2025 Pacific Classic Contenders at Del Mar

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

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's richest and most prestigious race, the Grade I $1,000,000 Pacific Classic, a Win And You're In for the Breeders' Cup Classic, takes place on Saturday, August 30.

The Pacific Classic will be the centerpiece for a sparkling card offering five graded stakes and more than $2-million in purses, including a pair of Grade 2 features - the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap and the $300,000 Del Mar Mile - both contested on the track's renown Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

"Big Three" Highlight 35th $1-Million Pacific Classic

A field of eight - including three of the top horses in the country - will eye the starter Saturday in a stellar renewal of the $1-million, Grade I Pacific Classic, Del Mar's foremost summer attraction and the high point of an afternoon that will see the shore oval present five Graded stakes races.

The post position draw for the 35th Classic took place Tuesday at The Brigantine Restaurant in Del Mar and saw the slight morning line favorite - Baoma Corp's Nysos - draw Post 4 in the mile and one-quarter headliner.

The two other "exceptional" runners in the field - Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, et al's Journalism (Post 6) and Repole Stable's Fierceness (Post 1) - also were given their starting points for the West's only million-dollar fixture that will go as Race 10 on an 11-race program with a post time of approximately 6 p.m.

Del Mar's morning line maker, John Lies, thought hard before coming up with an odds array that had the Big Three placed like this: Nysos (8/5); Journalism (9/5); Fierceness (3-1).

Nysos, who is trained by Bob Baffert, will be ridden by Flavient Prat. Journalism, conditioned by Michael McCarthy, will be handled by Umberto Rispoli. And Fierceness will have John Velazquez in the irons for trainer Todd Pletcher.

First post Saturday will go at 1:30 p.m.

JOURNALISM, FIERCENESS OPT IN FOR G1 PACIFIC CLASSIC

August 24 - It's the matchup everyone was hoping for and it will play out next Saturday, August 30 in the 34th running of the $1-million, G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Preakness and Haskell winner Journalism against last year's Travers winner Fierceness and trainer Bob Baffert's rising star Nysos. All have the green light for next weekend's race.

Speaking on KLAA's Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show Sunday morning primary owner Aron Wellman said Journalism is "all set to go," adding that the colt came out of his work Saturday morning in good order and "he cleaned up real good," meaning he emptied the feed tub last night.

"He's looking for a fight so we're going to put him in the ring," Wellman added.

Journalism last ran in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park five weeks ago, winning the race with another gutsy, come-from-behind performance further endearing himself to race fans across the country. Trainer Michael McCarthy brought the son of Curlin back to Del Mar days after the race and rested him for a couple of weeks before putting three solid works into the colt over the past three Saturday's.

Fierceness is also in the Pacific Classic. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning that the son of City of Light will ship out this coming week.

"He's scheduled to fly out on Wednesday," Pletcher noted. "He'll gallop a couple of days at Del Mar and then run."

Pletcher gave a couple of factors involved in the decision to bring Fierceness out west.

"He's doing very well," Pletcher indicated. "He's in good form. He ran very well in the Breeders' Cup Classic there (at Del Mar) last year. Mindframe has been pointing for the Jockey Club Gold Cup (next Sunday) and we'd like to keep the stablemates split apart if we can, and we like the timing from the Pacific Classic to the Breeders' Cup Classic more than we like waiting for the Woodward or the Lukas Classic on the 27th of September."

The Breeders' Cup Classic is at Del Mar on November 1.

Nysos has been pointing to the Pacific Classic since his impressive win in the G2 San Diego at Del Mar last month. The stunning 4-year-old son of Nyquist is a neck away from being undefeated in his six lifetime starts. His only loss came to Mindframe in the G1 Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day when he just missed in a four-horse blanket finish, his first race in over a year. Mindframe came back and won the G1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs at the end of June.

Also moving off of the 'Possibles' list to the 'Probables" for the Pacific Classic is Indispensable from the John Sadler barn. The 4-year-old son of Constitution is coming off a win in an entry-level allowance race at Del Mar last month which led Sadler into entering the colt into the Pacific Classic.

"He's run three times here (at Del Mar)," Sadler points out. "Two wins and a second and he seems to run his best races here. He got a good rating the other day when he won so we'll step him up in class and see how he does."

