By Jim Charvat

2023 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Trophy © Benoit Photo

LARGEST FIELD IN 10 YEARS TO LINE UP FOR SATURDAY’S PACIFIC CLASSIC

The field is set for the 2023 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic slated to go Saturday afternoon. Eleven horses are entered in the $1,000,000 mile and a quarter run, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

It’s the largest field for a Pacific Classic since 2013 when Game on Dude trounced 11 rivals by 8 ½ lengths, the largest margin of victory in the Pacific Classic at the time. Accelerate broke the mark in the 2018 edition when he won by 12 ½ lengths and then Flightline smashed it last year with his 19 ¼-length victory.

There are no Flightlines in this year’s race which leaves us with a contentious group that should be appealing to bettors. The morning line favorite, Geaux Rocket Ride, is 5/2. He’s one of a trio of 3-year-olds testing older horses for the first time. Fresh off his breakout win in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in July, the son of Candy Ride hopes to duplicate his dad’s winning performance in the Pacific Classic 20 years ago.

Geaux Rocket Ride drew post #1, which is fine with trainer Richard Mandella.

“Just happy to be there,” Mandella says.

It should be noted, Geaux Rocket Ride drew the one hole in the Haskell, too.

Geaux Rocket Ride put in a quick 3-furlong work Thursday morning. He went :37.40, the eighth fastest out of 23 workers at the distance. It’s a common practice for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella to give his horse a ‘blow out’ a couple of days before a race.

Another 3-year-old in the race, Arabian Knight, drew post #9. He faded to third in the Haskell after setting a contested pace, but is a solid 3-1 second choice in the Pacific Classic.

The son of Uncle Mo is trained by Bob Baffert who also will saddle Defunded in the race. He drew post #5. The son of Dialed In is coming off of a disappointing effort in the G2 San Diego when he finished fourth. He’s looking to bounce back to the form that earned him consideration as top handicap horse on the West Coast following his win in the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on Memorial Day.

Last year’s G2 Del Mar Derby winner, Slow Down Andy, drew post #7. The runner-up in the G2 San Diego last time out is one of two entries by trainer Doug O’Neill. He’s also bringing the Pleasanton Mile winner, Katonah, who drew post #2.

Stilleto Boy is returning for a second try at winning the Pacific Classic. He finished sixth in last year’s race. The son of Shackleford drew post #3, right where owner Steve Moger wants to be.

“Three’s perfect,” Moger says. “I’d rather be inside the other speed. We drew the outside post last year four or five races in a row, including the (Pacific) Classic.”

“He always runs good on the rail,” trainer Ed Moger, Jr. added.

Tripoli drew post #4, between Stilleto Boy and Defunded. He won the race in 2021, then was held out of last year’s edition because his trainer John Sadler already had another pretty good horse in the race, Flightline.

“It’s an evenly matched, highly competitive field,” Sadler says. “You can make a case for a lot of different horses so it should be a good race; nice mix of 3-year-olds and older horses.”

Another 3-year-old in the race is Skinner from the John Shirreffs barn. He drew the outside post #11. Shirreffs doesn’t feel the outside post will make a difference to his horse.

“For Skinner it probably doesn’t matter because he comes from off the pace,” Shirreffs says. “But for horses in general, you like to have them covered up, one horse outside of them, because if you’re on the outside post they could duck out and then have to straighten out. It’s always a little more comfortable to have a horse outside of you.”

Order And Law drew post #6. The G3 Cougar II winner is trained by Bob Hess, Jr.

The G2 San Diego winner Senor Buscador made it to the race and will break from post #8. Senor Buscador’s victory last out gave trainer Todd Fincher his first Del Mar stakes race win.

Trainer Michael McCarthy has entered Piroli in the Classic. He was second to Defunded in the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May. The son of Battle of Midway drew post #10 for Saturday’s race.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Geaux Rocket Ride (Mike Smith, 5/2); Katonah (Antonio Fresu, 20-1); Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1); Tripoli (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Defunded (Juan Hernandez, 4-1); Order and Law (Edwin Maldonado, 30-1); Slow Down Andy (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1); Senor Buscador (Geovanni Franco, 10-1); Arabian Knight (Flavien Prat, 3-1); Piroli (Umberto Rispoli, 20-1), and Skinner (Hector Berrios, 10-1).

