2018 Pacific Classic Contenders & Odds at Del Mar

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Accelerate is the 8-5 Morning Line Favorite in the 28th running of the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic which will be held on Saturday, August 18 at Del Mar. The mile and a quarter race, which will reward its winner with a prize of $600,000, will go off at approximately 5:40 p.m. as the 8th race on an 11-race card.

Accelerate will break from post position No. 5 in a field of eight in quest of completing the "California Triple" in Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic.

Trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing LLC, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was established as the 8-5 morning line favorite by oddsmaker Russ Hudak by virtue of wins in the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita earlier this year.

A Pacific Classic win would put Accelerate with Lava Man (2006) and Game On Dude (2013) as horses to sweep the three major handicap division events in California in the same year.

The Lieutenant

The Lieutenant (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1) - "I'm not concerned going a mile and a quarter from the one hole," trainer Mike McCarthy said. "The horse is very tractable and we'll go ahead and get a nice stalking trip."

The Lieutenant comes in off a runner-up finish in the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 7.

Dr. Dorr

Dr. Dorr (Joe Talamo, 6-1) - Trainer Bob Baffert worked nominees Mubtaahij and Dr. Dorr on Monday and Tuesday and opted to go with the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky owned by his wife, Jill. "Mubtaahij got a little tired and I had missed some training with him so I wasn't comfortable with him going a mile and a quarter," Baffert said. "Dr. Dorr actually worked really well (Tuesday) so I threw him in there. He drew a little bit inside, but that's OK."

Dr. Dorr was second, beaten 6 ¾ lengths by Catalina Cruiser in the San Diego Handicap on July 21.

Prime Attraction

Prime Attraction (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1) - "Very happy with the draw," trainer Jim Cassidy said. "I wanted to avoid the rail if we could and the three hole is good. It gives us options." Prime Attraction achieved a 101 speed figure when third, beaten only a neck, in the Eddie Read Stakes on turf July 22.

Roman Rosso

Roman Rosso (Flavien Prat, 5-1) - Nothing like the signature event of the Del Mar summer season, and one of the biggest races of the thoroughbred year, for the U.S. debut of a South American standout. But that's what Baffert has chosen for the Group I winner in Argentina and Uruguay whose last race was in March.

"He has trained really well, but I don't really know how he fits in," Baffert said. "I know he's won a lot of money ($547,546 from five wins in eight starts), so we'll find out."

Accelerate

Accelerate (Joel Rosario, 8-5) - Sadler chose to use stablemate Catalina Cruiser to win the San Diego and save Accelerate for the Classic. "I was happy to get the No. 5 post, but felt he could handle any (post) going a mile and a quarter," Sadler said. "You'd rather be the favorite than not, and we're excited going into the race."

Beach View

Beach View (Rafael Bejarano, 15-1) - "We've drawn to the outside, but hopefully going a mile and a quarter we won't be outside for too long," trainer Leonard Powell said. "Hopefully there will be good pace early on and we'll be able to rate behind it and finish strong."

Beach View was switched from turf to dirt and won the 1 ½-mile Cougar II Handicap on July 25.

Pavel

Pavel (Mario Gutierrez, 7-2) - "Seven of eight, not bad," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "We were going into it not overly concerned where he drew, but he won from the outside (No. 9) in the Stephen Foster, so we kind of like him out there. We're happy with the way he's going and (although) it's not big in numbers, it's a pretty contentious race."

Two Thirty Five

Two Thirty Five (Franklin Ceballos, 20-1) - "Being outside doesn't bother me. You've got the length of the stretch, or maybe a little more, to the first turn. I thought he bounced (regressed) a little in the San Diego after running a big number the race before. You can't win if you're not in, so we entered and will take a look at the race and see what happens."

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Post-Draw Notes

Hronis Racing's Accelerate drew Post 5 Tuesday afternoon and was installed the 8-5 favorite to beat seven rivals Saturday in the 28th running of the $1-million TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Post positions for the mile and one-quarter headliner for 3-year-olds and up were drawn at The Brigantine restaurant overlooking the racetrack with connections of the eight runners looking on. Del Mar's morning line maker, Russell Hudak, had no problem identifying Accelerate as his solid favorite, then next hung Reddam Racing's Pavel as second choice at 7-2.

