2024 Pacific Classic Preview

A bid to the Breeders’ Cup Classic is up for grabs Saturday, August 31, in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar! The 1 ¼-mile dirt race is a showpiece of the West Coast handicap division every year, and the 2024 edition is no different.

Adare Manor was the headliner in the original draw, though she was scratched after tying up after a Thursday-morning gallop. The field still includes horses including Grade 1 winner There Goes Harvard, graded-stakes mainstays Il Miracolo and Reincarnate, as well as the improving Dr. Venkman.

This prestigious race is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, and it often defines top contenders for the end-of-season race. Two horses have swept the Pacific Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year: Flightline (2022) and Accelerate (2018). Pleasantly Perfect also won both, but not in the same year: he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2003 and the Pacific Classic the next year.

Pacific Classic Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 31
• Track: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
• Post Time: 6:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ¼ miles on the dirt
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and upward
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2024 Pacific Classic Draw and Odds

This is the field for the Pacific Classic, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and official morning-line odds for each runner.

Pacific Classic Prep Race Results

The eight horses expected to run come out of seven different spots. The only race with more than one last-out runner is the traditional local prep, the San Diego (G2). The top two finishers return for the flagship race: Dr. Venkman won the 1 1/16-mile race in stalk-and-pounce fashion on July 27, while Katonah rallied from a little further back to be second, beaten a length.

Three others come out of graded-stakes races. Il Miracolo was most recently second beaten 1 ½ lengths in the Philip Iselin (G3) at Monmouth on August 17, where he disputed the pace but could not match Subsanador late. Reincarnate, sent off odds-on in the 1 ½-mile Cougar II (G3) on July 25, stalked the pace and had to settle for second, 10 ¼ lengths adrift of the improving Midnight Mammoth. There Goes Harvard was last seen in the Eddie Read (G2) on July 28, going 1 ⅛ miles on the lawn. He chased midfield, had a little trip trouble late, and ultimately finished ninth and last, 5 ¾ lengths behind winner Johannes.

Two others come out of ungraded stakes. Mixto set the early pace in the Pleasanton Mile on July 7, proving no match for Lammas late and finishing second by two lengths. None Above the Law rallied for third, 1 ¾ lengths behind On the Whim, in the California Dreamin’ Stakes on August 23 on the Del Mar turf; he did win a California-bred stakes at a mile on dirt two back.

The only runner coming out of a non-stakes engagement is Full Serrano. The Argentina-bred, began the American phase of his career on August 3 with a victory in a first-level dirt mile allowance at Del Mar.

Pacific Classic Top Contenders

These are the leading contenders in the 2024 edition of the Pacific Classic:

• Adare Manor (post 7): The original morning-line favorite was scratched Friday after she tied up after her gallop on Thursday.
• Dr. Venkman (post 3): This four-year-old only has five starts underneath him, and only one try at two turns. However, that first-ever two-turn try was a good one: he stalked, pounced, and won the local prep for this race despite jumping late. He’ll need to keep his focus over this longer distance, with some good horses in the mix. But, he has never run a bad race and he is three-for-three at Del Mar, meaning bettors can expect another good effort. In fact, the defection of Adare Manor makes him the horse to beat.
• Full Serrano (post 6): He has to take a step forward from his last race, especially since it came against first-level allowance company. However, his form in Argentina suggests the mile and a quarter may be the key. Even though he was off the board in his only 1 ¼-mile dirt try, that came over a wet-fast track much earlier in his career. More recent 1 ¼-mile tries on turf were better, including a handicap last December and a nose loss in a Group 3. He handled the Del Mar dirt well enough last out to suggest he can produce a good effort for John Sadler, a trainer who has won four of the last six Pacific Classics.
• Il Miracolo (post 1): A plucky fixture in the handicap division, he hasn’t won a Grade 1 yet but he always tries and he often outruns his odds. The rail has been playing well at Del Mar, and he is tactical enough to run well whether he disputes the pace or comes from just a bit off. And, perhaps the extra bit of distance helps Il Miracolo along—being by Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare, there is enough distance in his pedigree to make it worth a shot, especially in a field with no proven ten-furlong monsters.
• Katonah (post 5): Laid off for over a year, Katonah returned to finish a quality second behind Dr. Venkman in the San Diego Handicap last month. He has the tactical ability to sit off the pace and stay out of a battle – which will be a bit less intense without Adare Manor, but may still unfold. The distance is the question, as he has never gone past 1 1/16 miles and this time he stretches out to 1 ¼. But, if he steps forward second off the layoff, he may get a good enough trip to pick up some pieces.
• Reincarnate (post 4): Reincarnate does his best work when he can make the front. With the scratch of Adare Manor, he should have a better time making it to the lead. He won’t likely be all alone, with several others in the field frequently showing speed. But, if he can run the sort of race like he did in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita two starts back, he may be able to dispute terms and hang on for a share.

Pacific Classic FAQ

Q: When is the Pacific Classic?

A: The Pacific Classic happens on Saturday, August 31, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The million-dollar race will run as the featured 10th of 11 races on the card.

Q: Where is the Pacific Classic?

A: It takes place at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Pacific Classic?

A: Bob Baffert has won a record seven editions of the Pacific Classic, most recently in 2023 with Arabian Knight. He can extend his record if either Adare Manor or Reincarnate wins.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Pacific Classic?

A: With the scratch of Adare Manor, San Diego Handicap winner Dr. Venkman will be the favorite for trainer Mark Glatt and jockey Antonio Fresu.

Q: Who is the best Pacific Classic jockey?

A: Garrett Gomez and Mike Smith are tied for the most wins with four. Smith, who last won the Pacific Classic in 2014 with the great Shared Belief, can take the record on his own if he guides Il Miracolo to victory this year.

Q: Who won the Pacific Classic in 2023?

A: Arabian Knight won the 2023 Pacific Classic for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat. Prat will be riding at Kentucky Downs on Saturday, but Baffert has named Juan Hernandez on Adare Manor and Kazushi Kimura on Reincarnate.

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