Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Add Bal Harbour to Classic list
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 17 may have its largest field in six years.
Racing officials said on Friday that Bal Harbour, second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park on July 20, is a likely runner, bringing the list of candidates to 11. The 2013 running had 12 starters.
Bal Harbour is trained by Todd Pletcher and would be his first starter at a Del Mar summer meeting. Pletcher had six runners at Del Mar on Breeders’ Cup weekend in November 2017.
Bal Harbour is one of five shippers among the probable starters, along with Quip, Seeking the Soul, Tenfold, and War Story. The locally based candidates are Campaign, Draft Pick, For the Top, Higher Power, Mongolian Groom, and Pavel.
There were seven runners last year, including Pavel, who finished a well-beaten second to Accelerate.
The $1 million Pacific Classic is run at 1 1/4 miles. The winner will receive a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
The prospective field lacks a standout. Campaign, Quip, Seeking the Soul, Tenfold, and War Story have won graded stakes this year, but none has won a Grade 1 race this year.
The Pacific Classic is part of a rich day of five graded stakes.
The Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf will include Mucho Unusual, the winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at a mile on turf on July 20, and Cambier Parc and Dogtag, stakes winners trained in New York by Chad Brown.
Other candidates are Apache Princess, Hidden Message, Lady Prancealot, and Maxim Rate in what is expected to be a large field.
Marckie’s Water and United, the first two finishers of the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita on May 25, will meet in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf. The winner of the $250,000 race will receive a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
Itsinthepost, second in the 2017 Del Mar Handicap and seventh in the race last year, is another contender in the Del Mar Handicap. Itsinthepost was second in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on turf behind Campaign on July 24 in his second start of the year.
The Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on dirt is the goal for the sprint stakes winner Sneaking Out, who was scheduled to be withdrawn from Friday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares, trainer Keith Desormeaux said.
The Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf is likely to include Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018, and Eddie Haskell, who has won two turf sprint stakes this year.
Close-call filly makes debut
Inspiressa will have her career debut in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies in Sunday’s fourth race at Del Mar.
She has already become a sentimental favorite for trainer John Sadler after an incident during training hours here on July 18 when Inspiressa narrowly avoided a collision that caused the death of two horses.
Sadler recalled on Friday that Inspiressa was working around the clubhouse turn under jockey Victor Espinoza when a horse unseated his rider, reversed direction, and ran into the path of horses working on the turn. The riderless horse collided with a runner who was working alongside Inspiressa, Sadler said.
“It was so scary,” Sadler said. “It happened so fast. They had no time to react.”
After the near-miss, Sadler decided to wait a few weeks to prepare Inspiressa for her debut.
“I had to take my time,” he said.
Inspiressa was purchased for $850,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s auction of 2-year-olds in training in March. She was the most expensive filly of the sale. Owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, William Sandbrook, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Inspiressa is part of a tough field. She is likely to be near the front under Espinoza.
“I don’t think she’s all speed, but she is fast,” Sadler said.
The race drew a field of eight. The favorite may be America’s Surprise, who is by American Pharoah and is a half-sister to the two-time champion Songbird. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer trained Songbird and has America’s Surprise, who starts from the outside post.
“She’s been steadily improving,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s pretty quick. I prefer to have an outside post. It gives her a better chance to be clear.”
There will also be support for Superstition, a full sister to the stakes winner Gloryzapper trained by Richard Mandella, and Bast, who is by Uncle Mo and is trained by Bob Baffert. Both have worked quickly in recent weeks.
Stronach exec takes new role
Aidan Butler, the chief strategy officer of The Stronach Group, the parent company of Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita, has been given the additional role of acting executive director of the company’s California racing operations, according to a statement released on Thursday.
One of Butler’s primary responsibilities will be the continuation of policies enacted earlier this year to improve horse safety after 30 horses were euthanized as a result of injuries in training or racing during the track’s six-month meeting from late December to June 23.
Earlier this year, Santa Anita announced several protocols to enhance safety, including greater oversight of which horses are allowed to train and race and a reduction in raceday medications.