By Jim Charvat

2023 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Trophy © Benoit Photo

DEL MAR PACIFIC CLASSIC MEDIA SURVEY 2023

The experts have spoken. Here’s our annual random survey of media members and their choices for this year’s G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.

Art Wilson, So. Cal. News Group: Arabian Knight – “Finished 3^rd in Haskell off a six-month layoff. Baffert will have him ready.”

Dan Smith, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club – Arabian Knight – “Talented 3-year-old. Should get ideal trip from outside. Also has Flavien Prat.

Jon Lindo, Thoroughbred L.A. Radio Show: Geaux Rocket Ride – “3-year-old seems to be developing at the right time.”

Brad Free, Daily Racing Form: Geaux Rocket Ride – “Big win in Haskell; 3-year-olds hold the advantage in Pacific Classic”

Eddie Wilson, So. Cal News Group: Skinner – “Not ready to give up on him yet. Bred to love distance and he’ll be grinding it out late.”

Kurt Hoover, FanDuel TV: Slow Down Andy – “Big improvement in last, should get a good trip. Has run well every start at Del Mar.”

Ken Davis, Equibase: Defunded – “Should be able to track just off the pace.”

Bob Ike, Bob Ike Picks.com: Arabian Knight – “Looks like speed of the speed and training very well.”

Steve Andersen, Daily Racing Form: Geaux Rocket Ride

Frank Scatoni, DMTC: Slow Down Andy – “Better than looked in prep (G2 San Diego)”

LOOKING BACK ON PAST PACIFIC CLASSICS

The stage is set for the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic. What better time to look back at some of the memorable Pacific Classic races.

1993, 30 Years Ago – Bertrando, with Gary Stevens aboard, takes them wire-to-wire in the third running and sets a track record of 1:59.20, giving trainer Bobby Frankel the second of his six Pacific Classic victories. Bertrando is the second Cal-bred to win the race.

1998, 25 Years Ago – Free House, with jockey Chris McCarron up, beats the defending champion, Gentlemen, by four lengths for trainer Paco Gonzalez. Free House is the first gray to ever win the race.

2003, 20 Years Ago – Candy Ride, with Julie Krone in the irons, beats a four-horse field, the smallest ever for the race, while setting a track record of 1:59.11. Krone becomes the first female rider to win the race. Del Mar legend Ron McAnally trained the horse for owners Sidney and Jenny Craig.

2008, 15 Years Ago – Go Between, with Garrett Gomez in the saddle, goes off as the favorite and nails Well Armed on the wire for trainer Bill Mott. It was the second running on the new synthetic surface and he set a new track record of 2:01.18.

2013, 10 Years Ago – Game On Dude wins by 8 ½ lengths with Martin Garcia at the controls. At the time it was the largest margin of victory in the race’s 23-year history and it was the fourth of trainer Bob Baffert’s six victories in the race.

2018, 5 Years Ago – Accelerate, with Joel Rosario up, wins by 12 ½ lengths to set a new record for margin of victory in the race. It was the first of trainer John Sadler’s four Classic victories, all for Hronis Racing.

CEILING CRUSHER LOOKING TO REBOUND IN G3 TORREY PINES

It was supposed to be a clash of two top 3-year old dirt fillies in Southern California in the G3 Torrey Pines Saturday. But trainer Bob Baffert has decided to scratch his filly Faiza, the 8/5 morning line favorite, saying the post was not to his liking. She had drawn post #9 in a 10-horse field.

So that leaves Ceiling Crusher to assume favoritism (2-1) in the one mile Torrey Pines, one of four graded stakes races on the undercard for the $1,000,000 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Ceiling Crusher is looking to bounce back from a head scratching loss in the $175,000 Fleet Treat on opening weekend at Del Mar, the first defeat of her career. The Cal-bred daughter of Mr. Big, out of the Doug O’Neill barn, was making quite a name for herself coming into the Del Mar meet. She had won her first four races, the last two by a combined 32 ½ lengths. She won the $150,000 Evening Jewel by 15 ½ lengths and then the $150,000 Melair by 17 lengths, both Cal-bred stakes.

Ceiling Crusher was a heavy favorite in the Fleet Treat and finished third. She was boxed in and shuffled back early, then rode the rail into contention by mid-stretch only to fade late in the 7-furlong contest.

“I think she just had an unlucky trip,” O’Neill says. “She was coming off of a big race going long and it brought her back to one turn. She wasn’t as precocious leaving the gate so I think getting her back to two turns we should see a good effort.”

Ceiling Crusher will now break from post #9. She was the only horse to draw outside Faiza in the original lineup.

“She’s doing well,” O’Neill says. “Having the favorite scratch is good for all of us, right?”

John Shirreffs is bringing Justique to the dance. The 2-year-old sensation of the 2022 Del Mar summer meet has not been back to the winner’s circle since her victory in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz last fall at Del Mar. She ran fourth last out, beaten 1¾ lengths in a second level allowance race at Del Mar.

Ocean Club, runner-up to the brilliant Anisette in the G2 San Clemente, comes back on the dirt for the Torrey Pines for trainer Tom Proctor and Glen Hill Farms.

The G3 Torrey Pines is the eighth race on the 11-race Saturday card. Approximate post time is 5:07 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning odds: Justique (Mike Smith, 5-1); Infinite Diamond (Joe Bravo, 12-1); Flying Connection (Umberto Rispoli, 12-1); Coffee in Bed (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Olivia Twist (Scratched); Anywho (Hector Berrios, 5/2); Ocean Club (Drayden Van Dyke, 5-1); Pink Ace (Ramon Vasquez, 12-1); Faiza (Scratched), and Ceiling Crusher (Edwin Maldonado).

