Tag: Pacific Classic

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series offers 82 races in 11 countries. Each race presents the winner a spot in one of 14 races at the Nov. 4-5 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keenelland. (Image: Breeders' Cup)

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Brings New Twist to US Races

- 3 min read

The Breeders’ Cup announced its 2022 list of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, known as the “Win and You’re In” events. The premise is simple: win one of these 82 races in 11 countries and you have a starting spot in one of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races. That brings […]

Tripoli and Tiago Pereira put on a vintage performance in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. Del Mar's flagship race fueled a record day in betting handle at the San Diego-area track. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Del Mar Breaks Previous Daily Handle Record With $36 Million Windfall

- 2 min read

Fueled by an eight-figure Jackpot Pick 6 pool, Del Mar set a single-day handle record Saturday, drawing $36,005,613 in wagers. The windfall washed down on Del Mar’s 11-race Pacific Classic card. In doing so, it destroyed the previous record of $25,870,431 set on Pacific Classic day in 2018. Much of […]

Express Train and Juan Hernandez captured the San Diego Handicap, considered a prep for Saturday's Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Express Train is the 3/1 morning-line favorite in a deep, competitive field. (Image: Ernie Belmonte)

Pacific Classic Comes In With a Tide of Legitimate Contenders

- 4 min read

There isn’t a lot of star power in this year’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. What there is, however, is one of Jon White’s more challenging morning-line puzzles. Del Mar’s morning-line author, White found himself staring at one of the most competitive fields he’s faced this summer. Yes, […]

United captured the Eddie Read Stakes on this Del Mar turf last month. He is one o the favorites in the Del Mar Handicap, which anchors this week's all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Benoit Photo)

From Saratoga and Del Mar, Cross Country Pick 5 Lives Up to Its Name

- 3 min read

This week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5 truly lives up to its name, putting out an all-graded stakes wager from Saratoga and Del Mar. The sequence includes three Grade 1s and two Grade 2s from the two tracks, located on opposite ends of the US. As usual, […]

Rock Your World won his first three races before stumbling in two of the Triple Crown events. He's nominated for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. (Image: Hronis Racing)

Rock Your World Pops Up as Surprising Pacific Classic Nominee

- 3 min read

The last two times we saw Rock Your World, he rocked no one’s world. Which is why it rocked Del Mar’s world when the Santa Anita Derby winner was one of 15 horses nominated for the Aug. 21 Grade 1 Pacific Classic. Those nominations closed for Del Mar’s flagship race […]

Essential Quality (left) and Hot Rod Charlie separated themselves from their 3-year-old rivals at Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Both came out of the 1 1/2-mile race set for future summer contests. (Image: Al Bello/Getty)

Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie Ready For More After Belmont Stakes

- 3 min read

Even after Hot Rod Charlie reeled off record early fractions, and even after Essential Quality caught and passed him in the stretch, both leading protagonists from Saturday’s Belmont Stakes came out of their 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion” in fine form. “He looks amazing. It doesn’t look like he […]

Idol and Joel Rosario swiped the Santa Anita Handicap in deep stretch from Express Train. The 4-year-old standout will miss the second leg of the Wild West Bonus series with an undisclosed issue. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Big ‘Cap Winner Idol Sidelined, Won’t Chase Wild West Bonus

- 2 min read

The $1 million Wild West Bonus will go unclaimed with the announcement that Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol will miss the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup with an undisclosed issue. Trainer Richard Baltus told Santa Anita Park’s Ed Golden that the issue doesn’t appear to be career-ending and that the […]

Del Mar opens its 2021 summer season July 17. The San Diego-area track offers 34 stakes races worth $6.75 million. (Image: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club)

Del Mar Continues Purse-Boosting Binge, Announces Stakes Slate

- 3 min read

With the Breeders’ Cup providing the year’s finishing touch for the first time since 2017, Del Mar announced a 2021 summer stakes schedule featuring a 30% purse increase over 2020. Some of the purse boost comes from two stakes returning from a 2020 hiatus – the Grade 3 Cougar II […]

