2017 Pacific Classic Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Pacific Classic will be run this Saturday, August 19 at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California. A purse of $1 million will be on the line for horses three years old and upward willing to line up on Del Mar's dirt track and race 1 1/4 miles.

A field of eight have been confirmed for the Pacific Classic - race 8 on Del Mar's stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:30 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all eight combatants for this intriguing G1 stakes.

2017 Pacific Classic Entries at Del Mar Race Track

Arrogate 1-1

Sensational Bob Baffert trained colt and 2016 winner of the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old has nine starts with seven wins and a third-place finish wins. He still is considered the best race-horse on the planet but last time out was a bit of a disaster - an unfathomable fourth, 15 1/4 lengths back in the San Diego Handicap here July 22. Before that was a terrific seven race win streak - the $10 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup by 2 1/4 lengths March 25, the $12 million G1 Pegasus World Cup by an impressive 4 3/4 lengths over the legendary California Chrome at Gulfstream January 28, the Breeders' Cup Classic over California Chrome again, the G1 Travers August 27 by an unfathomable 13 1/2 lengths in his stakes debut, an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar August 4, another Allowance Optional Claiming June 24 and a maiden score at Santa Anita June 5. Arrogate had been untouchable before his dud last time out and will be looking to prove that result was definitely the exception, not the rule - his latest works including a bullet half-mile breeze in :47 1/5 on Aug. 1 prove that he may be prime to get it done. He tries for the MAJOR bounceback Saturday with Mike Smith in the saddle of the even-money favorite again from the outside gate 8.

Accelerate 3-1

John Sadler trained colt has four wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 12 career starts. He arrives off a career- best outing - an 8 1/2 length gate-to-wire win over Arrogate among others in the San Diego Handicap on this track July 22 which followed a third in the G3 Precisionist Stakes at Santa Anita June 24, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on that track May 5, a third in the G2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita February 4, a second in the competitive G2 San Pasqual Stakes on that track January 1 and a respectable third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Before that was a nice three race win streak - in the G2 Los Alamitos Derby September 24 (his graded stakes debut), the minor Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar August 26 and a maiden score by a terrific 8 3/4 lengths on this track July 28. Accelerate has placed in 10 straight races against pretty good company ahead of this weekend, has won all three of his career starts on this track and will be out to shock the horse racing world again Saturday. Victor Espinoza has been tabbed to ride from post 3.

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Collected 5-2

Bob Baffert trained colt has been pretty darn good so far in his 10-race career - seven wins and a second-place finish. He enters on the heels of a nice three-race win streak - over Accelerate in the G3 Precisionist Stakes by an incredible 14 lengths last time out at Santa Anita June 24, by 3 3/4 lengths as favorite in the G2 Californian Stakes with a lofty 104 Beyer Speed Figure on that track April 22 and another 3 3/4 length win in the minor Santana Mile Stakes at Santa Anita April 1. It followed nearly 11 months away, a tenth in the 2016 G1 Preakness Stakes and another two-race win streak - the G3 Lexington Stakes April 16, 2016 and the minor Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes last March. He also had a fourth in the G3 Southwest Stakes and another good win in the G3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January, 2016. Collected has won four of his last five starts overall (all stakes), has looked untouchable in his last three starts overall and should be a factor again Saturday. Martin Garcia will be in the irons from gate 2.

Donworth 15-1

Doug O'Neill trained colt has nine career starts with two wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. He recently returned to the track after a 14- month layoff and finished fourth in the G3 Precisionist Stakes at Santa Anita June 24 and followed that with a very respectable second last time out - ahead of Arrogate and behind Accelerate in the G2 San Diego Handicap here June 22. Before the layoff was an OK third as favorite in the 2016 G2 Charles Town Classic last April 23, a very disappointing seventh as second choice in the Santa Anita Handicap March 12 of 2016, a third after clipping heels in the G2 San Antonio Stakes last February 6, a good win by 11 lengths in the minor Stanton Stakes at Delaware Park in June 20 of 2015, a third in the minor Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico in May of that year, a second in the 2015 G3 Lexington Stakes in April and a win at first asking in March of that year. Donworth has been decent so far in his career and will be chasing a first ever graded stakes victory Saturday with Mario Gutierrez guiding him from gate 6.

Hard Aces 20-1

Defending eighth-place finisher in this race, John Sadler trainee won the 2015 G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in upset fashion. Last time out was an OK second in the G3 Cougar II Handicap here July 26 (he won the 2016 edition of that race) after a third in the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 27, an upset win in the G3 Tokyo City Cup on that track April 2, a sixth in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 11, a fifth in the G2 San Antonio Stakes February 4, an OK third in the G3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar November 27, a second in the G2 Marathon Stakes November 4 and a fourth in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes in October. Other good results include a third in the 2016 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, a win in the 2015 edition of that race, a respectable second in the 2016 G2 Californian Stakes and decent second with an impressive 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 12 of that year. Hard Aces now has eight wins, seven seconds and 10 third place finishes in 42 career starts and enters in decent form. Santiago Gonzalez gets the call from post 5.

Curlin Road 20-1

Has just four wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 24 career starts for trainer Doug O'Neill. He arrives off a career-best outing - a win in the G2 Cougar II Handicap here July 22 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Los Alamitos July 16, a fourth in a similar race at Santa Anita June 16 and consecutive thirds in Allowance Optional Claiming races on that track this past spring. His only other graded stakes action resulted in a fifth in the G2 Los Alamitos Derby last September. Curlin Road has quietly placed in six of his last seven starts overall and will be out to build on a nice two-race win streak. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 7.

Royal Albert Hall 30-1

British bred Doug O'Neill trained gelding has just two wins in 27 career starts to go along with seven seconds and seven third place finishes. He hasn't been great lately - a fourth in a Claiming here last time out July 23 followed an eighth, a second and a sixth respectively in a trio of Allowance Optional Claiming races at Santa Anita earlier this year. Last year he had a sixth in the G2 Charles Whittingham Memorial back in May, a third in the G2 Elkhorn Stakes April 23, an Allowance Optional Claiming score March 25 and a second in a similar race March 5. He also posted an ugly thirteenth in the G1 Hollywood Derby November 28, 2015, a third in the G2 Twilight Derby October 24, 2015 and a second in the 2015 G2 Del Mar Derby. Royal Albert Hall looks for his first stakes score Saturday but looks as if he will be in over his head. Corey Nakatani is scheduled to ide from the rail.

Sorry Erik 30-1

Keith Desormeaux trained colt has four wins and a runner-up finish in his 13 career starts. He won two straight races to starts his year at Santa Anita including an Allowance Optional Claiming February 2 and has been just OK since. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score here July 22 which followed a fourth in the G2 Ohio Derby at Thistletown June 24, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita May 18, a fifth in the G2 Louisiana Derby February 1 and a seventh in the G2 Risen Star Stakes February 25 - both at Fair Grounds. Sorry Erik shoots for his first stakes score Saturday in so-so form and will have Kent Desormeaux aboard from gate 4.

2017 Pacific Classic Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Del Mar's Saturday card with a Post Time of 8:45 PM.