This will be the 44th running of the Native Diver, named for one of California's greatest stakes horses and its first to win $1 million in purses. The initial 36 editions of the race were conducted at the now-closed Hollywood Park, while the seven most recent have been held at Del Mar.

A check of the past performances of the eight runners tells you right away that they're stacked as close as a pile of bricks on a construction site. Morning line maker Jon White got out his hammer and chisel and managed to separate them as best he could, making the favorite a lukewarm 7/2, dropping a pair of horses in right behind at 4-1, one at 5-1 and two more at 6-1. We're talking tight here, folks.

That lukewarm favorite is Eight Rings, the 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker owned by the collection of Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables, SF Racing and Starlight Racing. Bob Baffert trains the $414,451 earner and has secured the saddle services of Juan Hernandez for the nine-furlong journey Saturday.

The two runners right behind him at 4-1 on the line are C R K Stable's Midcourt, who won this race in 2019 and finished second in it in 2020, and Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Azul Coast, a Super Saver 4-year-old colt who now has three races under his belt this year after 10-month layoff.

Here's the full field for the Native Diver from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

1. Iavarone or Iavarone's Established (Victor Espinoza, 6-1)
2. Midcourt (Edwin Maldonado)
3. Bernsen, Cady or Lambert, et al's Wicket Trick (Umberto Rispoli, 8-1)
4. Red Oak Stable's Bal Harbour (Joe Bravo, 8-1)
5. Azul Coast (Flavien Prat)
6. Eight Rings
7. Patti and Hal Earnhardt's Ax Man (Mike Smith, 6-1)
8. John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye (Kent Desormeaux, 5-1)

Eight Rings chased blitzing Life Is Good in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last out on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. He turned in a bullet five-furlong drill at Santa Anita subsequently on Nov. 15.

Midcourt, a 6-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute, has finished in the top three in 13 of his 18 starts and sports a bankroll of $613,195. He's a multiple-stakes winner.

Azul Coast should be ready to fire his best shot now. He's had a series of good works of late since finishing unplaced in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Ax Man, a 6-year-old gelding by the Candy Ride stallion Misremembered, will be making his first start in six months. He's won seven races and $363,797.

Trainer Baffert not only oversees Eight Rings, but also Azul Coast and Ax Man.

First post for the Saturday card is at 12:30 p.m.

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Although a cloud of uncertainty continues to hover over the validity of the Derby result due to the fact the Kentucky Racing Commission has not yet issued a ruling on Medina Spirit's positive test for an excessive amount of the permitted steroid betamethasone, the Florida-bred colt by Protonico has gone on to finish third in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes May 15 and he comes off a sharp gate to wire score in the ungraded Shared Belief Stakes going one mile at Del Mar Aug. 29.

Entered but scratched by Bob Baffert out of last Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, Medina Spirit stayed home and drilled a solid five furlongs Saturday in 59.80, fourth best of 59 at the distance. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., Medina Spirit, who was purchased for a bargain $35,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' July Sale of 2-year-olds in training and older horses, has now amassed earnings of more than $2.3 million. With a win in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his third start on Jan. 30 and three seconds from four starts at Santa Anita, Medina Spirit has an overall mark of 8-4-3-1.

An overachiever with an abundance of natural speed, look for regular rider John Velazquez to send Medina Spirit in a race that will unquestionably command the focus of the entire racing world.

John Sadler's Tripoli, an up and coming 4-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy, has the look of a “now” horse as he comes off a scintillating 1 ¼ length score going a mile and a quarter in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Aug. 21, a race in which he pressed the early pace en route to his third win from six starts this year. A maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs on turf in his second start here on June 14, 2020, Tripoli will be making his second Santa Anita main track start on Saturday.

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, Tripoli has had three recorded works since his Pacific Classic win, his most recent a five furlong drill at Santa Anita Sept. 26 in 1:00.20, which ranked sixth of 89 that morning. With his first career stakes victory in-hand, he'll again be ridden by Tiago Pereira.

