The Sport

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Flightline, Pacific Classic Stakes, Del Mar, horse racing, America's Best Racing, ABR

The Big Five: Ranking the Best Pacific Classic Winners

The Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic will be run for the 36th time on Saturday. First contested in 1991, the signature race at Del Mar has successfully stood the test of time as one of America’s premier races. Held each summer at one of the most idyllic settings in racing, the 1 1/4-affair has been an important fixture on the nation’s calendar since its inception.

Del Mar Mile, Del Mar, Cabo Spirit, Glance, Seal Team, Artislas, Freedom’s Not Free, Detain, Sinsel, Almendares, Astronomer, King of Gosford, Flyover, Twirling Point, El Potente, jockey, trainer, Mandella, D’Amato, horse racing, ABR

2026 Del Mar Mile Stakes at a Glance

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.

Pacific Classic, Breeders’ Cup, Del Mar, Om N Joy, Forged Steel, Finger, Subsanador, Malarchuk, Original Sin, Hit Show, British Isles, Navajo Warrior, Full Serrano, Knightsbridge, Mott, Mandella, Mike Smith, Rosario, jockey, owner, trainer, ABR

2026 Pacific Classic Cheat Sheet

California’s signature summer race, the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes Saturday at Del Mar, drew a competitive and large field of horses ages 3 and older vying for a fees-paid berth to the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct.

Red Pollard, jockey, legend, Seabiscuit, horse racing, 1930s, movie, Hollywood, Hillenbrand, Santa Anita Handicap, match race, War Emblem, health, hair, Charles Howard, Tom Smith, Great Depression, history, ABR

Jockey Red Pollard’s Perseverance Helped Form a Lasting Bond with Seabiscuit

His name is familiar because of his connection to a beloved Thoroughbred, but the story of Red Pollard goes beyond his time with Seabiscuit. He endured a life filled with ups and downs, but his love of the horse kept him going even in the darkest of times. Pollard’s perseverance and his special connection with “the Biscuit” made him an important part of the team behind the superstar.

Luster, Woodbine, 2026 King's Plate Stakes, Canadian Triple Crown

Heavily Favored Filly Luster Dominates King's Plate to Win First Leg of Canadian Triple Crown

Last year, Canadian Hall of Famer trainer Josie Carroll told co-owner Andrew Rosen she believed their promising 2-year-old filly Luster would take the connections into the winner's circle in 2026 with a victory in the 167th King's Plate Stakes, the historic first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

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