FRESU, O’NEILL CLIMB THE RANKINGS WITH BIG WEEKS AT DEL MAR

It was supposed to be the week that leading jockey Juan Hernandez was to put a wrap on this year’s riding title at the Del Mar summer meet. He went into the week with a four-victory lead over his closest rival, Umberto Rispoli, who was out of town all last week representing the U.S. in a World All-Star Jockey event in Japan.

But instead of running up the score and building an insurmountable lead, another talented rider had a strong week and kept Hernandez from riding off and hiding in this year’s jockeys race.

Antonio Fresu won 10 races last week, sandwiching back-to-back riding doubles with a pair of riding triples. While Hernandez was winning four races to raise his total to 28, Fresu vaulted into second place and sits just five back of the pacesetter with 23.

“It was an amazing week,” Fresu says. “I wasn’t expecting that. I knew I had some live horses last week but not that live. The horses were running really well for me and I am super happy about what I achieved last week.”

Fresu is a veteran jockey with years of racing overseas under his belt. So a run like this one is special, but not new to him.

“Everywhere is different,” Fresu says. “Something like this at another place wouldn’t be the same. But with Del Mar, it’s a big meet and it’s so important to get winners. When you get 10 altogether in four days or 13, if you consider six days, it’s an amazing number. For a jockey, especially for me being in the U.S. for only four months and first time at Del Mar, it means a lot.

“Obviously it’s because of all of the people around me,” Fresu continues. “They’ve given me opportunities and a chance and now everything is happening. My agent (Tom Knust) is doing a great job.”

Fresu has taken quite a liking to Del Mar.

 “I love it,” Fresu says. “It’s a beautiful place and a beautiful course. The lifestyle, apart from racing, is gorgeous. It’s very easy and relaxed and I’m really enjoying it. It’s a shame it’s only a couple of months.”

Fresu plans on staying in Southern California and riding at Santa Anita this fall.

Meanwhile, Rispoli is back in town and will ride this week at Del Mar. He now sits in third place in the jockey standings with 20 wins followed by Hector Berrios at 19 and Ramon Vasquez with 16. Rounding out the Top 10 are Edwin Maldonado (14); Tiago Pereira (11); Kent Desormeaux and Geovanni Franco with eight each and Mike Smith with seven.

The trainer standings have a new name in the top spot. Doug O’Neill has displaced Phil D’Amato atop the leaderboard after compiling seven wins last week, five of them with Fresu in the saddle. O’Neill has 16 wins to D’Amato’s 15 and Bob Baffert’s 14. Peter Miller’s next with 12 followed by Peter Eurton with 11. Rounding out the Top 10 are Richard Mandella, Mark Glatt and Steve Knapp with seven wins apiece and Leonard Powell and Michael McCarthy with six each.

Reddam Racing continues to lead the owners standings with five wins, their lone win last week coming in the G2 Pat O’Brien with Anarchist. Red Baron Barn and Rancho Temescal are tied with the partnership of Michael Bello and Charles Bartlett with four wins each.

EXAULTED LOOKS TO EXTEND WIN STREAK IN G2 DEL MAR MILE

Years ago a horse named Cigar was running on the turf. Nothing special, just an average grass horse. He did win an entry level allowance race at Del Mar, but that was about it.

Then one day, trainer Bill Mott and owner Allen Paulson decided to try their now 4-year-old colt on the dirt. Cigar ran off 16 straight victories, tying Citation’s old mark for most consecutive wins and eventually vaulting Cigar into racing’s Hall of Fame.

This should not be mistaken as a comparison to Cigar but there’s a horse in the Peter Eurton barn named Exaulted that started out as your average, everyday dirt horse until this year when the connections decided to try him on the turf. He hasn’t lost since and will try to extend his win streak to five this Saturday in the G2 Del Mar Mile, one of the five graded stakes featured on Pacific Classic Day.