Well beaten by Tripoli as the 2-1 favorite in the Pacific Classic, the John Shirreffs-trained Express Train, a forwardly placed winner of the Grade II San Diego Handicap two starts back on July 17, will try to bounce back with regular rider Juan Hernandez up. A close second five starts back in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 6, Express Train, who is owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, LLC, is 6-1-3-1 at Santa Anita and should bounce back with a much improved effort on Saturday.

C R K and Shirreffs will also send out the venerable but quirky 6-year-old gelding Midcourt, who will likely be forwardly placed in the early going.

Sent to San Luis Rey Downs over the summer, the Richard Baltas-trained Idol will be making his first start since rallying from off the pace to win the Santa Anita Handicap, which was his first stakes win. Lightly raced, this 4-year-old colt by Curlin has three wins from six starts and he's got a pair of local works to his credit for his return, a five furlong drill in 1:01.40 on Sept. 19 and six furlongs on Sept. 26 in 1:12 flat. Owned by Calvin Nguyen, Idol will be out to validate his Big 'Cap score and to make his way on to the Breeders' Cup Classic stage.

Tizamagician, who earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure while finishing second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Tripoli in the Pacific Classic, can be counted upon to be sent early as he again tries to employ gate to wire tactics with Flavien Prat up. Trained by Richard Mandella and owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, this 4-year-old colt by Tiznow is enjoying a terrific year with three wins and as many second from seven starts and 2021 earnings of $487,000.

THE GRADE 1 AWESOME AGAIN WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1. Tizamagician—Flavien Prat—124
2. Midcourt—Edwin Maldonado—122
3. Express Train—Juan Hernandez—124
4. Stilleto Boy—Kent Desormeaux—118
5. Medina Spirit—John Velazquez—122
6. Azul Coast—Abel Cedillo—122
7. Tripoli—Tiago Pereira–126
8. Idol—Joe Bravo—124

The Awesome Again is one of five stakes to be run a blockbuster 11-race card Saturday. Special early first post time is 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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While separated by two years in age, the stablemates also share the same breeder. Dixiana Farm sold Midcourt to David Ingordo, who signed on behalf of Mayberry Farm, for $450,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale. Two years later, Express Train was purchased by the same connections for $500,000.

This year, Ingordo went back to the well for another Dixiana-bred to send on to Shirreffs for CRK Stable. During the second session of the Keeneland September Sale, he purchased Dixiana's Quality Road colt out of their stakes-placed homebred Brielle's Appeal (English Channel) for $1.15 million.

Steve Cauthen, who serves as Dixiana's racing manager, said their team was thrilled with the final hammer price.

“By the time we led him up into the ring, we knew he was a very popular horse and that we were going to be well-paid for him, but I don't think we were thinking he was going to pass the million-dollar mark,” he admitted. “But it was a good sale and he was a good horse out of a young mare and Quality Road is about as hot as any stallion on the market. So all the stars came together and worked for us.”

The successful sale was significant for the colt's breeders as it was the first million-dollar yearling produced by the farm's current owners, William and Donna Shively.

“The great thing that made Mr. Shively very happy was the fact that we bred and raced the dam and now we bred this horse,” Cauthen explained. “That's what you do this for. When you lead them up into that ring, it's like you're watching your kid playing soccer. When they do well, you're very proud about it.”

It was a symbolic purchase for Ingordo as well, as it marked the longstanding connection he shares with Dixiana Farm and the colt's female family.

Brielle's Appeal takes an allowance at Keeneland by over five lengths in 2018 | Coady

“When I was about 21, I worked at Walmac Farm under Johnny Jones,” Ingordo recalled. “One weekend, I had forgotten that there was an appointment and I had gone out on the farm jogging with my dog. Then this appointment showed up and it was Bill Shively. That was about 24 years ago, but it was one of those things that was probably fate because I hit it off with Bill immediately and he has been a good friend of mine since. He's given me a lot of good advice about life and business, and hopefully I've given him some good horse advice.”

One important tip that Ingordo offered to Shively came a few years later in 2006, when Ingordo recommended the purchase of an unraced 3-year-old named Court of Appeal (Deputy Minister). Dixiana Stables purchased the mare, who was in foal to Quiet American, for $335,000.

