On Del Mar’s biggest day of the year, the undercard of Saturday’s Pacific Classic Stakes program will give turf milers a chance to shine. A field of 12 is expected to square off in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Stakes, a race that could produce a candidate or two for the Oct. 31 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF at Keeneland. Given the size of the field and a relatively short run to the first turn, racing luck should have a big say in regards to the outcome.

1. Cabo Spirit: Was third in last year’s Del Mar Mile and has done a lot of racing since then. This will be his eighth start in that period, with just one win to his credit. Comes off a nose loss in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, but the shorter distance and faster fractions could work against the front-running 7-year-old gelding. Belongs in the exotics, though.

JOCKEY: Mike Smith; TRAINER: George Papaprodromou

2. Seal Team: Chased Cabo Spirit in the Eddie Read and settled for fifth. He’s a threat to hit the board but is searching for his first win since 2023.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Richard Mandella

3. Artislas: This will be his first graded stakes since his 2-year-old season in 2024. Was third in the Wickerr Stakes, a prep for this, but has lost his last six starts and faces a tough task here.

JOCKEY: Julien Leparoux; TRAINER: Jeff Mullins

4. Freedom’s Not Free: Was a disappointing sixth in the Wickerr. With the top three finishers from that race returning, he’ll need to take a big step forward to be a factor.

JOCKEY: Emisael Jaramillo; TRAINER: Mark Glatt

5. Detain: Juddmonte 4-year-old was Group 1-placed in France last year. Showed improvement in his two U.S. starts since June and deserves some consideration here.

JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Michael McCarthy

6. Sinsel: Makes his first start outside of Brazil and has not raced in nearly a year. Was second in a Group 1 stakes there last year, but faces tougher competition here. At least he’s in excellent hands with Richard Mandella.

JOCKEY: Kazushi Kimura; TRAINER: Richard Mandella

7. Almendares: Was second in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes, then hit the rail in the Eddie Read and wound up sixth. With a clean trip should be a main contender.

JOCKEY: Antonio Fresu; TRAINER: Phil D’Amato

Almendares (BENOIT photo)

8. Astronomer: Only has three wins in 26 tries in his career and would be better suited by more distance. We’ll pass.

JOCKEY: Victor Espinoza; TRAINER: Simon Callaghan

9. King of Gosford: Won the Wickerr on the front end, but doesn’t need the lead to be effective. Captured the 2025 Shoemaker Mile and should be a main player in this field. Along with Almendares, gives trainer Phil D’Amato a strong hand.

JOCKEY: Umberto Rispoli; TRAINER: Phil D’Amato

10. Flyover: California-bred seems to do his best running in sprints. We’ll pass over this one.

JOCKEY: Armando Ayuso; TRAINER: John Sadler

11. Twirling Point: Rallied from sixth to finish second in the Wickerr at 31-1 odds. Was seventh in the Shoemaker Mile before that. The post doesn’t help his chances.

JOCKEY: Ricardo Gonzalez; TRAINER: Blaine Wright

12. El Potente: Has not raced since early March when he was second in the Grade 2 Frank E. Kilroe Stakes at this distance. He’s very consistent, finishing in the money in 13 of 18 starts. But the layoff and the outside post could work against him.

JOCKEY: Hector Berrios; TRAINER: Dan Blacker

THE PICK: Almendares

LONGSHOT: Detain

SUPERFECTA: 7-1-9-5