“That’s what I have to think,” Eurton says when asked if the surface switch was the key to Exaulted’s turnaround. “He was always pretty healthy. Growing up he had little issues but nothing ever serious.”

The son of Twirling Candy only won once in his first 11 races. He broke his maiden winning an entry level allowance race at Santa Anita. Exaulted ran twice at Del Mar last summer finishing third and fifth in entry level allowance races.

“He didn’t run bad,” Eurton says. “He was always knocking on the door but he wouldn’t finish. (The grass) made him more of a stayer.”

So to start his 6-year-old campaign, Eurton made the switch to grass.

“He’s by a turf sire,” Eurton says. “His size is not your typical turf horse. He’s like 17-hands so we always thought he’d be a dirt horse and it just kind of worked out. It’s just too bad I didn’t try it earlier.”

He won an entry level allowance in January; a non-winners of two in February; the G3 American in April and the G1 Shoemaker Mile on Memorial Day. All were at Santa Anita.

Trainer Philip D’Amato has brought his full complement of turf runners to the party on Saturday. In the Mile he has Count Again and Balnikhov, winner of last year’s Oceanside Stakes on opening day at Del Mar.

“He (Balnikhov) really likes this turf course down here,” D’Amato says. “He’s trained really well post Eddie Read and I think he should be set to run one of his ‘A’ races.”

Balnikhov finished a fast-closing second to stablemate Gold Phoenix in the G2 Eddie Read in July.

Bob Baffert will send out Du Jour, winner of the $100,000 Wickerr on opening weekend. The son of Temple City will have the services of rider Flavien Prat, who is flying in from the east coast and will ride this weekend.

Last year’s Wickerr winner, Irideo, will take the outside post in the 10-horse ‘Mile’ field. He posted back-to-back runner up finishes, both behind Exaulted, in the G3 American and the G1 Shoemaker Mile before a head-scratching, sixth-place finish in this year’s edition of the Wickerr. Trainer Marcelo Polanco is hoping for a better effort this time.

“Since we got here I’ve been working him on the grass,” Polanco says, “so he’s getting used to it and he does work good on the turf.”

Irideo had two bullet works over consecutive weekends earlier this month. He also has a new rider.

“We have Tiago Pereira,” Polanco says. “He worked the horse the last time. They got along real good and he seems like the right guy for this horse. He’s an easy horse to ride. You make one move and that’s about it. He’s got to relax in the first part (of the race) and he’ll give you a good race.”

The G2 Del Mar Mile is the seventh race on the 11-race Saturday card. Approximate post time is 4:30 p.m. First post for Saturday’s races is at 1:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys: Du Jour (4-1); Sumter (Mike Smith, 15-1); Count Again (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1); Exaulted (Juan Hernandez, 3-1); Balnikhov (Hector Berrios, 6-1); Visitant (Geovanni Franco, 12-1); I’m A Gambler (Antonio Fresu, 8-1); War At Sea (Victor Espinoza, 10-1); Twist (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), and Irideo (Tiago Pereira, 10-1).

COOLING OUT: Eda came out of her win Sunday in the G3 Rancho Bernardo in good order. Trainer Bob Baffert and the connections are pondering their next move with her…CARMAthon raised $145,000 this past weekend. The money will go to the over 20 Thoroughbred Aftercare Programs funded by CARMA…Notable works this week, all on the dirt: Monday – Speed Boat Beach (4f, 49.60); Dua (5f, 59.40), and Muth (5f, 1:02.80). Tuesday – Defunded (4f, :47.40), and Planetario (4f, :48.40). Wednesday – Tamara (3f, 36.40); Fun to Dream (4f, :48.00), and Practical Move (5f, 1:01.00). Thursday – Geaux Rocket Ride (3f, 37.40), and Lord Prancealot (4f, :49.20).

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current Through August 27, 2023 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings
(Current Through August 27, 2023 Inclusive)  

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 27, 2023 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 78 out of 207 -- 37.68%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 46 out of 115 -- 40.00%
Winning favorites on turf -- 32 out of 92 -- 34.78%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 19 out of 33 -- 57.58%
In-the-Money favorites -- 136 out of 207 -- 65.70%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 27 out of 33 -- 81.82%