Hronis Racing and partners' undefeated Flightline has been made the 1-5 favorite against five rivals in Saturday's 32nd running of the $1-million TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
The 4-year-old son of Tapit, an impressive winner of his four starts so far, including a pair of Grade I scores, drew Post 5 in the compact field at a special draw party Tuesday afternoon at The Brigantine restaurant, which sits on the high ground overlooking the racetrack in north San Diego County.
Conditioner John Sadler has been training Flightline at Del Mar all summer and the big colt has appeared silky smooth in his weekly morning drills as he prepares for his first attempt at a mile and one quarter. Come Saturday, he'll be reunited with the only partner he's ever known, four-time Del Mar summer riding champ Flavien Prat, who'll jet in from his new riding headquarters in New York for the mount.
Flightline's 1-5 odds match the shortest morning line price in the race's history, the same one hung on the mighty Cigar as he tried for a record-setting 17th straight victory in the sixth Pacific Classic in 1996. The two-time Horse of the Year – who went off at 1-10 that afternoon — was defeated in that race by 39-1 Dare And Go in one of racing's great upsets.
Those ready to give the 2022 favorite a go are Commonwealth Thoroughbreds or Winstar Farm and Zedan Racing Stables' Country Grammer (Post 2); C R K Stable's Express Train (Post 4); Jay Em Ess Stable's Extra Hope (Post 1); Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship (Post 3), and Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Post 6).
The TVG Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race, meaning the winning horse has a guaranteed spot, with all fees paid, in the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be held at Keeneland in Kentucky on Nov. 5.
The TVG Pacific Classic will be Race 10 on an 11-race program with a first post of 1 p.m.
| Post Position | Horse/Jockey | Morning Line Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EXTRA HOPE Tyler Baze |
30-1 |
| 2 | COUNTRY GRAMMER John Velazquez |
4-1 |
| 3 | ROYAL SHIP (BRZ) Mike Smith |
8-1 |
| 4 | EXPRESS TRAIN Victor Espinoza |
12-1 |
| 5 | FLIGHTLINE Flavien Prat |
1/5 |
| 6 | STILLETO BOY Juan J. Hernandez |
20-1 |
The post TVG Pacific Classic: Flightline Installed 1-5 Favorite In Field Of Six appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Jockey Gerard Melancon, a mainstay atop the riding standings in his home state of Louisiana, was arrested Aug. 26 on a charge related to the alleged possession of an electrical shocking device after Evangeline Downs stewards reported an “incident” to state police.
Ray Paulick of Paulick Report had the scoop in a Tuesday story. He cited confirmations of the “unnatural stimulation of horses” arrest from the St. Landry Parish sheriff's office, the clerk of the parish court, and the Louisiana State Police. But details were scant because of an “ongoing investigation.”
TDN attempted to contact the St. Landry Parish district attorney to find out about a court date, and whether Melancon had retained a lawyer, but had no luck reaching anyone who would comment prior to deadline for this story. Melancon himself could also not be reached for his side of the story.
The St. Landry Parish clerk of court told the Paulick Report that the 55-year-old Melancon was released on a $20,000 bail bond.
Charles Gardiner, the executive director of the Louisiana State Racing Commission, told the Paulick Report that the state police and Evangeline stewards will conduct separate investigations. But, he added, a complicating factor in the stewards' investigation is that the Evangeline race meet has ended and the stewards are not considered to be on the job 48 hours after a meet ends.
Melancon went 0-for-4 riding at Evangeline last Wednesday, Aug. 24. He was named there on mounts Thursday and Friday but did not ride either card. The day following his arrest, Melancon rode the closing-day Evangeline card Aug. 27, then rode at Louisiana Downs Aug. 28. He is named to ride at Louisiana Downs Sept. 4, 5, and 6.
Melancon has won 5,079 races from 32,444 mounts dating to 1984. In June of 2021, when profiled in the Rayne-Acadian Tribune for winning his 5,000th race, Melancon acknowledged issues in his 20s with alcohol and cocaine that nearly derailed his life and riding career. But he said he quit abusing substances in 1989 and has claimed sobriety as a recovering addict ever since.
Prior to that, Melancon's name had surfaced two alleged Louisiana race-fixing scandals.
In 1986, Melancon was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the investigation of an allegedly fixed Fair Grounds race in which he purportedly received $500 from another jockey to hold back his horse. Published news accounts at the time stated that Melancon had testified before a grand jury against the fellow riders who ended up being indicted.
In April of 1987, after jockey Bryan Jenkins was allegedly caught with an illegal shocking device at Evangeline, he testified at a racing commission hearing that Melancon had handed the device to him after obtaining it from a pony person, according to coverage of the incident in the Shreveport Times.