Sadler entered a horse coming off of an entry-level allowance win in the Classic last year and nearly won it. Full Serrano missed by a half a length in a game runner-up finish to longshot Mixto.

PACIFIC CLASSIC NOMINATIONS CLOSE, JOURNALISM ON THE LIST

August 22 - Nominations for the 34th running of the G1 Pacific Classic closed at midnight last night. The race on August 30 is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Ten horses were nominated to Del Mar's marquee race including Preakness and Haskell winner Journalism. The son of Curlin is scheduled to work Saturday morning after which trainer Mike McCarthy and primary owner Aron Wellman are expected to announce whether they will run in the Classic, or wait for another race.

Fierceness, last year's G1 Travers winner, was also on the nomination list. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of City of Light, is also nominated for the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on August 31. Friday morning owner Mike Repole put out a tweet asking fellow tweeters to help him make the decision whether to run Fierceness in the Pacific Classic or the Gold Cup to which Del Mar responded with a tweet of a picture of the beach.

The probables for the Pacific Classic remain Nysos, Mirahmadi, Midnight Mammoth and Tarantino. Also on the list of nominees were John Sadler's Indispensable, Mark Glatt's Ultimate Gamble, and Lure Him In from the Sam Wilensky barn.

Baeza, the runner-up in the G2 Jim Dandy and third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, is also on the list of nominees. But unless trainer John Shirreffs has a change of heart, the colt is expected to wait and run in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 20.

Another glaring but expected absence from the list of nominees was White Abarrio. The 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner initially targeted the Pacific Classic only to have trainer Saffie Joseph and the connections pull the plug a week ago and opt to stay back east to run in the Gold Cup.

Entries for the Pacific Classic will be drawn Tuesday, August 26.

2025 PACIFIC CLASSIC PREVIEW: QUESTIONS ABOUND TWO WEEKS OUT

August 17 - Usually by this time every year we have a pretty good idea of who plans to run in the G1 Pacific Classic. But this year, for one reason or another, trainers and owners are holding back and waiting.

One theory has everyone waiting for the connections of Journalism to make their decision of what they're going to do with their Preakness and Haskell winner. If he goes in the Pacific Classic, some may choose to dodge him and go somewhere else. If he doesn't go, speculation has many connections jumping in to try to get a piece of the $1 million pie.

"Still a lot to be determined," racing secretary David Jerkens contends. "Nominations close next Thursday in addition to a bunch of other stakes. We received the news about White Abarrio and we're planning on Nysos."

Nyso's is a 4-year-old colt out of the Bob Baffert barn. The son of Nyquist has been pointing to the Pacific Classic ever since his win in the G2 San Diego last month. He worked Saturday at Del Mar and drilled seven furlongs in 1:24.60.

Reports had White Abarrio making the trip out West to run in the Pacific Classic then staying in California and prepping for the Breeders' Cup Classic. But now it's not such a sure thing. This week came word from the Saffie Joseph camp that they may stay in New York and run in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on August 31.

The 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner fired a bullet work, going four furlongs in :47.40 at Saratoga on Thursday.

So for now, four horses are considered probables. Nysos and his stablemate Mirahmadi, Craig Dollase's Midnight Mammoth and Indispensable from the John Sadler barn, which raced last year's Pacific Classic runner-up Full Serrano.

Possibles for the Pacific Classic are Malarchuk, a new stablemate of Journalism's in the Michael McCarthy barn; Ultimate Gamble from the Mark Glatt stable; White Abarrio, Journalism and trainer Peter Eurton's Tarantino, though Eurton said Saturday he's still considering an invitation he received for the Korea Cup next month.

"We'll see where the 3-year-olds land," Jerkens says. "There are a lot of options around the country for all categories this time of year. We've reached out to anybody that has a decent older handicap-type horse. The picture will start to get clearer in the next couple of days."

McCarthy and primary owner Aron Wellman look like they'll remain on the fence at least through next weekend. One option for Journalism, obviously, is the Pacific Classic on August 30. It would be the colt's first venture against older horses but it should be noted that six 3-year-olds have won the Pacific Classic in the past. It's a'`Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Classic but Journalism already punched his ticket to the big race when he won the Haskell at Monmouth Park last month.

