Accelerate © Benoit Photo

DAY 25

ACCELERATE PERFORMANCE REVERBERATES ON THE MORNING AFTER

In the post-race press conference Saturday evening for the  $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, Accelerate trainer John Sadler was asked what it meant to win the signature event of the Del Mar summer meeting.

“A lot,” was Sadler’s no-nonsense answer. Then he went on to expand a little.

“I’ve been training in Southern California my whole career and to win this, the big race of the summer down here is a exciting,” Sadler said.  “We’ve been second and third a few times, so it’s fun to get the win today.”

Sadler, 62, took out his training license in 1978 and won his first race in 1979. He’d won million-dollar races ($2 million Golden Shaheen, $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic) and lots of other stakes – 62 at Del Mar -- before Saturday. But when it came to the Pacific Classic, Sadler was 0-for-11 with two seconds and two thirds.

Then Accelerate changed everything. The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lookin at Lucky showed his heels to six rivals rounding the far turn and the closest view that runner-up Pavel had was from 12 ½ lengths away as Accelerate and jockey Joel Rosario crossed under the wire. The margin of victory was a Classic record, bettering the 8 ½ of Game On Dude in 2013.

“Wow,” Sadler said when informed at the press conference. “I knew it was a lot, but I hadn’t heard the official.”

The Pacific Classic is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November, the goal for Accelerate and every other horse of accomplishment in the handicap division. Sadler said the plan would be one prep race at Santa Anita and then on to Kentucky.

In a 20-start career, which has now produced earnings of more than $2 million, Accelerate has only raced once outside of California. In it, he was second to City of Light in the Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas.

Not a worry to Sadler.

“Southern California horses have done well at Churchill Downs,” Sadler said. “And the thing we’re going to feel good about with this horse is that he won the Santa Anita Handicap on a muddy track. You go back to Kentucky in the fall and there’s about a 50-50 chance you're going to get weather and some kind of off track.”

All the Pacific Classic horses appeared to come out of the race in good shape. Trainer Doug O’Neill may have spoken for all when he commented on the effort of runner-up Pavel.

“He ran an excellent race, but he was up against a freak,” O’Neill said. “Accelerate was super.”

CATALINA CRUISER TARGETED FOR SATURDAY’S PAT O’BRIEN

San Diego Handicap winner Catalina Cruiser will be entered in Saturday’s   Grade II $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes, trainer John Sadler announced Sunday morning. The decision for a second race here, over options out of state, gives the O’Brien “race of the meeting” potential if enough of the stars nominated make the starting gate.

Among the nominees are defending Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Roy H, 2017-18 Bing Crosby Stakes winner Ransom the Moon and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Battle of Midway in addition to Catalina Cruiser, who made the San Diego Handicap his third win in as many starts by combined margins of 11 ¼ lengths.

The Pat O’Brien is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Entries will close and post positions drawn on Wednesday.

D’AMATO WILL EXPLORE OPTIONS WITH ‘CUP BOUND FASHION BUSINESS

Saturday’s $250,000 Grade II Del Mar Handicap was a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Churchill Downs.

And the victory by Fashion Business, as part of a 1-2 finish with stablemate Ya Gotta Wanna, put trainer Phil D’Amato in a comfortable place regarding the 4-year-old English-bred’s next start.

“He came back in really good order,” D’Amato said Sunday morning.  “We’ve got the Breeders’ Cup Turf ticket already, so we’re just going to work backwards from there. Maybe give him one more prep, maybe not.

“Our probabilities of running would be in the John Henry at Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup or just go straight to the Breeders’ Cup.

“When we go (to Churchill Downs) would depend on the weather. We’ll look at the long-term forecast and see which place has the best weather and then go accordingly.”

FATALE BERE QUIETLY SAVORS VICTORY IN GRADE I DEL MAR OAKS

Sunday morning, the French-bred filly Fatale Bere looked to a casual observer like a horse that had given an all-out performance a day earlier – which she had in a neck victory in the Grade I $250,000 Del Mar Oaks.

Her head was out over the webbing of her stall, her eyes almost closed, and she was still as a statue.

“She’s always like that,” trainer Leonard Powell said. “She’s very quiet in the stall. She saves it (energy) for when she’s on the track. She’s very different when she goes to the track. She’s quite tough to train there, but in the barn she is very mellow.”

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the filly Powell scouted and privately purchased a year ago in France rebounded from a pair of off-the-board efforts in stakes on opposite coasts and rallied from eighth in a field of 12 with three-eighths of a mile to go to edged favored Ollie’s Candy.

“This (Oaks) was the goal for the summer,” Powell said. “Mission accomplished. There’s a race at Santa Anita against older horses, the Rodeo Drive. The other option would be to go to Keeneland for the Queen Elizabeth II against 3-year-old fillies in October and later on there’s the American Oaks at Santa Anita.

“We’ll give her plenty of time between races and do what’s best for her.”

