Race-Day Question: Can three straight victories provide enough momentum to produce the upset of the afternoon?
#11 MONDAY NIGHT WAR (8/1)
The Surface Switcher
Owner: speedkills
Pedigree: Zoustar × More Than Ready × Danzig
Running Style: Deep Closer
Monday Night War built most of his reputation on turf, but his recent dirt efforts suggest the five-year-old may have discovered another path.
Eighteen of his twenty-one career starts have come on grass, producing all five of his victories and more than half a million dollars in earnings. Yet in April he switched to dirt in China and came charging from twelfth to finish second, beaten only half a length while posting an excellent 113 speed figure. He followed that with a respectable fifth in the Grade III Back Back Handicap over a sloppy California surface.
That makes him one of the most interesting runners in Sunday’s field.
He will not participate in the early scramble. Monday Night War prefers to settle well behind the pace and make one decisive run late. A dry surface and seven furlongs give him the opportunity to prove his dirt form was no accident.
Race-Day Question: Is a turf specialist quietly becoming a serious dirt sprinter?
#12 PADDINGTON GREEN (7/1)
The Old Professional
Owner: dawnrun
Pedigree: Kingman × Quality Road × Tapit
Running Style: Mid-Pack Closer
Paddington Green has traveled a long road from his British birthplace to becoming a dependable American dirt runner.
The six-year-old gelding owns eight career victories and has repeatedly shown his ability around seven furlongs. Last fall he captured the Or Not Two Punch Dirt Dash, and his most recent start produced a strong runner-up finish at a mile after he settled in mid-pack and continued grinding all the way to the wire.
His pedigree is an unusual but fascinating mix for a dirt sprinter. Kingman brings elite European turf speed, while Quality Road and Tapit provide all the American dirt credentials needed to explain why Paddington Green ultimately found his best surface away from the grass.
He is neither a committed front-runner nor a deep closer. Instead, he generally allows the race to develop before gradually working his way into contention.
That professionalism matters in crowded fields.
Race-Day Question: Can experience and patience put Paddington Green in the right place when the real running begins?
#13 UNCONTROLLABLE JR (6/1)
The Closer With a Kick
Owner: horizons3
Pedigree: Omaha Beach × A.P. Indy × Alydar
Running Style: Deep Closer
No horse in the field produced a more dramatic most recent victory.
In June’s Coal Miners Stakes, Uncontrollable Jr was fourteenth early, thirteen lengths back at the second call, and still eleventh approaching the decisive stage of the race.
Then he came running.
The six-year-old swept past the field to win by a quarter-length while earning a 114 speed figure, one of the strongest recent numbers among Sunday’s entrants. It was hardly an isolated performance. His career is filled with races where he concedes substantial ground early before beginning a relentless charge through the stretch.
Eight victories from twenty-one starts demonstrate that the strategy works.
The risk is obvious. Deep closers require cooperation from the horses in front of them. But this field contains enough pace-oriented runners that Uncontrollable Jr may get exactly the race he wants.
If he is within striking distance turning for home, watch out.
Race-Day Question: Can one of the field’s most explosive late runners make fourteen-to-first happen again?
#14 PINO OREGON (10/1)
Catch Me If You Can
Owner: locales6
Pedigree: Flower Alley × Mind Your Biscuits × Saint Liam
Running Style: Front Runner
There is absolutely no mystery about Pino Oregon’s game plan.
He goes.
Again and again, the South African-bred colt has broken sharply, taken command, and challenged the rest of the field to come get him. Six victories from fourteen starts include the Grade II Billy and Jimmy Stakes this spring, where he controlled every call and held on to win over seven furlongs.
That is the exact trip he will be trying to reproduce Sunday.
Most recently, Pino Oregon attempted the same strategy in the Grade I Three Bender. He led through the first three calls before tiring to fifth, but even that defeat demonstrated how dangerous his natural speed can be against elite company.
The outside draw adds another wrinkle. He will need to establish position without using too much energy, particularly with Regard the Chull and Change In A Sine capable of showing speed inside him.
If he clears them, however, the race changes dramatically.
Race-Day Question: Can Pino Oregon take them all the way from gate to wire?
How the Race Sets Up
This may ultimately come down to one question:
How much does Pino Oregon have to work to get the lead?
He appears to be the field’s most committed front-runner, but Change In A Sine and Regard the Chull possess enough natural speed to ensure he probably will not simply stroll through the opening fractions. Bioeye can also sit close, while Music Runner and Stormy War Front should be ideally positioned immediately behind that first group.
That creates a potentially attractive setup for the closers.
Probably Needed, Forest City Bobcat, Goldstar Aggressor, Monday Night War, and especially Uncontrollable Jr will be hoping the early leaders spend just a little too much energy sorting themselves out.
The seven-furlong distance complicates matters. Closers cannot afford to wait forever, while front-runners cannot attack the opening quarter as though this were five furlongs.
Whoever gets the timing right may win the race.
Beyond the Wire Selections
🥇 STORMY WAR FRONT (6/1)
The recent 113-speed-figure victory is difficult to ignore, and his tactical style may give him the best trip in the entire field. He does not need the lead and should get first run on the closers.
🥈 UNCONTROLLABLE JR (6/1)
That 114 last time was impressive, particularly considering how far back he came from. If the pace develops the way it appears on paper, he could be flying late.
🥉 PINO OREGON (10/1)
The wild card. He already owns a Grade II victory at this exact distance and has one enormous tactical advantage: everybody knows where he’ll be. If nobody pressures him enough early, they may never catch him.
Final Thoughts
This is not a race built around one superstar.
That may be exactly what makes it so appealing.
There are old warriors trying to summon one more big performance, improving four-year-olds attempting to prove they belong, former claimers who have climbed farther than anyone once expected, and accomplished graded runners searching for another trophy.
Fourteen horses will break from the gate.
Some will chase the lead.
Some will wait.
And somewhere during those seven demanding furlongs, one of their stories will change.
The Pat O’Ryan Handicap doesn’t offer any easy speed—and it certainly doesn’t offer an easy winner.
Beyond the Wire
Where every race has a story.
We’ll see you at the wire.