Two years later, Court of Appeal's Quiet American filly was offered at the Keeneland September Sale and Ingordo signed the $250,000 ticket on the yearling for Padua Stables..

“My arrangement with Padua was that I owned part of every horse,” Ingordo said. “She was kind of a start-and-stop filly, but we finally got her to Todd Pletcher.”

The filly, named Authenticity, didn't make her first start until she was four, but would eventually claim the GII La Troienne S. and GIII Shuvee H. while also running second in three Grade I contests. Sold for $1.2 million to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in 2013, she is now responsible for recently-retired MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown).

In 2014, Court of Appeal produced a filly by English Channel. Dixiana sent the homebred to trainer Albert Stall. Named Brielle's Appeal, the filly won on debut at Kentucky Downs at three before later adding an allowance win at Keeneland to her resume and running third in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. Retired to the farm where she was foaled in 2019, her first foal was the million-dollar Quality Road colt.

“I've been following [this colt] for almost a year,” Ingordo said. “On my internal notes that I made for myself and for the farm, he always scored very, very highly. Because I knew his pedigree so well, it all added up to a million-dollar plus sale.”

“There are two kinds of people in this business,” he continued. “There are the ones that let the horses do the talking and the ones that the humans do the talking for. Mr. Shively is one that lets his horses do the talking. I think it was a great honor for him to sell a horse like this. He's been a big supporter of racing for a very long time, but he's only getting started in a lot of ways. His family is involved and he's setting up for the long run.”

Dixiana Farm, a historic landmark in Lexington for well over a century, was purchased by Bill and Donna Shively in 2004. Cauthen, who has been on the farm's team for six years, spoke on the relationship Dixiana holds with Ingordo.

“David is obviously a good horseman and he likes the way Dixiana breeds and raises their horses,” he said. “He's around the farm a lot and gets to watch the horses as they're growing and maturing. We're happy to have the association with David. He's been a big part of helping our farm continue to succeed and grow.”

Dixiana Farm's Bill Shively | Keeneland

“Mr. Shively does such a good job of raising them,” Ingordo said. “No expense is spared for the horses and it gives you confidence to go and buy them and try to develop them. A rising tide lifts all boats, so these pedigrees continue to improve and it's a symbiotic relationship. My clients asks to buy Dixiana-breds because we've had such good luck with them.”

In addition to purchasing the $1.15 million Quality Road colt at the September Sale, Ingordo also went to $300,000 for the Accelerate half-brother to CRK Stable's Express Train–the goal being that this pair of youngsters can follow the same path as their two Dixiana-bred predecessors

“It's fine to sell a horse for a lot of money, but how many Express Trains and Midcourts are there that people give $450,000 and $500,000 for, but they never run,” Ingordo said. “It's a really positive thing for Dixiana that their horses sell for top dollar and then they go on and perform. That's something we don't always see. One of the great things about Dixiana is that they raise their horses really organically. They have good land and do everything right.”

While Brielle's Appeal did not produce a foal this year, she is now in foal to Speightstown. The closely-related cross to the speedy Charlatan could be an exciting sales prospect in just a few years.

“We're thinking maybe a champion in the Breeders' Cup Mile,” Cauthen said with a laugh, then added that Shively has expressed an interest in putting more focus on producing quality turf runners.

“[Shively] is a big fan of turf racing,” he said. “Compared to back when I was riding, there are at least twice as many turf races and turf stakes races, so I'm all for it. That's one of his main focuses, but obviously the goal is to raise good horses. Raise them healthy and do it the right way. We race a few, but mainly we breed for the sales. I think we're starting to really find our footing in the sales arena and hopefully now on the racetrack as well.”

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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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The top three from the GIII Native Diver S.–Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby), Midcourt (Midnight Lute) and Combatant (Scat Daddy)–take a crack at the Baffert heavy hitter here. Combatant scored a career-high earlier this year with a neck success in the GI Santa Anita H. Midcourt is still awaiting a top-level score, but has placed in several Grade Is this term, including the Aug. 22 GI Pacific Classic and Sept. 26 GI Awesome Again S.

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This year – in another four-horse field at the Del Mar, Calif., track – the roles flipped.

