The 24th renewal of then Pacific Classic is going to be one to remember. The undefeated Shared Belief, last year's winner Game On Dude, Gold Cup winner Majestic Harbor and Gold Cup runner-up Clubhouse Ride will all be going head to head for California's most prestigious race.
Mystery Train (Not For Sale-American Whisper) hasn't started in America yet but he has won at the grade one level. The Argentina ridgling may be a contender in others eyes but I am going to drop him.
Imperative (Bernardini-Call Her) got his big break with a second in the San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), a 3rd in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (1 1/4 mile) and a win in the Charles Town Classic (1 1/8), all of which he beat fellow runner Game On Dude. Bernardini was a rather accomplished runner with a win in the Withers (1 mile), Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 mile), Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile), Travers (1 1/4 mile) and the Jockey Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile). He came 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Call Her was a black-type winner but only had one win of the type. Imperative has the pedigree and has beat these horses at least once but he isn't a very consistent runner.
Sky Kingdom (Empire Maker- Sky Beam) attempted to beat grade one winners in the Hollywood Gold Cup but only managed a third, a very narrow third, out of a field of five. Empire Maker won the Florida Derby (1 1/8 mile), Wood Memorial (1 1/4 mile) and the Belmont Stakes (1 1/2 mile). He came 2nd in the Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 mile) and the Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile). Sky Bean started seven times and never finished better than fourth. I don't think I like his pedigree but he would be a great dark horse.
Irish Surf (Giant's Causeway-Surfside) may run in the Pacific Classic but right now it seems he is headed to the Del Mar Handicap. A last minute entry, Ice Cream Truck, is yet another pretender in this race.
You Know I Know (Simon Pure-Magic Show) didn't race until he was a three-year old and during his first campaign he started in optional claimings and claimings. He has yet to win a graded stakes race but he came third in Hagyard Fayette Stakes (1 1/8 mile), San Diego Handicap (1 1/16 mile) and last year's Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Simon Pure never won a graded stakes with his best placing coming in the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Stakes (1 1/16 mile) in which he came second. Magic Show was unstarted. You Know I Know doesn't have the best pedigree but his last races were impressive.
Not getting his real potential tapped into until he was five, Clubhouse Ride (Candy Ride-Seeking Results) has impressed many people lately. As a five year old he only won the Californian Stakes (1 1/8 mile) but he came second in the San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), Santa Anita Handicap (1 1/4 mile) and the Charles Town Classic (1 1/8 mile). This year the stallion repeated his Californian Stakes win and included a second in the Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile). Candy Ride has another son in this race, the undefeated Shared Belief. He raced in Argentina for half of his races and then won the American Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Seeking Results did not win any of her ten races. If Clubhouse Ride repeats what he has been doing lately it should be a great race.
Toast of New York (Thewayyouare-Claire Soleil) is going to be dropped. He started once in America which resulted in a sixth. I willing skipping over Frac Daddy (Scat Daddy-Skipper's Mate) because I don't feel he is getting the proper rest.
Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor-Champagne Royale) really got his career going with a win over Game On Dude. He won the Tokyo City Cup Stakes (1 1/2 mile) and the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (1 1/4 mile). Rockport Harbor won the Nashua Stakes (1 mile), Remsen Stakes (1 1/8 mile) and the Essex Handicap (1 1/16 mile). Champagne Royale only won at the allowance optional claiming level with her only graded stakes attempt resulting in a seventh. If Majestic Harbor repeats his Gold Cup win he should have a great chance.
Shared Belief (Candy Ride-Common Hope) is undefeated in five races. He has started at grade one, two and three with an allowance race and, of course, his maiden race. His first graded win was the Hollywood Prevue (7 furlongs) with his next being the Cashcall Futurity (1 1/16 mile), where he beat Candy Boy and Tamarando. After a six month break due to an injury he came back and won an allowance race (6 furlongs) over older horses. Perhaps his latest win was his best win. In the Los Alamitos Derby Shared Belief stretched out to 1 1/8 mile and took the reins of his dirt debut, churning plenty of it into his competitors faces. Candy Ride raced in Argentina for half of his races and then won the American Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Common Hope won her maiden before retiring with five starts. As you know, Shared Belief will always be a contender in my eyes.
Game On Dude (Awesome Again-Worldly Pleasure) will be missing his regular jockey, Mike Smith, due to him choosing Shared Belief instead. He won the Lone Star Derby (1 1/16 mile), Santa Anita Handicap (1 1/4 mile), Goodwood Stakes (1 1/8 mile), San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), Hollywood Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile), Charles Town Classic (1 1/8 mile), and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Awesome Again won the Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile), Stephen Foster (1 1/8 mile), Whitney Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Breeders' Cup Classic (1 1/4 mile). Worldly Pleasure had the lifetime stats of 31: 8-4-4. Game On Dude is a contender here.
