Pacific Classic 2021: Field & Odds at Del Mar

The Pacific Classic is a "Win and You're In" race for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic

Express Train (C R K Stables), winner of the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar July 17, drew Post 5 Tuesday afternoon and was installed the 3-1 morning line favorite to beat eight rivals in the 31st running of the Grade I, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic on Saturday, August 21.

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 the connections of the nine runners looking on. Del Mar's morning line maker, Jon White, tabbed Express Train as a slight favorite over Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship 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 that awards the victorious horse automatic entry into this year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic with all pre-entry and entry fees paid. That race will be run at Del Mar this year on Saturday, November 6.

Express Train, a 4-year-old Union Rags colt, has been solid and steady throughout his 12-race career with four wins, four seconds and two thirds on his ledger for a bankroll that currently reads $659,300. He's responded well to the patient handling of trainer John Shirreffs, as well as the horsemanship of his Pacific Classic rider, Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard the bay in his last six outings.

Royal Ship, a Brazilian bred by Midshipman, has steadily improved his efforts in seven U.S. starts since shipping north from his native land last year. The 5-year-old gelding has won six of 14 starts and shows earnings of $293,305. His trainer is Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, who once again has selected Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith to be his pilot on Saturday.

Next on the betting line at 7/2 is the eastern invader Dr Post, who races for St. Elias Stable and out of the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old Quality Road colt, a winner of four of nine starts and $700,635, will be handled by Joel Rosario, a three-time Del Mar riding champion who now is based in the east.

The others in the lineup for the shore oval's premier summer offering are WinStar Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, et al's Independence Hall, My Racehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician, Hronis Racing's Tripoli, Flawless Racing, Masino Racing Stable, et al's Cupid's Claws, Summer Wind Equine's Magic On Tap and Joe Peacock's Sheriff Brown.

The Pacific Classic will be the highlight of an 11-race card that includes five graded stakes, among them the Grade I Del Mar Oaks and the Grade II Del Mar Handicap.

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MAJOR PLAYERS PUT IN FINAL WORKS FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC

AUG 14 - Summer Wind Equine's Magic On Tap worked five furlongs under jockey Abel Cedillo in 59 seconds flat this morning for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in a final prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic which is now one week away. It was one of five works, at Del Mar and Saratoga, by nominees for the signature event of the summer season.

"It went well. We're running in the Pacific Classic," Baffert said via text of Magic On Tap's exercise.

Working with stablemate Private Mission, who Del Mar clockers also timed in :59 for five furlongs, Magic On Tap completed a series of three workouts since finishing fifth in the Grade II, $250,000 San Diego Handicap on July 17.

A stumble at the start severely compromised the 5-year-old son of Tapit's chances in the 1 1/16-mile San Diego Handicap, the major prep for the 1 ¼-mile Pacific Classic. Magic On Tap had arrived at Del Mar with a record of three victories in six career starts and earnings of $228,800 and was fresh from a win in the Grade II, seven-furlong Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita in May.

Later in the morning, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella sent MyRacehorse or Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician out for a five-furlong work in one minute flat with an interim clocking of :36.20 under exercise rider Austin Solis, the son of retired Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis.

"He looked great. Couldn't be better," Mandella said of the 4-year-old son of Tiznow.

Tizamagician has five wins in 18 career starts and earnings of $427,851. He stamped himself as a Pacific Classic contender by winning the 1 ½-mile, Grade III Cougar II Stakes on July 18.

Perry and Denise Martin's Mo Mosa, trained by Michael Maker, went five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Del Mar under exercise rider Marcelo Medina in a team work with stablemate Fight On. Track clockers recorded splits of :11.2; :23.0; :35.2 and a final quarter in :25.1.

"It was a great work, we were very pleased with it," said Nolan Ramsey, in charge of the Del Mar string for Maker. "We need to speak with the owners. The Pat O'Brien is an option, but it (Pacific Classic) is still on the table for discussion."

Mo Mosa finished fourth -- behind Pacific Classic nominees Express Train, Tripoli and Royal Ship - in the San Diego Handicap shipping in from a stakes victory in May at Lone Star Park in Texas.

Cupid's Claws, owned by Flawless Racing and partners and trained by Craig Dollase, worked five furlongs from the gate at Del Mar in 1:00 under Umberto Rispoli.

"He looked good and he finished up very well," Dollase said. "It's a go for the Pacific Classic."

At Saratoga, Todd Pletcher-trained Dr Post worked four furlongs in :49.22, 27th of 80 at the distance. "We're pleased with his workout and he'll go west," Pletcher said. "He is scheduled to ship on Tuesday."

