Going straight to the front at the start under Flavien Prat, Zedan Racing Stables' Arabian Knight set all the fractions and held off a late charge from Geaux Rocket Ride to win the 33rd running of the Grade 1, $1-million FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Arabian Knight ran the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:03.19 after setting fractions of :23.35, :46.60, 1:11.42 and 1:36.84. He paid $6.20 to win as the favorite.
Geaux Rocket Ride, who defeated Arabian Knight when they met last out in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park July 22, finished second, Slow Down Andy third, and Senor Buscador fourth in the field of 10. The first two finishers, along with Skinner, were 3-year-olds who carried 118 pounds. Older horses toted 124.
The Pacific Classis is a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series race, giving the winner an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic to be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
A son of Uncle Mo out of the Astrology mare, Borealis Night, Arabian Knight was making just his fourth career start in the Pacific Classic. Bred in Kentucky by Corser Thoroughbreds, Arabian Knight was first sold for $250,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Terrazas Thoroughbreds consignment. Top Line Sales then consigned Arabian Knight at the OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training, where Zedan Racing paid $2.3 million to acquire him.
Arabian Knight debuted on Breeders' Cup day at Keeneland last Nov. 5, winning a seven-furlong maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. He didn't surface again until Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park, going wire to wire on a sloppy track to win the G3 Southwest Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths.
The colt had some setbacks that kept him off the Triple Crown trail, but when he returned for the Haskell he was well backed as the 11-10 favorite. He showed speed that day, setting all the pace before Geaux Rocket Ride ran him down to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
The victory was the seventh in the Pacific Classic for Hall of Famer Baffert, putting him one ahead of the late Robert Frankel as the winningest trainer in the race's history. This was Prat's third Pacific Classic win, including last year's victor, Flightline.
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