Madison
Imperative (Bernardini-Call Her) got his big break with a second in the San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), a 3rd in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (1 1/4 mile) and a win in the Charles Town Classic (1 1/8), all of which he beat fellow runner Game On Dude. Bernardini was a rather accomplished runner with a win in the Withers (1 mile), Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 mile), Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile), Travers (1 1/4 mile) and the Jockey Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile). He came 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Call Her was a black-type winner but only had one win of the type. Imperative has the pedigree and has beat these horses at least once but he isn't a very consistent runner.
Sky Kingdom (Empire Maker- Sky Beam) attempted to beat grade one winners in the Hollywood Gold Cup but only managed a third, a very narrow third, out of a field of five. Empire Maker won the Florida Derby (1 1/8 mile), Wood Memorial (1 1/4 mile) and the Belmont Stakes (1 1/2 mile). He came 2nd in the Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 mile) and the Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile). Sky Bean started seven times and never finished better than fourth. I don't think I like his pedigree but he would be a great dark horse.
Irish Surf (Giant's Causeway-Surfside) may run in the Pacific Classic but right now it seems he is headed to the Del Mar Handicap. A last minute entry, Ice Cream Truck, is yet another pretender in this race.
You Know I Know (Simon Pure-Magic Show) didn't race until he was a three-year old and during his first campaign he started in optional claimings and claimings. He has yet to win a graded stakes race but he came third in Hagyard Fayette Stakes (1 1/8 mile), San Diego Handicap (1 1/16 mile) and last year's Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Simon Pure never won a graded stakes with his best placing coming in the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Stakes (1 1/16 mile) in which he came second. Magic Show was unstarted. You Know I Know doesn't have the best pedigree but his last races were impressive.
Not getting his real potential tapped into until he was five, Clubhouse Ride (Candy Ride-Seeking Results) has impressed many people lately. As a five year old he only won the Californian Stakes (1 1/8 mile) but he came second in the San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), Santa Anita Handicap (1 1/4 mile) and the Charles Town Classic (1 1/8 mile). This year the stallion repeated his Californian Stakes win and included a second in the Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile). Candy Ride has another son in this race, the undefeated Shared Belief. He raced in Argentina for half of his races and then won the American Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Seeking Results did not win any of her ten races. If Clubhouse Ride repeats what he has been doing lately it should be a great race.
Toast of New York (Thewayyouare-Claire Soleil) is going to be dropped. He started once in America which resulted in a sixth. I willing skipping over Frac Daddy (Scat Daddy-Skipper's Mate) because I don't feel he is getting the proper rest.
Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor-Champagne Royale) really got his career going with a win over Game On Dude. He won the Tokyo City Cup Stakes (1 1/2 mile) and the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (1 1/4 mile). Rockport Harbor won the Nashua Stakes (1 mile), Remsen Stakes (1 1/8 mile) and the Essex Handicap (1 1/16 mile). Champagne Royale only won at the allowance optional claiming level with her only graded stakes attempt resulting in a seventh. If Majestic Harbor repeats his Gold Cup win he should have a great chance.
Shared Belief (Candy Ride-Common Hope) is undefeated in five races. He has started at grade one, two and three with an allowance race and, of course, his maiden race. His first graded win was the Hollywood Prevue (7 furlongs) with his next being the Cashcall Futurity (1 1/16 mile), where he beat Candy Boy and Tamarando. After a six month break due to an injury he came back and won an allowance race (6 furlongs) over older horses. Perhaps his latest win was his best win. In the Los Alamitos Derby Shared Belief stretched out to 1 1/8 mile and took the reins of his dirt debut, churning plenty of it into his competitors faces. Candy Ride raced in Argentina for half of his races and then won the American Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Common Hope won her maiden before retiring with five starts. As you know, Shared Belief will always be a contender in my eyes.
Game On Dude (Awesome Again-Worldly Pleasure) will be missing his regular jockey, Mike Smith, due to him choosing Shared Belief instead. He won the Lone Star Derby (1 1/16 mile), Santa Anita Handicap (1 1/4 mile), Goodwood Stakes (1 1/8 mile), San Antonio Stakes (1 1/8 mile), Hollywood Gold Cup (1 1/4 mile), Charles Town Classic (1 1/8 mile), and the Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile). Awesome Again won the Jim Dandy (1 1/8 mile), Stephen Foster (1 1/8 mile), Whitney Handicap (1 1/8 mile) and the Breeders' Cup Classic (1 1/4 mile). Worldly Pleasure had the lifetime stats of 31: 8-4-4. Game On Dude is a contender here.
Contenders:
-Game On Dude
-Shared Belief
-Majestic Harbor
-Clubhouse Ride
-You Know I Know
Pretenders:
-Toast of New York
-Irish Surf
-Mystery Train
-Imperative
-Ice Cream Truck
-Frac Daddy
Until next time,Madison
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