By Hank Wesch

WORKS KEEP TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC POT ON SIMMER

Four major candidates for the TVG Pacific Classic put in penultimate workouts here during the  two “dark” days of racing and undefeated Shared Belief did likewise at Golden Gate Fields.

The efforts proved pleasing to parties close to the runners being targeted for the $1 million, 1 ¼-mile event on Sunday, August 24, and kept the anticipation level high for the 24^th running of the meeting’s signature event.

On Monday, San Diego Handicap third-place finisher You Know I Know went six furlongs in 1:11.60, fastest of nine for the distance, under exercise rider Brian Pena.

“A good work,” trainer John Sadler said. “He went five-eighths in :59 and they gave him the gallop-out time. He’ll have one more major work, Sunday or Monday.”

Working six furlongs on Tuesday were San Diego Handicap winner Fed Biz (1:11.60), runner-up Footbridge (1:14.00), and  fourth place Frac Daddy (1:11.20). The same morning, defending champion Game On Dude covered seven furlongs in 1:24.60.

Martin Garcia was up on both Fed Biz and Game On Dude for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“Strong works for both,” Baffert said. It would seem unlikely that Baffert would run both Game On Dude and Fed Biz in the Classic. Baffert, who is considering several options for Fed Biz, said he is honing in on one but declined to give specifics.

Frac Daddy, whose workouts are being overseen by Blake Heap for trainer Ken McPeek, was ridden by Martin Pedroza in the work that was fastest of five  marquee horses at the distance.

“I don’t know who’s going to ride him (in the Classic) yet, but Martin was around so I grabbed him,” Heap said. “The horse worked beautiful. He only worked five-eighths, but they got him galloping out (to six furlongs).”

Footbridge was ridden by Modesto Linares. “I thought it was a very good work,” said trainer Eoin Harty. “I believe he’s fit, I believe he’s ready and we’re looking forward to it.”

Shared Belief worked 7 furlongs in 1:28.20 on Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields. The Eclipse Award winner in the 2-year-old male category for 2013, with five wins in as many career starts, will work there again next Tuesday then ship down for the race.

JOCKEY NEWS: AN INJURY, A CELEBRATION AND A MILESTONE WATCH

Jockey Stewart Elliott suffered a fractured rib when kicked by a horse Monday and is expected to be out 1-2 weeks with a tentative comeback date of Pacific Classic Day.

“We had worked some horses and were doing more rounds walking between barns when a horse on a hot walker (machine) kicked out and caught him ,” agent Nelson Arroyo said. Elliott, in his first season at Del Mar, has three wins, eight seconds and two thirds from 35 mounts with purse earnings of $343,640. He won the Best Pal Stakes aboard Skyway for trainer Mark Casse.

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith followed up his weekend stakes double of victories  aboard Enterprising in the La Jolla Handicap on Saturday and Moulin de Mougin in the John C. Mabee Stakes on Sunday, his 49^th birthday, with a gathering of about 20 family members and friends.

“We just stayed home, enjoyed being together and ate tacos,” said Smith. The Mabee was the fourth stakes win of the meeting, most by any rider, and the 43^rd all-time at Del Mar for Smith.

Smith, who was born in Roswell, New Mexico, said he is “not a big believer,” in the stories of a flying saucer crash there in 1947.

“I never got caught up in all that,” said Smith, who was a Roswell-area resident until the age of 14-15. “ When I was there, I was mostly about being around horses. I lived in a little town 15-16 miles away and we didn’t go to Roswell much, just for shopping and that stuff.”

Smith, with 13 wins from 58 mounts, is fourth in the jockey standings. In a three-way tie for the lead, with 16 wins each, are Rafael Bejarano, Elvis Trujillo and Kent Desormeaux.

Tyler Baze, still one win away from career victory No. 2000, has six scheduled mounts on Wednesday’s card, two of them pick-ups -- one for the injured Elliott, the other for Corey Nakatani who has been excused due to illness. They are: Uptown Big Brown (1^st, 6-1), Little Jerry (3^rd, 5-1), Goyan (4^th, 4-1), Hone In (5^th, 10-1), Cat Meeting (6^th, 3-1) and Aperfectdaytofly (8^th, 3-1).

Cindy Niemetz of the International Racing Bureau reports that Jamie Spencer will journey from Europe to ride Toast Of New York in the Pacific Classic. Spencer has been aboard for four of the 3-year-old colt’s six starts, among them the victory in the $2 million UAE Derby in March in Dubai.

MABEE TOP TWO RETURN FINE, WILL GO ON TO SANTA ANITA

Moulin de Mougin and Wishing Gate, separated by a half-length at the finish of Sunday’s John C. Mabee Stakes, both came out of the race in good shape.