Pacific Classic nominee The Great One went six furlongs in 1:13.20, but trainer Doug O'Neill said the 3-year-old is more likely to stay in competition with his age group peers in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes on August 29. Trainer Mike McCarthy said Independence Hall, who worked Friday, still has the Charlestown Classic as the main target.

ROCK YOUR WORLD AMONG 15 NOMINATIONS FOR 2021 PACIFIC CLASSIC

AUG 13 - The nomination deadline passed at midnight on Thursday for the five major stakes a week from Saturday. And when the racing office had finished sorting them out this morning, there were 15 horses on the list for the summer season's signature Grade I, $1 million Pacific Classic.

Most were expected. But one not-exactly-expected name figures to generate interest and speculation leading up to next Tuesday's close of entries and post position draw. That would be Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, the connections who notched back-to-back Pacific Classic wins with Accelerate in 2018 and Higher Power in 2019.

Sadler has indicated since the start of the meeting that Rock Your World, a 3-year-old son of Candy Ride, was being targeted for the Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Derby Presented by Caesars Sporsbook on September 4, in what would be a return to turf after three starts on dirt - a victory in the Santa Anita Derby followed by Triple Crown event disappointments in the Kentucky Derby (17th) and Belmont Stakes (6th).

The Pacific Classic has been won by 3-year-olds over older horses five times. Best Pal's victory in the inaugural running in 1991 was followed by General Challenge (1999), Came Home (2002), Dullahan (2012) and Shared Belief (2014). Under race conditions, 3-year-olds carry 118 pounds while older horses tote 124.

Sadler did not immediately respond to a text inquiry regarding Rock Your World but had, earlier in the morning, confirmed another Pacific Class entrant from the stable.

San Diego Handicap runner-up Tripoli went six furlongs in 1:12.80 this morning under exercise rider Cerapio Figueroa to Sadler's satisfaction in a final tune-up for the event.

Sadler said he had the son of Kitten's Joy, a $450,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2018 for Hronis Racing, galloping out to seven furlongs in 1:24.80.

"I was pleased with it, he's set for the Classic," Sadler said. Tiago Pereira, aboard for the 4-year-old colt's last three starts since May, retains the mount.

Tripoli has three wins in 13 career starts and earnings of $211,960. The second-place result in the Grade II, $250,000 San Diego Handicap on July 17, beaten a half-length by Express Train, came in his stakes debut.

Other Pacific Classic nominees, with trainer's name in parentheses are: Chess Chief (Dallas Stewart); Cupid's Claws (Craig Dollase); Dr Post (Todd Pletcher); Express Train (John Shirreffs); Ginobili (Richard Baltas); Independence Hall (Michael McCarthy); Magic On Tap (Bob Baffert); Midcourt (John Shirreffs); Mo Mosa (Mike Maker); Royal Ship (Richard Mandella); Sherriff Brown (Todd Fincher); The Great One (Doug O'Neill), and Tizamagician ( Mandella).

Trainer Pletcher, from his Saratoga headquarters, indicated he's considering the coast-to-coast ship for Dr Post seriously.

"We're going to breeze him Saturday and if we're pleased with that, he's a go," Pletcher said.

The 31st running of the Pacific Classic is for 3-year-olds and up at the classic distance of a mile and one quarter. It is designated as a "Win and You're In" Challenge Race giving its winner a guaranteed all-fees-paid admission to the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 6.

PLETCHER-TRAINED DR POST LIKELY FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC

AUG 12 - Dr Post, a 4-year-old son of Quality Road trained by Todd Pletcher is a strong candidate to ship in from the East Coast to run in the $1 million Pacific Classic a week from Saturday.

Owned by the St. Elias Stable of Vincent Viola, whose sports-related endeavors include ownership of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, Dr Post has four wins in nine career starts and earnings of $700,635.

A $400,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2018, Dr Post ran once as a 2-year-old before going through a five-race campaign in 2020 that featured a victory in the $75,000 Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream Park, runner-up to Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes - run as the first leg of the Triple Crown series - third to Authentic in the Haskell and fourth in the Jim Dandy.

His 2021 campaign has been comprised of wins in two Grade III events - the Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park in May and Monmouth Cup in July - around a fifth in the Metropolitan Mile Handicap in June at Belmont Park. The Pacific Classic will be the first race west of New Jersey for Dr Post, who has been training at Saratoga, and also his first at the 1 ¼-mile distance.

Del Mar vice president, racing and racing secretary David Jerkens said that the first likely confirmation of an out-of-state shipper for the signature event of the summer meeting - trainer Dallas Stewart has shown interest in sending 5-year-old Chess Chief in from Saratoga - was good, but not surprising, news.

"He's been under consideration all along," Jerkens said.

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.