Extra Hope and rider Juan Hernandez made the lead out of the gate and led Midcourt and Victor Espinoza from break to finish, scoring nicely in the Grade 3, $100,000 contest. His winning margin was only a length, but in the counting house and the record books a win is most certainly a win. Fractions were :23.86  :47.79  1:11.45  1:37.02  1:50.11

“That was the plan – to go for the lead right away,” said Hernandez. “He helped me a lot the way he broke so good out of there. Then he was running nice an easy for me; he was relaxed. At the quarter pole I asked him and he gave me a good reply.”

“That's (front running) what we planned with Extra Hope,” said Mandella. “I told (Juan Hernandez) 'Spin the tires' out of the gate a little bit. He (Extra Hope) kind of doesn't take life real serious, so he wasn't getting out of his training what he needed to before his first race off the layoff. But the one race did it. He's been doing good since then. We'll look at the Big 'Cap (next year) and possibly the San Antonio on opening day at Santa Anita.”

Extra Hope, a 4-year-old colt by Shanghai Bobby, earned a check for $60,000 for capturing his first stakes race and increased his bankroll to $294,831 with his fourth win in 14 starts. The victory was extra sweet for the lady behind Jay Em Ess Stable –Samantha Siegel. She also bred Extra Hope.

Finishing third in the lineup was Hronis Racing's Combatant and filling out the field was Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship, who stumbled badly out of the gate and nearly unseated rider Mike Smith.

Extra Hope ran the mile and one-eighth in 1:50.11 and paid $10.40 and $2.80. Midcourt, the 2/5 favorite, returned $2.10. There was no show wagering in the short lineup.

Leading rider Abel Cedillo had a pair of victories on the afternoon and now has 16 winners in the first 10 days of racing. Best performance by a rider on the afternoon though went to Flavien Prat, who registered three firsts. He now sits in second place in the jockey standings with 10 wins.

Racing resumes tomorrow at Del Mar with a nine-race card beginning at 12:30 p.m.

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The Grade 3 stakes has drawn a short field of five and will be presented early on the nine-race Del Mar program – Race 2 to be exact. With the regular 12:30 first post in place, the stakes should go off shortly after 1 p.m.

Native Diver was the first California-bred to win $1 million in purses as he raced a remarkable 81 times between 1961 and 1967. The near-black speedster by Imbros out of the Devil Diver mare Fleet Diver – so popular and so ubiquitous that he earned the nicknames “The Diver,” “The California Comet” and “The Black Horse” — won an equally remarkable 37 races including a trio of local victories in the San Diego Handicap and a tally in the Del Mar Handicap on Sept. 4, 1967 that was the final start of his exceptional career.

Midcourt, a gelded 5-year-old by Midnight Lute, has won five of his 14 starts, including his 5 3/4 length triumph in last year's Native Diver. The John Shirreffs-trained runner – a winner of $546,695 in purses — has been handled by Victor Espinoza in most of his career starts and will have the Hall of Fame rider in the tack again Saturday. He's been running very competitively with Grade 1 horses of late and is listed as a solid 4/5 favorite on the Native Diver morning line.

Here's the lineup for the Saturday feature from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Hronis Racing's Combatant (Umberto Rispoli, 8-1); Don Alberto Stable's Stellar Sound (Tyler Baze, 6-1); Fox Hill Farms or Siena Farms' Royal Ship (Mike Smith, 4-1); Midcourt, and Jay Em Ess Stable's Extra Hope (Juan Hernandez, 3-1).

Combatant has a notable bankroll – all $1,049,498 of it. The 5-year-old ridgling by the late sire Scat Daddy has a claim to fame in capturing this year's edition of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap back in March, one of his four wins (to go with five seconds and five thirds) in 28 total starts. John Sadler trains Combatant.

Extra Hope chased home Midcourt in last year's Native Diver. The now 4-year-old homebred colt by Shanghai Bobby is a winner of three of 13 outings and has banked $234,831. He's trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella.

