Pacific Classic attracts nominations from coast-to-coast

Nominations for Del Mar’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) closed Thursday with 15 horses in the mix to earn a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Eastern-based contenders Dr Post and Chess Chief were nominated as expected, as were six horses exiting last month’s San Diego Handicap (G2) led by winner Express Train, runner-up Tripoli and third-place finisher Royal Ship.

Triple Crown veteran Rock Your World was also nominated. Long targeting a return to turf in the Del Mar Derby (G2), trainer John Sadler told Horse Racing Nation this week there’s a chance he could be re-routed to the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic.

“We’ll see how things kind of shape up and make a decision as it gets closer,” Sadler said.

Rock Your World won his first two career starts on turf before switching to dirt and routing the field in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). He would go on to finish off-the-board in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. 

Trainer Bob Baffert, who added a sixth Pacific Classic win last year with Maximum Security, has one horse nominated: Magic On Tap. The 5-year-old Tapit colt, who missed all of 2020, won the May 29 Triple Bend (G2) sprinting at Santa Anita and came back to be fifth in the 1 1/16-miles San Diego.

Baffert’s six Pacific Classic wins are tied with the late Bobby Frankel for the most all-time by a trainer. Frankel's wins came in a 10-year span from 1992 to 2001. 

Other nominees exiting the San Diego, the local prep for the Pacific Classic, are Mo Mosa for trainer Mike Maker and Sheriff Brown for trainer Todd Fincher.

To view the full list of nominees, click here.