The Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar drew a field of eight on Saturday, with three heavy hitters entered to compete for an automated berth to the Nov. 1 Classic, also at Del Mar.
Fierceness, the 2023 Eclipse Award winner as champion 2-year-old male, ships in from the East Coast for his debut at Del Mar with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez taking the trip west to ride. Midnight Mammoth will be making his 39th career start on Saturday, coming off a second-place finish, beaten by three-quarters of a length by Skippylongstocking, in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita Park in May. Ultimate Gamble is training in top form for Mark Glatt, posting a bullet workout on Aug. 21 at Del Mar going six furlongs in 1:11.20. Nysos, a 4-year-old colt by Nyquist, is coming off back-to-back graded stakes victories in the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes May 31 at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap July 26 at Del Mar. Indispensable won his last start for the red-hot barn of John Sadler, who is winning at a 31% clip over the last month, and Paco Lopez, who is winning at a 34% clip in the last 30 days, ships in to ride. Journalism is coming back to his roots at Del Mar where he broke his maiden by 2 ½ lengths last November. Lure Him In is taking a big step up in class following a third-place finish in an allowance-optional claiming race at Del Mar July 27 behind runner-up Ultimate Gamble and winner Arrowthegreat, who went on to win the Longacres Mile Stakes Presented by 1/ST Bet at Emerald Downs in his next start. Tarantino rounds out the field for trainer Peter Eurton, who is hitting at a 24% clip this meet.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
Nysos enters the Pacific Classic in top form following a dominating performance in the San Diego Handicap under a hand ride by jockey Flavien Prat. The Nyquist colt was sidelined for 15 months with an injury following three consecutive wins to start his career. Nysos came back in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford in May and finished in a dead heat for second, a neck behind winner Mindframe, who went on to win the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes next time out. Nysos and Banishing (who finished second with Nysos in the Churchill Downs Stakes dead heat) both went on to win Grade 2 races following that race. Book’em Danno finished fourth in the Churchill Downs Stakes and has gone on to win the Grade 3 True North, Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and Grade 1 Forego Stakes. Nysos checks all the boxes, ranking first in early, middle, and late pace rating as well as average class of 113 and an average Equibase Speed Figure of 111. He earned a 117 figure for his 5 ½-length win in the Triple Bend in May, which is tied for the highest speed figure earned by any horse in the Pacific Classic. This colt can win on the front end or can come from off the pace, and he looks to remain undefeated on the Del Mar main track. He passed the two-turn test last time out in the San Diego and a three-sixteenth of a mile stretch out in distance should be no problem for this ultra-talented colt.
Journalism, arguably the second-best 3-year-old male in the country, is back at the site of his first victory after breaking his maiden here at at Del Mar last November by 2 ½ lengths. Following a taxing Triple Crown season, the Curlin colt came out in good form after finishing second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, first in the Preakness Stakes, and another second to Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Journalism won the NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes last time out in his first start since the Belmont, earning a109 Equibase Speed Figure for trainer Michael McCarthy. This horse is incredibly talented and should not be off any tickets for this race.
Indispensable is a very intriguing Constitution colt for the John Sadler stable with Lopez making the trip west, which is rare as he only has four mounts in the last five years at Del Mar. Lopez will also be aboard Indispensable for the first time as well, which adds to the intrigue. Sadler and Lopez have only one start together in the last five years, that being a seven-length victory with Hey Nay Nay at Monmouth in the Tyro Stakes in early August. Indispensable is 100% in the money at Del Mar, posting two wins, two seconds and a third in his five starts. This colt could pay nice underneath with all eyes on the big three.
The rest of the field (with best Equibase Speed Figure in similar races): Fierceness (117), Midnight Mammoth (108), Ultimate Gamble (112), Lure Him In (108), Tarantino (103)
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Ron Turcotte: Secretariat’s Hall of Fame Rider
Ron Turcotte: Secretariat’s Hall of Fame Rider