The first 36 runnings of the Native Diver were held at the now defunct Hollywood Park in Inglewood near Los Angeles International Airport. Upon his death, Native Diver was buried on the Hollywood Park grounds. But when the track was closed (and remade into what is now SoFi Stadium where the L.A. Rams and the L. A. Chargers play professional football), the horse's remains were dug up and shifted to Del Mar where they were reinterred in its infield.

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A two-time stakes winner at Del Mar this past summer, Maximum Security comes off a huge three length win in the Grade I Pacific Classic on Aug. 22 and will once again be a prohibitive favorite in what will be his 13th career start.

Baffert's Improbable, a Grade I winner of the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 1, earned a career-best Beyer Speed figure of 106 and will be bidding for his third consecutive win.

The John Shirreffs-trained Midcourt, who was beaten a nose by Maximum Security two starts back in the San Diego Handicap, was a well beaten third behind “Max” in the Pacific Classic and will be facing him for the third consecutive time on Saturday.

The Awesome Again, named for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic winner that was bred in Ontario, Canada by Frank Stronach and owned by his Stronach Stables, is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

MAXIMUM SECURITY

Owner: Gary & Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor & Derrick Smith

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Immensely talented but star-crossed, this 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day appears to be thriving in Baffert's care. Ridden in his two Del Mar starts by Abel Cedillo, he'll be reunited with eastern-based Luis Saez, who has finished first on him in six out of seven starts, most recently in Saudi Arabia, where he took the $20 million Saudi Cup by three quarters of a length. Although the Saudi Cup results remain official, Maximum Security's purse earnings remain on-hold as an investigation into his original trainer Jason Servis continues. Adding to his hard-luck resume is the fact he became the only Kentucky Derby winner to ever be disqualified for a racing infraction in the 2019 Derby, a race he won by 1 ¾ lengths with Saez aboard. An official winner of 10 out of his 12 starts, Maximum Security has banked $12.1 million and will be making his first-ever start at Santa Anita.

IMPROBABLE

Owner: WinStar Farm, LLC, China Horse Club Intl., Ltd and SF Racing, LLC

Trainer: Bob Baffert

The 4-1 post time favorite in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, he finished fifth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Maximum Security. A winner two starts back of the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup, run at Santa Anita on June 6, he'll be reunited with Drayden Van Dyke, who did not ride him at Saratoga. Van Dyke has won aboard Improbable in five out their seven pairings, including his Gold Cup win. A winner of six out of his 13 starts, Improbable, a 4-year-old colt by City Zip, has earnings of $1.5 million.

MIDCOURT

Owner: C R K Stable, LLC

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Although narrowly beaten two starts back in the San Diego Handicap, this 5-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute was no match for Maximum Security in the Pacific Classic when third. A shining testament to Shirreffs' horsemanship, Midcourt has been able to overcome his idiosyncrasies, including bad manners in post parade. If his mind is right, he rates an upset chance over a track on which he is 8-3-1-2.

THE GRADE I AWESOME AGAIN STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1. Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—122
2. Improbable—Drayden Van Dyke—126
3. Sleepy Eyes Todd—Umberto Rispoli—124
4. Midcourt—Victor Espinoza—124
5. Maximum Security—Luis Saez—126

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. With no public admittance, fans are encouraged to follow Santa Anita's live video stream at santaanita.com.

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Under Abel Cedillo and making his second start for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partners' 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day took an early lead in the Grade 1, $500,000 Pacific Classic and never looked back, winning by three lengths over Sharp Samurai, who dogged him throughout the 1 1/4-mile contest.

Midcourt, the John Shirreffs-trained gelding who nearly upset Maximum Security in the G2 San Diego Handicap last out, finished third. Defending champion Higher Power was fourth, with Argentine runner Mirinaque fifth and Dark Vader last in the field of six older runners.

Maximum Security was the 2-5 favorite and covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.24 after setting fractions of :23.92, :47.98, 1:12.37 and 1:36.50.

The victory in the “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race earned Maximum Security an automatic, fees-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

This was the 10th time in 12 career starts that Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in a race. However,  he suffered the indignity of being the first horse to be disqualified from an apparent victory for interference in the G1 Kentucky Derby in 2019. Then, earlier this year, Maximum Security finished first in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, but the winner's share of the purse has been held up after his previous trainer, Jason Servis, was arrested on federal charges of misbranding of drugs as part of an FBI probe into doping of racehorses.

