Dr. Venkman © Benoit Photo
PACIFIC CLASSIC COUNTDOWN: WORKS GET SERIOUS THREE WEEKS OUT
The G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic is three weeks away and many of the horses gearing up for the big race showed up on the worktab this week. Meanwhile, one of the horses mentioned as a possible participant has been shipped back east and the defending champion is a huge question mark.
Subsanador, one of two Argentine-breds thought to be headed to the Pacific Classic, will instead run in the G3 Iselin at Monmouth Park next Saturday. That’s according to trainer Richard Mandella.
And Arabian Knight is no longer a ‘definite’ to defend his crown on August 31. Last year’s Pacific Classic winner finished fourth in his 2024 debut in the G2 San Diego last month.
“He’s doing fine,” trainer Bob Baffert says, “but I don’t know what I’m going to run in the Pacific Classic.”
Parenting, Newgate and Reincarnate, all from the Baffert barn, have been mentioned as possible runners in the Pacific Classic. Reincarnate was runner-up to Midnight Mammoth in the G3 Cougar II. The son of Good Magic put in a five-furlong work Saturday, stopping the clock at 1:01.4.
Newgate hasn’t raced since returning from the Middle East where he ran ninth in the Dubai World Cup. He returned to the work tab Friday, posting a three-furlong bullet in :36.40, the best of eight works at the distance.
Parenting, a 3-year-old son of Justify, is undefeated after three career starts. He won the $100,000 Affirmed at Santa Anita in June. Then he got sick prior to shipping back east where he was supposed to start in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park. He rebounded nicely winning a second level allowance at Del Mar at the end of last month (7-28).
Other ‘probables’ for Del Mar’s marquee race of the summer meet all put in works this week.
Dr. Venkman worked Saturday on the main track going four furlongs in :47.60, ninth best of 92 workers at that distance. It was his first work since his victory in the G2 San Diego last month. Trainer Mark Glatt indicated he was pleased with the work and is pointing to the Pacific Classic.
Katonah, runner-up in the San Diego, is also being pointed to the big race. He put in his first work since the San Diego on Saturday going four furlongs in :47.40, sixth best of 92 runners at the distance. Trainer Doug O’Neill is very high on this gelding, especially after his strong showing off of a one-year layoff.
Midnight Mammoth is pointing to the Classic off of his victory in the G3 Cougar II. Trainer Craig Dollase worked the son of Midnight Lute on Saturday, going four furlongs in :48.00, 19th best of 92 runners.
Express Train is another probable participant off of his third-place finish in the San Diego, coming from last place to grab third in the closing stages of the race.
“He came out of the race fine,” trainer John Shirreffs says, “I thought he ran a credible race and we’re looking forward to the next one.”
The Pacific Classic would be Express Train’s third start off of a year and a half layoff. The son of Union Rags put in his first work since the San Diego, going four furlongs in :51.20 on Friday.
Trainer John Sadler is still uncommitted to running Full Serrano in the Classic. The Argentine-bred gave an impressive performance when he won an entry level allowance at Del Mar last month.
“He came out of the race well,” Sadler says. “We’ll start to breeze him back next week and look for something here, whether it’s that (the Pacific Classic) or not, we haven’t decided.”
While no horses specifically have been mentioned, officials are hoping they will receive one or two nominations from connections outside of Southern California by the time nominations close a week from Thursday.
The G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic is part of a five stakes day at Del Mar on August 31.
G1 DEL MAR OAKS HIGHLIGHTS NEXT WEEK’S STAKES ACTION
Three more stakes races are on the agenda for next week highlighted by the 68th running of the G1 Del Mar Oaks presented by Keeneland Sales.
Sixteen 3-year-old fillies have been nominated for the Oaks, including the top six finishers in last month’s G2 San Clemente. There are also three invaders on the list of nominees. Buchu from the Philip Bauer barn in Kentucky; Whiskey Decision out of Arnaud Delacour’s Kentucky stable, and the Christophe Clement trainee Style Points.
Last year’s winner of the Del Mar Oaks, Anisette, came back Saturday and won the G2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar.
The stakes action begins this Friday with the 27th running of the $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes, one of the longest races of the summer meet, a mile and three-eighths turf event. Twelve fillies and mares have been nominated for the race including Linda’s Gift from the Richard Mandella barn, winner of last fall’s G3 Red Carpet at Del Mar.
Sunday’s feature is the 31st running of the $150,000 Solana Beach for Cal-bred fillies and mares. Eighteen have been nominated for the one mile turf test including Connie Swingle, last month’s winner of the $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap, her first race in over a year and a half.
