Five Pacific Classic candidates put in final workouts

Five candidates for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic put in their final workouts here Saturday for the signature race of the meeting, now only a week away.

At 6:30 a.m., Cougar II Handicap winner Hard Aces, San Diego Handicap third-place finisher Win the Space and Affirmed Handicap winner Dalmore took to the track. Hard Aces went five furlongs in 1:00.40 under regular exercise rider Jose Contreras. Win the Space covered six furlongs in 1:12.20 with jockey Joe Talamo in the irons. Dalmore went an easy five furlongs in 1:02.80 under regular rider Kent Desormeaux.

At 9, Midwest shipper War Story and two-time Classic participant Imperative took their turns. War Story was timed in :58.60 for five furlongs under Drayden Van Dyke, co-fastest of 63 works at the distance. Imperative went six furlongs in 1:12.00 under Norberto Arroyo, Jr., the fastest of 16 works at the distance.

Del Mar clockers had interim splits of :12.40, :24.00,  and :36.40 with a last quarter  in 24.00 for Hard Aces.

“He looked good, he’s not a big worker, it was just kind of a maintenance work,” trainer John Sadler said.

Hard Aces has also been entered in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap, at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, a co-feature of TVG Pacific Classic day. Hard Aces has one victory in two tries on turf in a career of 33 starts with $999,645 in earnings. The grass win was in late January of 2014 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

The TVG Pacific Classic is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 5 at Santa Anita. The Del Mar Handicap carries the same designation for the $4 million Longines Turf the same day.

“We won’t decide anything (between the Pacific Classic and Del Mar Handicap) until we have to,” Sadler said.

Close of entries for the Pacific Classic is Tuesday morning. The post position draw will be held that evening at the Brigantine Restaurant adjacent to the track.

Santiago Gonzalez, aboard Hard Aces for his last two starts, retains the mount.

Win the Space carved out interim fractions of :36.40, :49.20, 1:01.00 en route to the six furlong clocking and galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

“He looked good and worked very nice,” trainer George Papaprodromou said. “The hard work is done. Now we wait.”

Talamo, who was aboard Win the Space in a maiden-breaking victory here on August 1 of last year, has the call for the TVG Pacific Classic.

War Story, a 4-year-old son of Northern Afleet who shipped in from Ohio on Tuesday, was timed in :23.80, :36.00, :46 4/5 on the way to :58.60 and a gallop out to six furlongs in 1:11.00.

“He worked exactly like we wanted him to,” trainer Dean Greenman said. “He got over the track real well, so he got plenty of air in him and he’s happy and healthy. It (fast time) was just the way it came up. The track’s a little firmer today. We expected him to go in a minute and he went a little faster than that, but it’s fine, he really wasn’t pushed that hard or anything. He’s ready to go.”

Imperative had interim clockings of  :24.20, :36.60 and 1:00.00 on the way to his 1:11.40 and galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:25.40.

California Chrome and Dortmund, the 1-2 finishers in the San Diego Handicap, are both scheduled to put in their final works for the Pacific Classic tomorrow, California Chrome at Los Alamitos and Dortmund here.

Like all other racing fans, California Chrome trainer Art Sherman was pleased that doubts about defending race champion Beholder’s participation have been erased.

“Everybody’s running. It’s gonna be a good race. That’s what we need. Bring the people out,” Sherman said.

Trainer Richard Mandella has one more work in mind for Beholder, but said he has yet to decide whether to schedule it Monday or Wednesday.

Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club