One of the allegations against Servis is that he illegally gave Maximum Security a compounded substance prior to a race at New Jersey's Monmouth Park in 2019. Servis has pleaded not guilty in federal court.

“I've got tears in my eyes; I'm so happy,” said Gary West. “He looked so comfortable out there. There were a lot of good horses in that race, especially last year's winner (Higher Power). Sharp Samurai stuck with us. But we were best. I'm really proud of him.”

Unlike the San Diego Handicap, when Cedillo got into a tight spot early with Maximum Security, the Pacific Classic was smooth as silk. He glided to the early lead, maintained a half-length advantage over Sharp Samurai for the opening mile, then gradually pulled away down the stretch under intermittent urging. Higher Power tried to challenge the top pair in the run down the backstretch under Flavien Prat but could never get closer than a length behind the eventual winner.

Midcourt, who set the pace in the San Diego only to lose by a nose, was pocketed behind the top pair along the rail for much of the way but was never able to mount a serious rally, finishing  2 3/4 lengths behind Sharp Samurai.

“Bob told me to keep him off the rail,” said Cedillo, “because the speed was inside. If someone wanted to run up inside of us, I would have let them. He just galloped around the track. … He still had a little left at the end. I have to say this is probably the best horse I've ever ridden.”

“We mapped it out that he's the quickest horse,” Baffert said, “he's ready now and you can ride him with a lot more confidence. Once he took the lead I figured he'd be fine. I just didn't want any quarters in 22 (seconds). 'Max' was relaxing really nice. He was a totally different horse today. (Cedillo) got to know 'Max' last time and I'm happy for him. (Maximum Security) just does things effortlessly. He wasn't even blowing when he came back. I'm just so happy for this horse. It's not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

The victory was Baffert's sixth in the Pacific Classic, putting him on even terms with the late Hall of Famer, Robert Frankel. The Pacific Classic was first run in 1991.

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Following his Derby demotion with a runner-up effort at 1-20 in last summer’s TVG.com Pegasus S. at Monmouth, the bay found redemption by annexing the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. on the Jersey Shore. After being forced to miss several months with a minor injury, he scored victories in the GIII Bold Ruler H. and GI Cigar Mile H. to wrap up his divisional title.

Just nine days after he notched a hard-fought triumph in the inaugural Saudi Cup in his 4-year-old debut, Maximum Security’s trainer Jason Servis was indicted by federal prosecutors for alleged doping of horses including Maximum Security himself, prompting a move to the Bob Baffert barn. Making his much-anticipated return in the July 25 GII San Diego H., he ground out a nose victory at 2-5, the 10th time in 11 career races he crossed the wire first, earning a 101 Beyer, 10 points shy of his top effort.

C R K Stable’s Midcourt (Midnight Lute), who nearly dueled Maximum Security into defeat, returns to take another crack at the champion. Lightly raced at five years old, the gelding reeled off four straight victories last year culminating in a 5 3/4-length conquest of the GIII Native Diver S. at this oval in November and picked up another open-length graded tally in the GII San Pasqual S. two starts later Feb. 1 at Santa Anita. A narrow third in the GI Santa Anita H., his initial 10-furlong try, Mar. 7, he bounced back from a badly-beaten fifth in the GI Gold Cup S. June 6 in Arcadia to stretch Maximum Security all the way to the wire in the San Diego.

Hronis Racing’s Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro), a surprise runaway winner of last year’s Pacific Classic, tries to recapture that top form. Going turf to dirt for a 5 1/2-length score in the Del Mar meet centerpiece, the bay failed to build on that run when a distant third in both the GI Awesome Again S. and GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic before finishing last as the favorite in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Bouncing back a bit to be runner-up in the Gold Cup, he proved no match for the top pair in the San Diego, finishing 6 1/4 lengths back in third.

Sharp Samurai (First Samurai), a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, will make his first dirt start since running sixth in a Santa Anita optional claimer in March of 2017. He was last seen finishing a close runner-up in the GII Eddie Read S. on the local lawn July 26.

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