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San Diego Top Three Return in Pac Classic

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 Mile winner Silver State (Hard Spun) in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 17. He also completed the trifecta in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup May 31.

San Diego runner-up Tripoli (Kitten's Joy) was making his black-type bow in the San Diego and third-place Royal Ship (Brz) (Midshipman) won the GII Californian S. in April.

Todd Pletcher ships in from New York with a strong contender in Dr Post (Quality Road). Capturing the GIII Westchester S. in his seasonal bow May 1, the dark bay checked in fifth in the Met Mile June 5 and returned to winning ways in the GIII Monmouth Cup July 17.

Tizamagician (Tiznow) has developed into a force to be reckoned with as a 4-year-old and has a shot at Grade I glory here. Romping by nine lengths in the GIII Tokyo City S. Apr. 18, the dark bay was second in Belmont's GII Brooklyn S. June 5 and rebounded with a win in Del Mar's 12-furlong GIII Cougar II S. July 18.

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With Breeders’ Cup Berth On Line, Express Train Installed 3-1 Favorite In $1 Million Pacific Classic

C R K Stable's Express Train, winner of the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 17, drew Post 5 and was installed the 3-1 morning line favorite to beat eight rivals on Saturday in the 31st running of the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Post positions for the 1 1/4-mile headliner for 3-year-olds and up were drawn at The Brigantine restaurant overlooking the racetrack on Tuesday afternoon with the connections of the nine runners looking on. Del Mar's morning line maker, Jon White, tabbed Express Train as a slight favorite over Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship at 7-2.

All runners will carry 124 pounds under the conditions of the race, which is part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge series that awards the victorious horse automatic entry into this year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic with all pre-entry and entry fees paid. That race will be run at Del Mar this year on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Express Train, a 4-year-old Union Rags colt, has been solid and steady throughout his 12-race career with four wins, four seconds and two thirds on his ledger for a bankroll that currently reads $659,300. He's responded well to the patient handling of trainer John Shirreffs, as well as the horsemanship of his TVG Pacific Classic rider, Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard the bay in his last six outings.

Royal Ship, a Brazilian bred by Midshipman, has steadily improved his efforts in seven U.S. starts since shipping north from his native land last year. The 5-year-old gelding has won six of 14 starts and shows earnings of $293,305. His trainer is Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, who once again has selected Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith to be his pilot on Saturday.

Next on the betting line at 4-1 is the Eastern invader Dr Post, who races for St. Elias Stable and out of the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old Quality Road colt, a winner of four of nine starts and $700,635, will be handled by Joel Rosario, a three-time Del Mar riding champion who now is based in the East.

The others in the lineup for the shore oval's premier summer offering are WinStar Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, et al's Independence Hall, My Racehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician, Hronis Racing's Tripoli, Flawless Racing, Masino Racing Stable, et al's Cupid's Claws, Summer Wind Equine's Magic On Tap and Joe Peacock's Sheriff Brown.

The TVG Pacific Classic will be the highlight of an 11-race card that includes five graded stakes, among them the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap.

Here's the field for the TVG Pacific Classic in post position order with riders and morning line odds:

Post Position	Horse/Jockey	Morning Line Odds
1	TRIPOLI Tiago J. Pereira	5-1
2	TIZAMAGICIAN Flavien Prat	5-1
3	DR POST Joel Rosario	4-1
4	ROYAL SHIP (BRZ) Mike E. Smith	7-2
5	EXPRESS TRAIN Juan J. Hernandez	3-1
6	MAGIC ON TAP Abel Cedillo	20-1
7	INDEPENDENCE HALL Florent Geroux	5-1
8	SHERIFF BROWN Edwin Maldonado	30-1
9	CUPID'S CLAWS Umberto Rispoli	15-1

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Shirreffs Works Pacific Classic Nominees Express Train, Midcourt

TVG Pacific Classic nominees Express Train and Midcourt recorded six-furlongs workouts for trainer John Shirreffs this morning with Express Train being the fastest, by nearly two seconds, of the pair.

Express Train, under Juan Hernandez, was timed in 1:12.20, fastest of 12 workers at the distance. Toby Turrell caught the 4-year-old son of Union Rags, winner of the San Diego Handicap on July 17, with splits of :24.0, :36.20, :47.60 and :59.80 en route to the official clocking and had him galloping out to seven furlongs in 1:26.40.

Midcourt, a 6-year-old gelded son of Midnight Lute, was timed in 1:14.60 under Edwin Maldonado. Midcourt ended a six-month layoff with an allowance victory at Santa Anita in June.

Shirreffs said he was pleased with both works but was, “leaning” toward running only Express Train.

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Pacific Classic Contenders Put In Final Works

Summer Wind Equine's Magic On Tap worked five furlongs under jockey Abel Cedillo in :59 flat this morning for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in a final prep for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic which is now one week away. It was one of five works, at Del Mar and Saratoga, by nominees for the signature event of the summer season.

“It went well. We're running in the Pacific Classic,” Baffert said via text of Magic On Tap's exercise.

Working with stablemate Private Mission, who Del Mar clockers also timed in :59 for five furlongs, Magic On Tap completed a series of three workouts since finishing fifth in the $250,000 Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 17.

A stumble at the start severely compromised the 5-year-old son of Tapit's chances in the 1 1/16-mile San Diego Handicap, the major prep for the 1 ¼-mile TVG Pacific Classic. Magic On Tap had arrived at Del Mar with a record of three victories in six career starts and earnings of $228,800 and was fresh from a win in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., in May.

Later in the morning, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella sent MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician out for a five-furlong work in one minute flat with an interim clocking of :36.20 under exercise rider Austin Solis, the son of retired Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis.

“He looked great. Couldn't be better,” Mandella said of the 4-year-old son of Tiznow.

Tizamagician has five wins in 18 career starts and earnings of $427,851. He stamped himself as a TVG Pacific Classic contender by winning the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 Cougar II Stakes on July 18.

Perry and Denise Martin's Mo Mosa, trained by Michael Maker, went five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Del Mar under exercise rider Marcelo Medina in a team work with stablemate Fight On. Track clockers recorded splits of :11.2; :23.0; :35.2, and a final quarter in :25.1.

“It was a great work, we were very pleased with it,” said Nolan Ramsey, in charge of the Del Mar string for Maker. “We need to speak with the owners. The Pat O'Brien is an option, but it (Pacific Classic) is still on the table for discussion.”

Mo Mosa finished fourth — behind TVG Pacific Classic nominees Express Train, Tripoli, and Royal Ship – in the San Diego Handicap shipping in from a stakes victory in May at Lone Star Park in Texas.

Cupid's Claws, owned by Flawless Racing and partners and trained by Craig Dollase, worked five furlongs from the gate at Del Mar in 1:00 under Umberto Rispoli.

“He looked good and he finished up very well,” Dollase said. “It's a go for the Pacific Classic.”

At Saratoga, Todd Pletcher-trained Dr Post worked four furlongs in :49.22, 27th of 80 at the distance. “We're pleased with his workout and he'll go west,” Pletcher said. “He is scheduled to ship on Tuesday.”

TVG Pacific Classic nominee The Great One went six furlongs in 1:13.20, but trainer Doug O'Neill said the 3-year-old is more likely to stay in competition with his age group peers in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes on August 29. Trainer Mike McCarthy said Independence Hall, who worked Friday, still has the Charlestown Classic as the main target.

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