Even though he was never indicted in either case, citing the race-fixing allegations, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission refused to license him to ride in the 1992 GI Kentucky Derby.
In 2021, Melancon was named as a finalist for the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, which the New York Racing Association awards to a jockey who displays extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.
This summer, on June 29, Melancon joined a federal lawsuit in which two states, the Jockeys' Guild, and various Louisiana-based “covered persons” under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) are trying to get HISA derailed on alleged non-constitutionality grounds and for alleged non-compliance with federal rulemaking procedures.
The post Melancon Arrested On Evangeline ‘Buzzer’ Charge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
There is still time to make plans to travel to Del Mar for the big Labor Day racing weekend. In fact, if you fly out today, your luggage might arrive in time for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic. On second thought, don't check a bag.
According to track founder and inveterate crooner, Bing Crosby, you can also take a train or a car to where the turf meets the surf. There's also a smile on every face and a winner in each race, but I digress.
Del Mar will be racing five days this week, Thursday, Sept. 1, through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 5. While the stakes offerings are plentiful – five on Saturday, two on Sunday and two on Monday – the anticipated appearance by the unbeaten Flightline in the Pacific Classic stands head and shoulders above everything else.
There are so many questions.
-Will Flightline be able to stretch his devastating speed around two turns for the first time?
-Can this son of Tapit get the American classic distance of a mile and a quarter?
-Where should I eat and where should I go while I'm in Del Mar?
I can only speculate on the first two questions, but I know trainer John Sadler has the utmost confidence in Flightline. The colt has passed every test (OK, there have only been four since April 2021), and I've seen nothing to suggest that the longer distance will be his Achilles heel.
As for the final question, you've come to the right place. Here are my recommendations, all within a 15-minute drive of the racetrack:
Breakfast
Ki's Restaurant, 2591 S. Coast Highway 101, Cardiff, CA 92007. Two-story building on the coast road serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I'm partial to their breakfasts, including smoothies and juices. Order downstairs, then go upstairs to enjoy an incredible view of the Pacific.
Claire's on Cedros, 246 N. Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075. Just a short walk from the Solana Beach train station (you may need to park in that lot if it's a busy day). Everybody loves Claire's for breakfast, and there's a lot to like, not the least of which are the Benedicts. I always prefer their outdoor seating in back. Tell 'em Larry Collmus sent you.
Ranch 45 Local Provisions, 512 Via De La Valle, Suite 102, Solana Beach, CA 92075. Ranch 45 is located next door to the more upscale dinner spot Pamplemousse Grille and just east of the racetrack's Solana gate. Their breakfast bowls are my go-to items on a fairly limited menu. Order inside, eat outside.
Lunch
Board & Brew, 1812 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014. You won't find a better sandwich, in part because everything is fresh. Highly recommend the house specialty, the Turkado (turkey and avocado). Portions are large. If you can't eat both halves, give me a call.
The Taco Stand, 642 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024. Always busy local favorite (with multiple locations from San Diego to La Jolla and even Las Vegas) features handmade corn tortillas and offers a variety of taco options, including spicy shrimp, cactus, mushroom and of course fish, beef and chicken. Best bet is to find an “off” time away from the noon-1 p.m. rush.
Dinner
Pacific Coast Grill, 2526 S. Coast Highway 101, Cardiff, CA 92007. Oceanfront dining at its best, with outside and indoor tables. Classic, moderately priced menu heavy on fish options. Shrimp dumplings are a specialty on the appetizer menu. Have never left there disappointed.
Tony's Jacal, 621 Valley Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075. I've been singing the praises of the turkey nachos and turkey tacos at this family run operation that first opened in 1946, but the more traditional meals are very good as well. Can be very busy and Tony's Jacal does not take reservations, but the bar menu offers some of the entrees (including the nachos and tacos) if you're in a hurry.
Also worthwhile: Naked Café in Solana Beach for breakfast, Monarch Ocean Pub, Jake's or Poseidon in Del Mar for sunset drinks or dinner. The Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar, which overlooks Del Mar racetrack, has the best fish tacos in town.
Activities: Rent an e-bike for a ride up or down the coast. San Diego Electric Bike in Solana Beach has different rental packages. Hike through Torrey Pines State Reserve, entrance off Carmel Valley Road (Tip: park on Carmel Valley Road to avoid the $15 parking charge.) The more adventurous might try hang gliding or paragliding at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla.
Don't forget that post time is 1 p.m. PT for the rest of the meet with Friday's 3 p.m. starts the only exception.
The post Del Mar Summer: A Visitor’s Guide For Pacific Classic Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
