Adare Manor © Benoit Photo

ADARE MANOR BATTLES THE BOYS IN FANDUEL RACING PACIFIC CLASSIC

There’s are very few things capable of lifting the significance of a horse race more than having one of the girls run against the boys. In recent weeks we’ve seen a filly, Caitlinhergrtness, win the King’s Plate up at Woodbine, Canada’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby. We saw Thorpedo Anna just miss in the G1 Travers last weekend in a race many are comparing to Zenyatta’s near miss against Blame in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2010. She just ran out of room.

Now, trainer Bob Baffert will send his super mare, Adare Manor, in the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic this Saturday at Del Mar. It’s the 34th running of Del Mar’s marquee race. Nine horses are entered in the 1 ¼ mile test with a $1 million purse. 

Baffert first raised the idea of starting Adare Manor in the Pacific Classic after she won the G1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar earlier this month.

“After she won that race I thought ‘We’ll just see’,” Baffert recalls. “Leave it open. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to talk myself into it. If she’s training well maybe I’ll put her in there. She worked well. I was looking for a reason not to run her but she’s doing well.”

Only one other mare has ever won the Pacific Classic. Beholder crushed the boys in the 2015 edition, winning by 8 ¼ lengths. She came back the following year and ran second to two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. She’s one of five fillies and mares to take a shot in the Classic, including the great Paseana in 1992. Owner Michael Lund Petersen was all in on the idea of running Adare Manor against the boys in the Pacific Classic.

“He leaves it up to me,” Baffert says. “Michael Lund is a real sports guy. I explained to him the reasons why I was thinking about doing it. Then the filly that she beat (Scylla) came back and ran second in a Grade one (the Ballerina at Saratoga) Saturday. It was a legitimate Grade one.”

Adare Manor, a daughter of Uncle Mo and winner of three graded stakes this year, including the G1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in April, has never run a mile and a quarter race. But that doesn’t concern Baffert who added the recent success of the fillies and mares against the boys had nothing to do with the decision to run her in the Pacific Classic this weekend.

The ‘other’ Baffert horse in the Classic will be Reincarnate, runner-up in his last two races, the G2 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on Memorial Day and the G3 Cougar II at Del Mar last month.

“He’s doing great, he’s good,” Baffert notes. “You can throw out that last race. He just didn’t run his race. He always shows up and he runs hard.”

Reincarnate has fired bullets in his last two works on the Del Mar main track.

Dr. Venkman is expected to give Adare Manor plenty to handle on Saturday. The son of Ghostzapper won the G2 San Diego Handicap, the local prep for the Pacific Classic. It was his first race around two turns after opening a lot of eyes with some impressive sprint races.

“You want to work your way up to a route,” trainer Mark Glatt says. “He was certainly very effective sprinting and you’re always a little bit on edge to make a change if they’re running so well, which he had done early on in his career. We always thought after this layoff, the sooner we got him going farther the better he might get. I think we kind of proved that in the San Diego. We’ll see if the mile and a quarter is within his wheel house. I think it will be.”

Dr. Venkman will break from the number three post position.

“I would have rather have drawn a little farther outside,” Glatt concedes. “It’s not the one. Antonio (Fresu) will just have to figure out a trip.”

Dr. Venkman has five lifetime starts and finished first or second in all five. 

The G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic will go off as the 10th race on the 11-race card Saturday. Probable post is 6 p.m. It’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2. 

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Il Miracola (Mike Smith, 8-1); There Goes Harvard (Hector I. Berrios, 20-1); Dr. Venkman (5/2); Reincarnate (Kazushi Kimura, 20-1); Katonah (Tiago Pereira, 8-1); Full Serrano (Reylu Gutierrez, 5-1); Adare Manor (Juan Hernandez, 9/5); None Above the Law (Jeremy Laprida, 15-1), and Mixto (Kyle Frey, 12-1).

DU JOUR LOOKS TO REBOUND, REPEAT IN G2 DEL MAR MILE

Three of the five stakes races on Pacific Classic Day will be run on the grass, including the G2 Del Mar Mile which closes out a tremendous day of racing at Del Mar Saturday. Last year’s winner, Du Jour, is back for this year’s edition. He was last seen running sixth in the G2 Eddie Read on July 28. Before that he ran third in the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita. Both races were won by Johannes, a veritable win machine out of the Tim Yakteen barn.

There is no Johannes in the Del Mar Mile.

“I was a little disappointed in his last out,“ Baffert says of Du Jour. “He just didn’t bring his ‘A’ game but he’s come back and trained well for us so I think he’ll run well.”

Before the run in the Shoemaker, Du Jour had won three of his last four races, the only loss coming in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He had won the $100,000 Wickerr and the Del Mar Mile last summer and then the G1 Kilroe Mile to start his 2024 campaign.

It’s a salty group of runners going in the Mile. This year’s Wickerr Stakes winner First Peace, the son of Funtastic, had been knocking on the door all year, with runner up finishes in the G3 Daytona and the listed Desert Code and Siren Lure. He finally broke through with a nice win on opening day at Del Mar. 

“He obviously ran very well,” trainer Mark Glatt says. “He ran a career best Beyer. He rated well behind a very, very fast pace. He was going a mile which he hadn’t done in the past. I think that’s why he ran exceptionally well. Not a lot of speed in this race on paper so he could be a lot closer this time depending on how things shake out.”

