Pacific Classic

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - It is very much an understatement to say that during the first week of August 2019, West Point Thoroughbreds and their partners really got it right when purchasing two yearling colts. Maybe even struck gold. Time will tell. On Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale, West Point, headed by president and CEO Terry Finley, and a group of investors went to $1 million for Hip 80, a son of Tapit out of Feathered (Indian Charlie). He was the session topper. Named Flightline, the lightly...

Edited Press Release With closing weekends on the horizon for this summer's Saratoga and Del Mar meets, XBTV.com has already successfully captured, cataloged and uploaded nearly 2,000 morning video workouts for racing's marquee meets. The XBTV workouts are available without cost to those with a 1/ST account. "An analysis of a published workout based only on final time can lead to a faulty conclusion," said Jeff Siegel, Xpressbet.com handicapper and one of the country's most respected analysts.  "How the breeze was accomplished, and which work mate it was accomplished with,...

It was a relatively quiet Thursday last week when jockey John Velazquez registered his 1,000th victory at Saratoga, extending his record as the winningest jockey in Spa history. Sifting through the archives to get a feel for what was going on in the sport when Johnny V. won his first career race at Saratoga back on Aug. 5, 1990, yields a heady mix of nostalgia tinged with kismet. Although not considered a truly "historic" day of racing at the Spa, there are enough intriguing nuggets buried within the charts and...

After winning the GII Remsen S. and the GII Wood Memorial S. and running a credible fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) put it all together on Saturday. He was the decisive winner of the GI Belmont S. to give New Yorker Mike Repole a one-two finish in the final leg of the Triple Crown at his home track. It was a good story and a good performance from a very good horse. It was not, however, the highlight of the day. It's hard to overshadow...

Darby Dan Farm's Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro), a Grade I-winning millionaire, sired his first reported foal Jan. 26 when a filly bred by Deann Barr out of the Curlin mare Curlita was born at Julie Rini's Crowning Point Farm. Higher Power, a dominant 5 1/4-length winner of the 2019 GI Pacific Classic with a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, earned nearly $1.6 million and placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Hollywood Gold Cup and GI Awesome Again S. for owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler. Bredin Kentucky by...

Ask David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary, what he considers a key ingredient to the success of the coastal venue's latest summer season, which wrapped Monday, and his answer is a testament to the early bird. "There was lots of enthusiasm--I could go way back to March, when my phone was ringing with questions regarding our 'Ship & Win' program," said Jerkens, of a particular bait, now into its 11th year, used to hook out-of-state runners. "I just felt that buzz around Del Mar earlier than normal." All told, the...

The summer fundraiser for California Retirement Management Account raised more than $125,000 to help fund its retirement and aftercare programs. CARMAthon was promoted throughout Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card at Del Mar by TVG, which created and played videos showcasing Thoroughbreds who retired through CARMA's Placement Program in their second careers as sport horses and whose on-air commentators highlighted the importance of aftercare for the sport. "The success of CARMAthon means so much to us and the horses," said Billy Koch, CARMA's Treasurer and Little Red Feather Racing...

Del Mar set a new single-day wagering mark when $36,005,613 was wagered on the track's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card Saturday. The previous record of $25,870,431 was set on Pacific Classic day in 2018. Saturday's card at the oceanside oval, which included five graded stakes, also offered a Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot pool that finally topped out at $10,751,767. The pool consisted of a $1,874,996 carryover and "new" money of $8,876,771. Each winning ticket--and there were 822 of them--paid $10,521.50. The card had been designated as a "mandatory...

The top three finishers from the July 17 GII San Diego H. line up once again, joined by several fresh faces, in Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The winner of that event was Express Train (Union Rags), who earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for that half-length score. Winner of the GII San Pasqual S. earlier this term, the bay was second in the GI Santa Anita H. in March and third to subsequent GI Met...

The GI TVG Pacific Classic been raised back to its original purse level of $1 million for its Aug. 21 renewal. Additionally, the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 4 had its purse increased to $250,000. The TVG Pacific Classic was scheduled to have a purse of $750,000, which was an increase from its COVID-affected 2020 running at $500,000. The Del Mar Derby ran with a $200,000 purse in 2020 and was designated to do so again this year prior to this current boost. "We had fairly aggressive projections going into...

Came Home (Gone West--Nice Assay, by Mr. Prospector), a Grade I-winning juvenile who effectively carried his speed a classic distance, has passed away after a bout with colic in Japan, according to published reports. He was 22 years old. Bred by the late John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery, the half-brother to GSW A. P. Assay (A.P. Indy) was bought back on a bid of $650,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November in 1999 and failed to meet his reserve when offered as a yearling at Keeneland September and as a...

Coolmore's Ashford Stud welcomes a trio of new stallions to their program for the upcoming season. Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and Echo Town (Speightstown) will start off their stud career at the Versailles, Kentucky-based farm, while Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) will stand his first year in the States since relocating from Coolmore's headquarters in Ireland after spending two seasons there. Today we sat down with Adrian Wallace to discuss their two first-season sires. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Echo Town and Maximum Security at Ashford Stud" admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/488087819.sd.mp4?s=902aa8d5fc7cddb1f9c4423d869f0f3bd1bc6402&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/488102033.sd.mp4?s=88e78676766612a22d9a36a5a2d5fd493be0cd34&profile_id=165" thumbnail= ""]   Maximum Security...