ACCELERATE GIVES HRONIS RACING CLEAR LEAD IN OWNER STANDINGS

With Accelerate’s Pacific Classic victory delivering the second of a 1-2 punch –following Catalina Cruiser’s San Diego Handicap score in July -- Hronis Racing LLC of brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis is well positioned for a fourth owner title in the last six summer meetings.

Through Saturday’s 24^th day of the 36-day meeting, Hronis Racing LLC had seven wins from 32 starts and earnings of $985,524. Reddam Racing LLC of owner J. Paul Reddam was second for earnings with $532,715.

The Hronis brothers were the leading owners here in 2013, ’14 and ’17. Reddam prevailed in 2015.

Money was not primary in the thoughts of the Hronis Brothers on Saturday evening right after Accelerate’s victory that completed a sweep of the three biggest handicap division events in California – the Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup and Pacific Classic.

“That’s such an honor,” Kosta Hronis said of the sweep.  “For him to be in a position to attempt to do that was wonderful. That he actually pulled it off is great.”

Accelerate joined Lava Man (2006) and Game On Dude (2013) to accomplish the feat in the same year.

“We don’t get to see a lot of 5-year-old horses anymore. So this was great that he was able to stay on the track for another year and really mature and get better, and that’s what he has done,” Hronis said.

“ I’m so happy for John Sadler. This is his first Pacific Classic win and for this horse to be a part of it is such an honor. We’re happy for us, of course, but we’re so happy for John. He’s done so much and he’s meant so much to us. He’s more than a trainer. He’s trained the horses and he’s trained us. We had no idea about the horse racing business when we got involved in 2010. We thought we knew something. We knew nothing.”

One thing they’ve obviously learned is the benefits of Golden State racing.

“We love California,” Hronis said. “Santa Anita and Del Mar. We have opportunities to race out of town, but if there’s a race here, we’re going to be here.”

ROSARIO HAS A BIG IMPACT ON DAY ONE OF HIS DEL MAR RETURN

Jockey Joel Rosario won Del Mar riding titles from 2009-11 before moving to New York, becoming a force there, and making only occasional returns here for stakes assignments.

Saturday, the 33-year-old native of the Dominican Republic had four wins and a second in eight mounts on the Pacific Classic Day program and won the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on Accelerate for trainer John Sadler.

Rosario won the first with Splashy Kisses ($16.20), the fourth with Secretary At War ($7.20), the ninth with Game Winner ($5.80) and the Pacific Classic with the shortest-priced favorite ($2.80) in the 28-year history of the race.

“The break was fine. He took a little time, but then I was in a good spot right away. “ Rosario said of Accelerate in the Classic. “I thought we would be second or third and he was very comfortable there. I asked him a little bit and he just ran right away from the leaders. He’s the kind of horse that once he gets going you have to ride him a little bit to make sure he keeps his momentum.”

Rosario was actually a replacement on Accelerate for injured Hall of Fame rider Victor Espinoza.

“Since I’ve known John (Sadler) he has given me a lot of opportunities,” Rosario said. “He called me and asked if I would ride him. Coming back here is like coming home for me.”

Rosario has four scheduled mounts on Sunday’s card.

UNIQUE BELLA ‘DOING FINE’ AFTER INJURY FORCES RETIREMENT

Clement L. Hirsch winner Unique Bella was in her outdoor pen at Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s stable area Sunday morning. And all seemed normal, except for the cast-like bandage on her right front foot.

Following a workout Saturday morning,  a “chip” was discovered in her sesamoid bone and the career winner of nine victories in 12 starts with earnings of more than $1.2 million was retired.

“She’s doing fine,” Hollendorfer said. “She couldn’t have done any better than what she did as far as the barn is concerned and we enjoyed training her every minute that she was here.”

Arrangements for Unique Bella to be moved from Del Mar are still in the offing, according to Hollendorfer.

CLOSERS – Selected works from 190 on dirt and 26 on turf officially timed Sunday morning: Dirt – Giant Expectations (3f, :36.80), Abel Tasman (5f, 1:01.00), Fahan Mura (5f, 1:02.80), Vale Dori (5f, 1:01.00), Marley’s Freedom (6f, 1:13.00); Turf – Cambodia (4f, :49.00), River Boyne (4f, :50.80) and Blended Citizen (5f, 1:03.00) … A one-day Del Mar record (excluding the Breeders’ Cup) handle of $25,969,128 was established on Pacific Classic Day’s 11-race program, eclipsing the $25,126,232 on Pacific Classic Day in 2016 .. Kevin McFarland of Solana Beach earned $20,000 in prizes as winner of the $50,000 Pacific Classic Betting Challenge. David Snyder of Mission Viejo was second and Tyler Hoffman from San Gabriel third … Carlsbad resident and retired Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone is in Saratoga, N.Y., today among those featured in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Women in Racing Symposium.

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 18, 2018 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 18, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Saturday, August 18, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 70 out of 209 -- 33.49%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 50 out of 129 -- 38.76%

Winning favorites on turf -- 20 out of 80 -- 25.00%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 19 out of 31 -- 61.29%

In-the-Money favorites -- 148 out of 209 -- 70.81%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 30 out of 31 -- 96.77%