Accelerate won the Pacific Classic by 12 1/2 lengths. Along with winning the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup, this would have brought a $1 million bonus under a new program from Santa Anita and Del Mar. (Image: Lane's End Farm)

Santa Anita, Del Mar Form Posse for $1 Million Wild West Bonus

- 2 min read

Seeking to keep their top Western horses home – while luring Eastern horses west – Santa Anita Park and Del Mar created the $1 Million Wild West Bonus. That bonus goes to the connections of any horse who sweeps the three Southern California elite races for older horses, the Santa […]

Midcourt's last victory came in February's San Pasqual Stakes. He is odds-on to repeat as Native Diver Stakes champion. (Image: Benoit Photo)

With Better Rivals Retired, Midcourt Ready to Hold Court in Native Diver

- 3 min read

There is no Maximum Security or Improbable to trouble Midcourt this time. This time, being Saturday’s Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, where Midcourt is the trouble. Midcourt is the one to beat in the $100,000 Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes. The 1-1/8-mile jaunt for older horses sends a condensed […]

Maximum Security (7) edged Midnight Bisou to win February's inaugural Saudi Cup. Only Midnight Bisou, however, received her purse winnings this week as Saudi officials investigate Maximum Security's former trainer. (Image: Edward Whitaker)

Saudi Cup Purse Money Released to All but Maximum Security

- 2 min read

Nearly four months from its initial announcement to withhold Saudi Cup purse money, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announced it will award prize money to the horses finishing second through 10th. That conspicuously excludes race winner Maximum Security. The JCSA said it will withhold prize money from Maximum Security […]

Uncle Chuck won't find his next race as easy as he and Luis Saez found the July 4 Los Alamitos Derby. The undefeated 3-year-old ships to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Uncle Chuck Heads to Saratoga for Travers Tangle With Tiz the Law

- 2 min read

You won’t have to wait until the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby to see Uncle Chuck take on Tiz the Law. Not after trainer Bob Baffert confirmed he will send Uncle Chuck to New York for the Aug. 8 Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. With Belmont Stakes champion Tiz the […]

Maximum Security survived an inquiry to win last year's Haskell Invitational. He returns to the gate for the first time in five months at Saturday's Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. (Image: Equi-Photo)

Maximum Security’s Return Casts Big Shadow Over San Diego Handicap

- 3 min read

As hard as it is to fathom, given his dominance over major races, there are races Bob Baffert can’t solve. So in true Baffert form, for one of those races — the San Diego Handicap — Baffert is calling in maximum reinforcements. He’s bringing in Maximum Security, who makes his […]

After taking last weekend off due to a coronavirus outbreak among its jockeys, Del Mar's starting gate opens again beginning Friday. (Image: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club)

Making Up for Lost Time, Del Mar Adds Extra Day of Racing This Weekend

- 2 min read

After taking last weekend off due to the coronavirus, Del Mar resumes racing this weekend with an extra day tacked on. The California Horse Racing Board approved the track’s request for Monday racing, giving the San Diego area track four days of racing this weekend. Normally in this summer of […]

Del Mar's summer meet will sprint out of the gate eight days early. The iconic California track will race nine weeks this summer instead of eight. (Image: KC Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune)

Del Mar Gets an Early Jump On 2020 Summer Meet, Plans Bigger Cards

- 3 min read

Officials from the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which operates Del Mar Race Track north of San Diego, announced they will open their 2020 summer meet eight days earlier than planned. In addition, the racetrack plans on running three days per week instead of its customary five. Del Mar will open […]

Higher Power sends eastern invaders home with tails between their legs in the 2019 Pacific Classic. (Image: AP)

Higher Power Crushes Atlantic Challengers to Win 2019 Pacific Classic at Del Mar

- 3 min read

Trainer John Sadler and owner Kostas Hronis are taking home the cash and trophy as their California-based horse Higher Power won the 2019 Pacific Classic this weekend. If the names sounds familiar, its because the same trainer/owner combination also were victorious in last year’s edition of the $1 million, 1 […]