The other option for the Derby and Belmont Stakes runner up would be waiting for the G1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita on September 27. Next week's scheduled breeze for Journalism is expected to give McCarthy and Wellman a better idea of whether they want to run twice before the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November, or just once.

All of the probables for the Pacific Classic worked this week, all but one at Del Mar. Mirahmadi galloped on Sunday and is expected to work Monday. Indispensable drilled six furlongs on Saturday, stopping the clock at 1:13.60. Midnight Mammoth put in a one mile work in 1:40.20 Sunday at Los Alamitos.

From the group of possibles to work this week, Journalism went four furlongs in :48.00 Saturday at Del Mar. Ultimate Gamble also breezed Saturday at the seaside oval, going five furlongs in :59.60. Tarantino fired a bullet four furlongs in :47.00 at Del Mar on Friday.

The G1 Pacific Classic is part of a must-see day of stakes racing at Del Mar on August 30. Also on the card are the G2 Del Mar Handicap, the G2 Del Mar Mile, the G3 Green Flash, and the G3 Torrey Pines.

2025 PACIFIC CLASSIC PREVIEW: THREE WEEKS TO DEL MAR'S MARQUEE RACE

August 10 - We are now less than three weeks away from the 35th running of the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and the list of contenders is beginning to grow. In the game of horse racing, nothing is official until the horse actually steps into the gate but the Classic is as good as done when the racing office draws the entries the Tuesday before the race.

Trainers will nominate horses to the race weeks in advance but that could mean anything from definitely pointing to the race to keeping it an option. Nominations for the Classic close Thursday, August 21.

So any list at this point in time is filled with fact mixed with rumors, conjecture and a small dose of wishful thinking.

That being said, there are a couple of horses that trainers have indicated are being pointed toward the $1 million race on Saturday, August 30 beginning with one trainer who doesn't make it a habit to reveal his intentions weeks in advance. But Bob Baffert has been quoted several times as saying his G2 San Diego Handicap winner Nysos will run in the Pacific Classic.

He's also mentioned Mirahmadi as a possibility for the mile and a quarter race that's a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar.

Trainer John Shirreffs has mentioned running the veteran Express Train in the Classic, though he's also considering the 8-year old for the G2 Pat O'Brien the week before.

The Pat O'Brien on Saturday August 23 is seven furlongs, shorter than what Express Train has been running for most of his career, but not unprecedented.

"He ran really well going short when I ran him first off the layoff," Shirreffs notes referring to his third-place finish in the Kona Gold at Santa Anita in 2024, Express Train's first race in 19 months.

Shirreffs says he'll make a decision after Express Train's next work, which should be next week. He breezed Thursday (4f, :49.00), his first work since running third in the San Diego.

Shirreffs' other star in the stable, Baeza, also breezed four furlongs Thursday (4f, :48.00), his first work since returning from New York after his runner-up finish to Sovereignty in the G2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga. The G1 Travers had been mentioned as a possible next race for the son of McKinzie but now Shirreffs says he is not going back to New York with the colt.

"He had his first breeze yesterday and he looked good," Shirreffs says. "We'll tell more after his next breeze."

Various reports have Shirreffs considering the Pacific Classic or staying with his own age group in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September.

Another horse reportedly pointing to the Pacific Classic is 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio. Trainer Saffie Joseph made that announcement last week.

Also mentioned as possible contenders for the Classic are Mark Glatt's Judge Miller and Ultimate Gamble and Craig Dollase's Midnight Mammoth, winner of last year's G3 Cougar II at Del Mar.

Of course everyone is keeping an eye out and an ear open for any word from the Michael McCarthy barn about his super horse, Journalism, who put in his first work Saturday since his win in the Haskell last month.

The connections for the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes runner-up -- and winner of the Preakness -- have been weighing their options between staying home and running in the Pacific Classic or shipping back east for the G1 Travers at Saratoga. We should learn more next weekend when they put another work into Journalism.

Two horses that had been rumored heading to the Classic are no longer under consideration. Full Serrano, who came within yards of winning last year's Pacific Classic before getting rundown by Mixto, will not make the big race. He worked Sunday morning for trainer John Sadler.