YOUNG RIDER MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF AT DEL MAR
Armando Ayuso has been flying under the radar for most of his riding career. He has always been a talented rider, one who can win races at a decent clip. But for the first time in his 12 years as a jockey in the U.S., nine if you don’t count his hiatus from racing in the late 2010’s, people are starting to take notice.
Ayuso has earned the reputation of being a good, confident rider and this summer he posted his first graded stakes win when he rode Midnight Mammoth to victory in the G3 Cougar II at Del Mar.
“He’s very confident,” trainer Craig Dollase says of Ayuso. “He’s been asking me for this horse (Midnight Mammoth) for a while and when Tyler Baze broke his hand, he stepped in. Armando’s done a great job. He knows the horse. He was on him when he broke his maiden. He’s come out and rode him with so much confidence each and every time and the horse feels that confidence.”
The 30-year old rider first came to the States in 2012 and rode primarily on the East Coast.
“My first ride was at Belmont Park,” Ayuso says. “I rode at Monmouth Park for three years. I was a bug boy and did really good my first year. I was fourth in the standings behind Joe Bravo, Elvis Trujillo and Paco Lopez.”
He moved out west and rode at Santa Anita in 2016 but then stopped riding.
“I had some personal problems, I was no good here,” Ayuso says pointing to his head. “I lost my papers too so I was working on that and when I got my papers I started riding again and I’m good now.”
Ayuso came back in 2021 at Golden Gate Fields and the following year rode his first summer meet at Del Mar. Now he sits in the Top Ten in the jockey standings with seven wins through Saturday’s racing.
“I love Del Mar,” Ayuso notes. “It’s competitive. They have cool horses here all the time. It’s always safe to run the horses here. For two years I was back and forth, back and forth but now I’m just staying here. I get a little more business now. It’s a lot better for me.”
Ayuso was born and raised in Panama, but unlike many of the riders in the jockey’s room at Del Mar, he wasn’t raised around horses.
“Nobody in my family rode horses,” Ayuso recalls. “One day my uncle, who liked to bet the horses, asked me if I wanted to go to the track. I liked it. I liked how they looked and how they were riding and I said ‘I want to be a jockey.’”
Apparently what Armando Ayuso sets his mind to, he gets done but it wasn’t easy at the beginning.
“I remember thinking I was never going to learn,” Ayuso admits. “I was so scared of horses at first and it was so hard for me. I had never ridden horses before. The first time was at the track. I was 14.”
He graduated to racing when he was 16 years old because in Panama you can race-ride at that young of an age unlike in the U.S. where you have to be 18. Suffice it to say Ayuso is no longer afraid of horses.
“Now, I love horses,” he says. “I feel real good, really healthy. Everything is better. When people start congratulating you and helping you it’s amazing. You feel real good.”
COOLING OUT: Anisette came out of her win in the G2 Yellow Ribbon in good order. Trainer Leonard Powell says the ultimate goal will be the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November with one or possibly two preps between now and then. He mentioned Del Mar’s G2 John C. Mabee on September 7 as a possibility…Nooni is fine after her victory in the G3 Sorrento Stakes Saturday. Trainer Bob Baffert says he will target the G1 Debutante on September 7 for Nooni’s next race…Tamara, the top Juvenile Filly of last year’s Del Mar summer meet, is back jogging again. She’s been battling leg issues since the Breeders’ Cup last year. Trainer Richard Mandella says we will not see the daughter of Beholder at Del Mar this summer but hopefully “in November”…Jockey Juan Hernandez padded his lead in the Del Mar Jockey standings with a three-win day on Saturday, including the G3 Sorrento aboard Nooni. Trainer Jeff Mullins also scored a hat trick with My Summer Dream in the second race, Nesso’s Lastharrah in the fourth and Queen Maxima in the nightcap… Jockey Hector Berrios is back east riding on Arlington Million Day at Colonial Downs. Berrios is riding Nadette for trainer Neil Drysdale in the G2 Beverly D…A reminder about tonight’s Jockey Karaoke at the Belly Up Tavern to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund. Many from the Del Mar jockey colony will be performing. The festivities begin at 8 p.m…Notable works for Sunday: - Anarchist (4f, :47.40); Speed Boat Beach (4f, :48.80); Arabian Knight (5f, 1:00.40); Happy Jack (5f, 1:00.20); Nothing Like You (5f, :59.80) and Prince of Monaco (5f, :59.80). Turf – Connie Swingle (4f, :49.20); Gold Phoenix (4f, :50.60); Ag Bullet (5f, :59.80); Iscreamuscream (5f, 1:02.00); Master Piece (5f, 1:00.60); Zona Verde (5f, 1:02.60), and Planetario (6f, 1:15.00). 293 horses put in official works at Del Mar on Sunday, 256 on the main track, 37 on the turf.