D’AMATO TRIO SET THE BAR FOR G3 GREEN FLASH

A full field of 12 will line up for what likely will be one of the quickest races on the Saturday card, the G3 Green Flash, a five-furlong sprint on the Jimmy Durante turf course. It’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita this fall.

Trainer Phil D’Amato brings a trio of sharp shooters to the race, any one of whom can win it. Turn On the Jets beat stablemate Beer Can Man by a head in a salty allowance race last month and they both return for the Green Flash. Throw in Motorious and D’Amato has a chance to match the feat he pulled off in the G2 Eddie Read earlier in the meet when his horses placed 1, 2, and 3.

“I would love to run them all in separate races,” D’Amato says. “But if I didn’t have the horses someone else would and they’d be running them in the same spot.

“Turn on the Jets is a young horse on the improve,” D’Amato continues. “He’s shown an affinity for the five-furlong turf sprints down here and I think he’s got as good a chance as any to win.”

As for Beer Can Man, D’Amato sees no reason why he can’t turn the tables on his stablemate.

“He deserves the chance to win a ‘Win and You’re In’,” D’Amato notes. “He’s training very well. He got beat a head last time by Turn On the Jets and Ramon Vasquez is back up, so he knows him a little bit better this time.”

Motorious looks the best of the three on paper having won the G3 San Simeon at Santa Anita in March and was then runner-up to Nobals in the G2 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.

“He’s been running against the best sprinters in the country,” D’Amato says. “He showed his class at Churchill Downs and if he’s ready to fire his best, which I think he is, he’s a horse to be reckoned with running late in the stretch.”

D’Amato doesn’t hold all the cards in the Green Flash. There are a couple of others who could find themselves in the winner’s circle afterward including Lane Way, a runner-up in this race last year. He won the $100,000 Clockers Corner at Santa Anita in January and then trainer Richard Mandella put him on the shelf.

“He needed the time off,” Mandella says. “Just tired and stiff and sore. No big problem and he’s come back training great so we’re going to jump right in.”

Bran is another one coming off of a layoff after establishing himself as a top turf sprinter last year. He was last seen a year ago when he won the $1 million G2 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.

“He came up a little bit off last year,” trainer John Sadler says. “We just gave him a nice, long vacation. He’s been a really good horse for us. He won a million dollar race last year and two stakes in Southern California so we’re anxious to get him started this year. He looks better than ever.”

Bus Buzz is coming off an impressive win in the Real Good Deal, a race restricted to Cal-breds last month at Del Mar. He won by four lengths that day. But that was on the dirt, so this will be a surface switch for the son of Stay Thirsty.

“It’s a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ so maybe we’ll get lucky,” trainer Steve Knapp says. “He should like the grass. He worked once on it and did very well. If he does like the turf it opens up a lot of avenues for the horse. If he doesn’t, we go back to the dirt.”

The Green Flash, named after an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs at sunset off the California coast, goes as the ninth race of the 11-race program Saturday. Approximate post time is 5:39 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with jockeys and morning odds: Fast Buck (Diego Herrera, 6-1); Kid Corleone (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1); Turn On the Jets (Hector Berrios, 6-1); Silent Poet (Armando Ayuso, 30-1); Beer Can Man (6-1); Lane Way (Mike Smith, 5-1); Noble Reflection (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Motorious (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1); Cherubic Factor (Antonio Fresu, 15-1); Bran (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Bus Buzz (Edwin Maldonado, 12-1); Packs a Wahlop (Flavien Prat, 12-1); AE: Helladic (Edwin Maldonado, 20-1); Mas Rapido (Joe Bravo, 20-1), and Barristan the Bold (Geovanni Franco, 30-1).

FORMER JOURNALIST, TURF PUBLICIST STEVEN SCHUELEIN PASSES

Former sports journalist and turf publicist Steven H. Schuelein has passed, his family reports. He died last Tuesday at his longtime Playa Del Rey home, though no cause of death was given. He was 77.

Originally a New Yorker, he earned a degree from the State University of New York in Buffalo, then a masters in journalism from Syracuse University. In 1982 he moved to Southern California and began turf publicist work for both Santa Anita and Del Mar, jobs he would hold over the next several decades. He also worked for the Breeders’ Cup Notes Team and wrote for various racing publications.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 5 at 2 p.m. at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary on Centinela Ave in Los Angeles. For those unable to attend the service, an interactive Zoom link starts at 1:45 p.m. for the service and thereafter the gravesite service and burial will be live-streamed. Hillside can be contacted for the links (310-641-0707).

COOLING OUT: Jockey Umberto Rispoli will not ride the Pacific Classic card Saturday, nor will he ride for the balance of the weekend. He’s taken off his mounts as he recovers from Thursday’s spill. He was named to ride in all 11 races, including Peroli in the Pacific Classic. Jockey Antonio Fresu has been named to ride Peroli…Notable works for Saturday: Dirt – Charles Chrome (4f, :47.00); Laurent (4f, :49.40); Neige Blanche (4f, 49.80); Benedetta (5f, :59.80); Concord Bridge (5f, 1:00.00); Pushiness (5f, 1:01.00), and Slider (5f, :59.40). A total of 185 horses put in official works…The last day for training at Del Mar will be on Friday, September 15. 

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current through September 1, 2023 Inclusive) 

Trainer Standings
(Current through September 1, 2023 Inclusive)  

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through September 1, 2023 Inclusive) 

 Winning favorites -- 85 out of 223 -- 38.12%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 49 out of 123 -- 39.84%
Winning favorites on turf -- 36 out of 100 -- 36.00%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 19 out of 34 -- 55.88%
In-the-Money favorites -- 146 out of 223 -- 65.47%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 27 out of 34 -- 79.41%