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.

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.