John Shirreffs | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Royal Ship Looms The Horse To Beat In Saturday’s San Diego ‘Cap

The Brazilian-bred 5-year-old Royal Ship has found his footing on dry land of late and could take a lot of beating at Del Mar Saturday as he heads a field of nine in the 80th edition of the $250,000, Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.

The gelded son of Del Mar's 2008 Del Mar Futurity winner, Midshipman, fired two big shots at Santa Anita this spring, winning the Grade 2 Californian and being beaten a head in the Grade 1 Gold Cup. Both races were on the main track, a relatively new chapter for the South American who had raced primarily on the turf.

The bay will go postward Saturday with a couple of sizeable pluses in his sails. First, he's trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, always a good thing for a horse, especially so if you've come north from South America, a Mandella specialty. Then Royal Ship also gets the advantage of being guided by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, a man who has ridden more stakes winners then there are sailboats on San Diego Bay on a Sunday afternoon. The likely race favorite will pack topweight of 124 pounds and break from Post 4.

Second highweight at 123 and likely the favorite's chief threat is CRK Stable's Express Train, a hard-knocking colt by Union Rags who has won a graded stakes and been placed in three others thus far in 2021. The John Shirreff's trained 4-year-old will get the saddle services of his regular partner, J. J. Hernandez, as they start their journey from Post 5 right alongside Royal Ship.

Here's the full field for the San Diego from the rail out with weights and riders:

Daniell or Daniell's Rushie (121, Umberto Rispoli)
John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye (120, Victor Espinoza)
Joe Peacock's Sheriff Brown (118, Edwin Maldonado)
Royal Ship
Express Train
Martin or Martin's Mo Mosa (120, Ramon Vazquez)
Summer Wind Equine's Magic On Tap (120, Abel Cedillo)
Hronis Racing's Tripoli (118, Tiago Pereira)
Hronis Racing's Heywoods Beach (118, Trevor McCarthy)

The San Diego is considered the shore track's key prep race for its centerpiece – the $750,000 TVG Pacific Classic, which this year will be run on Saturday, August 21. It goes at a mile and a quarter for 3-year-olds and up.

Also on the Saturday card is the Osunitas Stakes, an overnight for fillies and mares that carries an $80,000 purse. The mile on the turf has drawn a field of nine, including a pair out of trainer Richard Baltas' barn in Nasty and Ippodamia's Girl.

First post Saturday is 2 p.m. for the 11-race card.

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Allowance Winner Lambeau Faces Comebacking Eight Rings In Triple Bend

Fresh off a rousing gate to wire allowance win at one mile, the John Shirreffs-trained Lambeau is well positioned to make his stakes debut as he cuts back to a sprint for the first time in his career in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita.

Originally run at Hollywood Park, the Triple Bend will be run for the 70th time on Saturday as a field of five older horses will compete at seven furlongs.

In a wide open affair, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings and Peter Eurton's Exaulted would both also appear to have big chances.

Owned by Jerome S. Moss, Lambeau, a 5-year-old full horse by First Samurai, was off at 16-1 in a second condition allowance on April 10 and he led every step of the way to win by one length when ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, who rides him back in the Triple Bend. A winner of three out of his seven starts, Lambeau is untested at the trip and level, but has never been better.

A runaway winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at age two in September, 2019, Eight Rings has been idle since well beaten in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 1. With an outstanding work tab to his credit, Eight Rings will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat in what will be his seventh career start.

A 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker out of the Pure Prize mare Purely Hot, Eight Rings is owned by Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, SF Racing, LLC and Starlight Racing.

Third, beaten four lengths by runaway winner Brickyard Ride in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs March 6, Exaulted rates a huge chance and will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo. A 4-year-old colt by Twirling Candy, out of the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle., Exaulted is owned by C R K Stable and has trained well since the San Carlos, evidenced by a pair of bullet five furlong works on May 8 and May 15.

THE GRADE 2 TRIPLE BEND STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Exaulted—Abel Cedillo—120
Lambeau—Edwin Maldonado—120
Shooters Shoot—Umberto Rispoli—120
Magic On Tap—Juan Hernandez—120
Eight Rings—Flavien Prat—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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