All runners will carry 124 pounds under the conditions of the race, which is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge series, awarding the victorious horse automatic entry into the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November with all pre-entry and entry fees paid.

The chestnut 5-year-old Accelerate, who ran third in this race last year behind Collected and Arrogate, comes into the 10-furlong crucible off a series of sparkling stakes efforts that have helped him build his bankroll to more than $1.7 million. The son of Lookin At Lucky has three wins and a second in four 2018 starts and is seeking to become only the third horse to single-season sweep the "Big Three" California races for older horses - the Santa Anita Handicap, the Gold Cup and the TVG Pacific Classic.

Accelerate has been cleverly handled by trainer John Sadler throughout his 19-race career and the conditioner went with an old favorite when his horse's regular rider - Victor Espinoza - was injured and unable to ride in the TVG Pacific Classic. Sadler made a call to eastern star Joel Rosario, who he helped get started when the native of the Dominican Republic rose to national prominence in Southern California between 2009 - 2011 before heading east. Rosario had already once returned to Del Mar to win the TVG Pacific Classic when he drove Dullahan to a half-length tally in 2012.

The others in the lineup for the shore oval's premier summer offering are the Bob Baffert-trained pair of Zaur Bifov's Roman Rosso and Natalie Baffert's Dr. Dorr, Mr.-Mrs. William Warren, Jr.'s The Lieutenant, D P Racing's Prime Attraction, Levy Racing's Beach View and Slam Dunk Racing and Baltas' Two Thirty Five.

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Pre-Draw Notes

ACCELERATE, UNIQUE BELLA & LIEUTENANT WORK TOWARDS PACIFIC CLASSIC

John Sadler-trained Accelerate, the likely morning line favorite for Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic and race-nominated The Lieutenant and Unique Bella logged final works Sunday for the signature event of the Del Mar summer season.

With assistant trainer Juan Leyva up, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was timed in 1:26.00 for seven furlongs after covering the first six in 1:14.00 by the track's crew of clockers.

"Very good work, no problems under some pretty severe conditions," Sadler said. "The track's very heavy and there's a lot of humidity, but he handled it well like a good horse."

Sadler also has San Diego Handicap winner Catalina Cruiser nominated and fit for the race, but has expressed the desire to keep them separate. Both are owned by Hronis Racing LLC.

Accelerate, the reigning Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita champion, has been designated as the Pacific Classic representative.

"That's the plan as of now," Sadler said.

Mike McCarthy-trained The Lieutenant, most recently second to Diversify in last month's Grade II Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park, went five furlongs in company with stablemate Paved, a nominee to the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Pacific Classic Day.

Drayden Van Dyke, who has the call on both, was aboard Paved. Exercise rider Norman Rodriguez was up on The Lieutenant. Track clockers had The Lieutenant going five furlongs in 1:01.60. McCarthy had the pair going the final quarter in :24.60.

"Very pleased with both," McCarthy said. "The Lieutenant was well in hand and Paved was well within herself. It was a nice maintenance work and I'm pleased with the way both of them are coming up to their races next weekend."

Unique Bella cruised four furlongs in :51.40 under exercise rider Freddie Rodriguez. "A nice work," said Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, but not one that will have any influence on the decision whether to test the champion filly against males for the first time.

Hollendorfer, among other trainers, is expected to delay a decision until close to the entry deadline of 10 a.m. Tuesday. With the field set, post positions will be drawn at a party starting at 3:30 that afternoon at The Brigantine restaurant overlooking the track.

The racing office lists "probables" Accelerate, Beach View, Mubtaahij, Pavel, Prime Attraction, The Lieutenant and Roman Rosso. "Possibles" are: Ann Arbor Eddie, Catalina Cruiser and Dr. Dorr. Nominees considered "doubtful" are: El Huerfano, Full of Luck, Multiplier, Two Thirty Five and Unique Bella.

The Pacific Classic is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, which means the winner of the Pacific Classic gets an expense-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Pacific Classic Quick Facts

Beholder became the first and only female racehorse to win the race in 2015, when she rolled to a near-record 8 ¼ length win. Just four other fillies have started in the race.

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the race five times, most recently with Collected last year.

Jockey Mike Smith has won four editions of the race, tied with the late Garrett Gomez for the most of any rider.

The betting favorite has won the Pacific Classic just eight times, but seven of those times came since 2004.