"He went a minute and went beautiful," Sadler notes. "We're going to look for something late in the meet."

He added a definitive 'no' when asked about the Pacific Classic.

Tarantino was also in the rumor mill heading to the Classic but trainer Peter Eurton says he might go back east to the Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on August 22 or to the Far East to South Korea for the Korea Cup. Eurton says they've received an invitation to that big race on September 7.

Pacific Classic Next for Journalism?

July 24 - With his latest venture to the East Coast a winning one, Journalism is back home, arriving at trainer Michael McCarthy's barn at Del Mar Tuesday evening. Now it's a waiting game as the colt recuperates from his latest trip and the racing world awaits a decision on where he will run next.

He took a spin around the main track Thursday morning, stretching his legs a bit.

"Look's like he's doing very well," McCarthy reports. "No plans yet. Just keeping everything on the table."

Meanwhile, it's business - almost as usual for his conditioner.

The first half of 2025 has been anything but normal for McCarthy. It began with the lowest of lows when he and his family were displaced by the Eaton wildfire in Altadena (about 15 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles) in January. The fire got to within 600 feet of his home, which sustained significant smoke damage. Many of his neighbors were not so lucky.

Things improved dramatically over the next few months for the 54-year-old trainer when his 3-year-old colt by Nyquist took him down the Derby Trail and provided him with a return trip to the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

Journalism would finish second that day. But while the winner, Sovereignty, was bypassing the 2025 Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown, McCarthy took his charge to Pimlico and he did not disappoint. Though it wasn't the easiest of trips, Journalism muscled out of trouble and won the race, setting up another showdown with Sovereignty in the 2025 Belmont Stakes.

The result in New York was the same as the Derby, but Journalism still put-in a commendable effort and McCarthy returns to Del Mar this summer with a nice bit of momentum. Journalism's impressive tally in the $1-million Haskell Stakes last Saturday on the Jersey Shore surely was a big part of that.

"I don't know if it's changed me a whole lot," McCarthy says of his recent success, "or changed the way we do things. But it has brought a little more light to what we're doing and it certainly opens avenues for new business."

"It's a little bit different because it's more on the national level with him," McCarthy continues. "It's the Triple Crown and people are dialed in. So, it's brought a little more attention. You keep at it every day, you do the same things every day. We're fortunate enough to have a wonderful horse like him behind one of our webbings."

McCarthy was well prepared for the spotlight, having spent over a decade as an assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher.

"Everything we do here is basically what I was exposed to during my time working for Todd," McCarthy confides. "Going through Triple Crowns, going through Breeders' Cups, the prep races and all these types of things. So it was nothing new for us. There were no first-time jitters or 'I wonder how this is going to be' because you've been exposed to it multiple times. I've been in the paddock with 20 runners, been all over the country for multiple prep races.

"We're fortunate enough to be in California and stay at one place for the winter," McCarthy adds. "It worked out wonderfully for Journalism. The only thing that was different about being at Churchill Downs was inclement weather for 48-hours leading up to the Derby, which we don't get to partake in here. When it rains here we're not allowed to train and the track is sealed."

So now, the $1-million question. The $1-million dollar Pacific Classic question. Will he run Journalism in Del Mar's marquee race at the end of next month? McCarthy says all of the options are open.

"At some stage you're going to have to run against older (horses)," McCarthy concedes. "But there's a lot of lucrative purses throughout the country for straight 3-year-olds. The one drawback is having to put a horse like him on a plane."

McCarthy got back to the West Coast and Del Mar ahead of Journalism. In time for the races Sunday hours after winning the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

"Scheduling-wise we thought the Haskell just made a lot of sense," McCarthy notes. "It's an easy ship. Fly into Newark and go straight to Monmouth Park. With the lack of a real equine freight service, it's difficult to get horses to certain locales. Saratoga is one of them. Fed Ex only goes so far."

Hmmm. Sort of sounds like a reason to stay home and prep for the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

OffTrackBetting.com - US Legal Del Mar OTB is a great way to bet the Pacific Classic from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Available to customers across the United States, OTB features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing from major racing venues in the US as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.

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 seven times, most recently with Arabian Knight 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.