The second-and-third-place finishers in the Wickerr are back for the Mile. Astronomer, who was 22-1 in that race, and Flashiest who was 18-1.

A couple of graded stakes winners, who have yet to visit the winners circle this year, are entered in the Del Mar Mile.

Exaulted will try to get back in the win column after three tries, two this year. He won four straight races in 2023 including the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in May. But he hasn’t won since, though he did run second to Du Jour in last year’s Del Mar Mile. 

Conclude, a two-time winner at the 2023 Del Mar summer meet, hasn’t won since taking the G2 Del Mar Derby last year. He ran fourth in this year’s Wickerr. The colt is one of three horses trainer Phil D’Amato brings to the race. Almandares, who ran fifth in the Wickerr, and Halfway Line are the other two.

The 38th running of the G2 Del Mar Mile is the 11th and final race on the Pacific Classic card. Probable post is 6:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Astronomer (Kazushi Kimura, 20-1); Halfway Line (Joe Talamo, 15-1); Du Jour (Juan Hernandez, 8/5); Almendares (Antonio Fresu, 10-1); Lammas (Abel Cedillo, 12-1); Irideo (Jeremy Laprida 20-1); Flashiest (Armando Ayuso, 20-1); Conclude (Hector I. Berrios, 6-1); First Peace (Mike Smith, 3-1), and Exaulted (Diego Herrera, 12-1).

D’AMATO LOADS UP WITH THREE HORSES AND A MARE IN GREEN FLASH

What promises to be the quickest race of the five graded stakes on Saturday’s Pacific Classic card, the G3 Green Flash, will feature a full field of 12 in a five-furlong turf sprint on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Phil D’Amato brings four horses to the dance, one of which is the mare Connie Swingle, winner of the Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar last month. It was her first race in 21 months.

“I thought she might need a race but I thought she would give a good credible effort,” D’Amato says when asked if he was surprised by Connie Swingle’s effort. “Turns out she ran very well fresh.”

Connie Swingle is one of two girls taking on the boys in the Green Flash.

“Numbers-wise she fits with the boys,” D’Amato says. “It’s just what our opportunities are at the moment. We’re kind of stuck either running in this race or waiting a long time to run at Santa Anita.”

D’Amato will also start the defending champion, Motorious, who is oh-for-three since his victory in the Green Flash last year. 

“He really hasn’t had the best of luck this year,” D’Amato insists. “First time back he ran at Churchill and had a world of trouble. Last out at Santa Anita I think he hooked a speed bias turf course. They almost broke the track record that day. I think he’ll get a more solid pace to run at and I know he likes this turf course.”

D’Amato sends Unconquerable Keen, winner of last fall’s Stormy Liberal, in the Green Flash and Turn on the Jets, winner of the Stormy Liberal in 2022.

Johnny Podres is the most experienced of the 12 runners with nine wins in 39 lifetime starts. He was riding a three-race win streak earlier this year following victories in the $100,000 Sensational Star and the $100,000 Siren Lure down the hill at Santa Anita. The Librado Barocio trainee stepped up into graded company and finished fourth in the G3 Daytona and then finished second in a second-level allowance race at Del Mar earlier this month.

Daniel’s Magic has popped career best Beyers since jockey Joe Talamo climbed aboard for trainer Eoin Harty in his last two races. He won a second-level allowance race at Santa Anita and then stepped up to a non-winner of three allowance race and finished second at Del Mar last out. 

That race was won by the filly Sassy Nature, who is also entered in the Green Flash. She runs for conditioner Luis Mendez.

The 22nd running of the G3 Green Flash is a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November. It’s named after an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs at sunset off the California coast. It’s the ninth race on Saturday’s 11-race card. Probable post is 5:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Fast Buck (Diego Herrera, 15-1); Mo Gold (Mike Smith, 20-1); Sassy Nature (Abel Cedillo, 15-1); Daniel’s Magic (12-1); Star Racer (Tyler Baze, 20-1); Noble Reflection (Mario Gutierrez, 20-1); Unconquerable Keen (Hector I. Berrios, 8-1); No Nay Hudson (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Connie Swingle (Kyle Frey, 9/2); Motorious (Antonio Fresu, 7/2); Johnny Podres (Ricky Gonzalez, 8-1), and Turn on the Jets (Kazushi Kimura, 5-1).

COOLING OUT: There Goes Harvard will run in the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Saturday. The son of Will Take Charge also was entered in the G2 Del Mar Handicap but trainer Michael McCarthy scratched him from the turf race Thursday…Midnight Mammoth, who was being pointed to the Pacific Classic since he won the G3 Cougar II at Del Mar on July 25th, was not entered in the Grade I event when he developed “a foot issue,” according to trainer Craig Dollase. He’ll be shipped up to Santa Anita for more testing…A total of 117 horses were entered for Saturday’s Pacific Classic card…First post Saturday and for every race day (except Fridays) for the rest of the summer meet has been moved up to 1:30 p.m…Jockey Juan Hernandez scored the hat trick Sunday with victories in races one, three and seven to increase his lead to nine over Umberto Rispoli, who will not be riding at Del Mar this weekend. He and Edwin Maldonado are back in Kentucky riding at Kentucky Downs…Notable works this week, all on the dirt: Monday – Stronghold (5f, 1:02.40). Tuesday – Newgate (5f, 1:00.60) and National Treasure (6f, 1:13.40). Wednesday – Skinner (4f, :49.40).