Pacific Classic Field Taking Shape

With the $1 million Grade I TVG Pacific Classic, the signature event of the summer meeting, two weeks from today, preparation procedures are well underway for the “probables” and “possibles,” the big names and, to this point, what look to be bit players for the 1 ¼-mile drama on August 20.

 

Nominations close at midnight next Thursday, August 11, for the 26^th running of the event nine days later.  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.

 

Close of entries is Tuesday, August 16, at which time we’ll know for certain if the dream matchup between California Chrome and Beholder will become a reality and the impact it will have on the size of the field. Classic field sizes have ranged from four, when Candy Ride bested Medaglia d’Oro in 2003, to 14, when Came Home prevailed in 2002.

 

California Chrome, ensconced at trainer Art Sherman’s headquarters at Los Alamitos, is scheduled for a penultimate workout for the Classic on Sundayand a final work there a week later before vanning to Del Mar for the race.

 

Beholder galloped “a nice mile and a half,” here Saturday morning, trainer Richard Mandella said. The three-time Eclipse Award winner and defending TVG Pacific Classic champion, will continue that pattern for a couple more days before Mandella expects to be able to set workout plans and make a decision regarding the Classic.

 

Dortmund, runner-up to California Chrome in the San Diego Handicap on July 23, is scheduled to work here on Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said.

 

Win the Space, second in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita and third in the San Diego, worked five furlongs solo Saturday morning in :59.40 with trainer George Papaprodromou catching the gallop-out to six furlongs in 1:11.80.

 

“He’s doing great. He came out of the San Diego very well,” Papaprodromou said Saturday morning.  “He ran a huge race in the Gold Cup, then had to come back and deal with California Chrome and Dortmund (in the San Diego). Going into the Pacific Classic we think the longer distance will hopefully be good for him.”

 

Win the Space was ridden by Hall of Famers Gary Stevens and Mike Smith in his last two starts, respectively. But Stevens is the regular rider of Beholder and had the call on Dortmund in the San Diego, and Smith will be out of town on Pacific Classic Day to ride Songbird in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. Joe Talamo was aboard Win the Space’s workout Saturday.

 

Mandella’s decision on Beholder will undoubtedly trigger a domino effect regarding assignments for the Pacific Classic.

 

In addition to California Chrome, Dortmund and Win the Space, the racing office lists Midwest shipper War Story and locally-based Dalmore and Hard Aces as firmly targeting the Classic with Beholder, Hoppertunity and Cyrus Alexander as possibles.

 

Dalmore, a 3-year-old son of  Colonel John,  won the Affirmed Stakes on July 2 at Santa Anita, defeating Danzing Candy . He is trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Dalmore worked six furlongs Saturday in 1:14.0. “He did it very nicely,” Keith Desormeaux said. Track clockers observed the colt was “under restraint” the whole way.

 

“He doesn’t like to ship, so we thought we’d just stay here with him,” Desormeaux said. “We think he’s top caliber. I’d prefer a race against 3-year-olds, but the only one on dirt here is the Shared Belief.”

 

The Shared Belief has a purse of $100,000 and is at a mile  on August 26.

 

Hard Aces, who worked four furlongs Saturday in :47.60,  won the Cougar II Handicap here on July 24, after scratching from the San Diego. Both the Cougar II and San Diego have served as preps for Pacific Classic success in the past.

 

War Story, a 4-year-old Northern Afleet gelding, finished 16^th to American Pharoah in the 2015 Kentucky Derby and made his 2016 debut with a 9 ¼-length allowance romp over a sloppy track at Thistledown in Ohio last Sunday.

 

Hoppertunity was fourth in both the San Diego Handicap and TVG Pacific Classic in 2015.  Cyrus Alexander is a 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club