Moulin de Mougin will be pointed for the Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Mandella said.

Plans to ship Brazilian Triple Crown winner Bal A Bali from Florida to  Mandella’s barn have been scrubbed indefinitely as the horse has developed foot problems The Blood Horse reported as laminitis.   

“I get a message that he’s doing well, fighting the problems,” Mandella said. “They think he’s going to be OK. I wish I had him here to look at him. Nobody has said anything, but I would guess they are waiting to see what happens before sending him here.”

CARACORTADO FAVORED IN FIELD OF SEVEN FOR GREEN FLASH

Caracortado, making his second start off a nearly 10-month layoff, is the 2-1 opening line favorite for Wednesday’s featured $90,000 Green Flash Handicap. The 2011 Del Mar Mile Handicap winner will be making his first non-turf start in over three years, a span of seven races.

The field from the rail out: Remind Mee (Fernando Perez, 8-1), Merit Man (Kent Desormeaux, 3-1), Mr. Sexy (Tiago Pereira, 10-1), Wine Police (Elvis Trujillo, 7-2), Caracortado (Rafael Bejarano, 2-1), No Jet Lag (Corey Nakatani, 4-1), and Oligarch (Kayla Stra, 15-1).

WHAT’S IN A NAME – The Green Flash refers to the quick splash of green color as the sun sets on the western horizon. The overnight stakes began in 2003.

TEN ENTERED IN OAKS

A field of 10 was entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 58^th running of the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks.

The group, in alphabetical order: Diversy Harbor (Mike Smith), Famous Alice (Drayden Van Dyke), Istanford (Martin Garcia), Mailbaby (Elvis Trujillo), My Conquestadory (Victor Espinoza), Odissei (Joe Talamo), Personal Diary (Corey Nakatani), Sea Queen (Rafael Bejarano), Stellaris (Kent Desormeaux) and Tepin (Tyler Baze).

TRAKUS FACTS FROM SUNDAY

Moulin de Mougin may have been shuffled to last, but found a path in the stretch and ran her final eighth in 11.26 seconds to win the John Mabee Stakes on Sunday. Second-placer, and long-time leader Wishing Gate, managed the final section in 11.66 seconds. The third, fourth, and sixth place finishers all covered extra ground. Cozze Up Lady went 17 feet more than Moulin de Mougin, while Stormy Lucy and Miss Serendipity each covered 26 feet more than the winner.

CLOSERS --  Louisville basketball coach and horse owner Rick Pitino arrived in time for Sunday’s races on his annual pilgrimage to Del Mar and is expected to be in attendance Wednesday and again Thursday when one of his horses, Boom Boys, runs in the fourth race  … Ship And Win eligible horses on Wednesday’s program are: Jomelo (3^rd, trainer R.B. Hess, Jr.), Grandstand (3^rd, Cody Autrey), Juan’s Corazonsito (4^th, Henry Dominguez), She’s Complete (5^th, Doug O’Neill), Hone In (5^th, Victoria Oliver), Law Dog (6^th, R.B. Hess, Jr.) … For the first 19 days of the meeting there have been 15 Ship And Win winners earning $195,946.66 in bonuses beyond the $124,000 shipping money. The comparative numbers for 2013: 15 wins, $177,813 in bonuses and $86,000  in shipping awards … Selected workouts from the past three days: Monday – Pontchartrain (4f, :51.00), Reneesgotzip (4f, :47.40), Soi Phet (4f, :49.60), Beholder (5f, :58.80), You Know I Know (6f, 1:11.60); Tuesday – Ipolita (:4f, :48.20), Old Time Hockey (4f, :49.60), Drill (6f, 1:12.80), Fed Biz (6f, 1:12.80), Footbridge (6f, 1:14.00), Frac Daddy (6f, 1:11.20), Game On Dude (7f, 1:24.60); Wednesday – Jojo Warrior (4f, :47.60), Big Macher (5f, :59.80), Diamond Bachelor (5f, :56.60), Tom’s Tribute (5f, 1:02.80), Secret Circle (6f, 1:11.20), Sky Kingdom (6f, 1:11.20).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Sunday, August 10, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Sunday, August 10, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Sunday, August 10, 2014 Inclusive) 

Winning favorites -- 43 out of 172 -- 25.00%

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 36 out of 137 -- 26.28% 

Winning favorites on turf -- 7 out of 35 -- 20.00%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 11 -- 45.45% 

In-the-Money favorites -- 102 out of 172 -- 59.30%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 11 -- 72.73%

Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793