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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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Sadler Pondering Pacific Classic, Del Mar Derby For Rock Your World

Rock Your World went through a regularly scheduled workout – the fifth straight such Sunday exercise session since arriving at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. – this morning. But whether it was a final one before running in next Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic or another step toward the $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on September 4, remains to be determined.

The 3-year-old son of Candy Ride went six furlongs out of the gate in 1:12.60 under jockey Umberto Rispoli. Clocker/handicapper Toby Turrell had interim splits of :36.40 and 1:00.60.

“It went very well, we were all happy with it,” said Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler. “At this point, it (next race) is still undecided. I'm sure John will come back tomorrow, make sure everything is all right with the horse and probably decide then.”

The deadline for nominations to the signature event of the Del Mar summer season was last Thursday at midnight and 15 names were filed. Supplemental entries can still be submitted, at a cost of $7,500, until 10 a.m. Tuesday. With the field set then, post positions will be drawn at a gathering that afternoon at The Brigantine restaurant adjacent to the track.

Hronis Racing's Rock Your World, who has earned $591,600 with three wins from five career starts, had put together the following string of Sunday workouts before this morning: 4 furlongs in :50.40 on turf, July 18; 5 furlongs in 1:01 on turf July 25; 6 furlongs in 1:13.20 on turf August 1; and, 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 one week ago.

Prior to the July 16 start of the meeting, Sadler had said the Del Mar Derby was the major target for Rock Your World. He was a surprise nominee to the TVG Pacific Classic.

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Olympic Runner Adds Graded Stakes Winner To Resume In King Edward At Woodbine

Olympic Runner has started in his share of graded stakes races, coming close to winning several of them, including his last-out second-place finish in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto, Ontario. Sunday, he finally broke through to graded stakes winner status in his 23rd start with his win in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine, taking the lead late in the one-mile stakes to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Town Cruise, breaking from the inside post, found plenty of running room at the break, taking the lead in the first furlong with Gray's Fable and Jolie Olympica a length and a half behind him. Olympic Runner with jockey Rafael Hernandez moved to the rail before the first turn, sitting in fourth behind Town Cruise throughout the first seven furlongs. The leader, a chestnut gelding by Town Prize, held as much as a three-length advantage on the backstretch, entering the far turn looking like he could take the field wire to wire. About that time, Hernandez moved Olympic Runner off the rail, using the open running lane to mount their bid for the lead.

In the stretch, though, the margin between Town Cruise and the field began to shrink as both Olympic Runner and Avie's Flatter closed in on the leader. Olympic Runner was fastest, taking the lead from Town Cruise in the last sixteenth of a mile to seal the victory. Town Cruise held on for second, with a fast closing March to the Arch overtaking Avie's Flatter for third. Gray's Fable, Jolie Olympica, Valid Point, and Alfons Walde rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the mile over the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine was 1:31.73, a new track record. Find this race's chart here.

Olympic Runner paid $16.80, $7.60, and $4.30. Town Cruise paid $5.40 and $3.50. March to the Arch paid $2.80.

Bred in Kentucky by Eutrophia Farm LTD, Olympic Runner is by Gio Ponti out of Nadadora, by Carson City. He is owned by Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse. The 5-year-old gelding was consigned by Equest Thoroughbreds and sold to Justin Casse for $180,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With this victory in the G2 King Edward, Olympic Runner has two wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 5-7-2 in 23 starts and career earnings of $419,450.

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Real Talk Gets First Stakes Win In Jersey Shore At Monmouth

A few jumps out of the starting gate, jockey Paco Lopez knew he was a winner in Sunday's $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

With a pair of speedsters – Mighty Mischief and Moonlite Stroke – inside of him, Lopez and Real Talk got the jump on both from the start of the six-furlong feature and cruised to a front-running 4½-length victory, with the 3-year-old son of Gemologist notching the first stakes win of his 10-race career.

Mighty Mischief, in post position three, and Moonlight Strike, in post position one, both looked to have superior early speed on paper. But Lopez never let either one get close to the lead, opening up on the field a few jumps out of the gate.

“I'm not surprised he made the lead even with all of the speed inside of him,” said winning trainer Carlos David. “I had Paco Lopez. When the horse was in Gulfstream (before shipping to Monmouth) I called Paco's agent and said `I need him for this race.' He said `we have to wait for nominations.' I told him `I don't care. I need Paco on this horse.'

“Paco was the key. The horse is nice and he's fast but Paco getting him out there on the lead was the difference. He rode him great. I was worried about Mighty Mischief but I was also worried about Moonlite Strike because he had the one post and I was thinking he was going to go. I felt I needed to beat both to the spot to get the rail and we got it and he got the job done.”

After breaking on top, Lopez rolled through fractions of :22 flat for the opening quarter and :44.44 for the half. With yet another speedster, Fire Sword, backing out after being frustrated from chasing the leader, Mighty Mischief made a three-wide bid coming around the final turn. But he found himself in the uncomfortable position of chasing instead of being chased. It was another length back to Moonlite Strike in third.

“Sometimes you have to be lucky,” said Lopez, well on his way to an eighth riding title at Monmouth Park. “Sometimes you have to come out there firing, sometimes not. He just broke out of the gate so fast. He was right on top after the gate opened. It reminded me of when I rode quarter horses.

“I knew Mighty Mischief was the horse to beat and that we would probably have to get the jump on him to win. I let him go and he was able to get comfortable.”

The winning time for the six furlongs was 1:10.02, with Real Talk returning $6.40 to win.

Owned by Bell Racing LLC, Real Talk now has four wins and three seconds from 10 career starts. David, Gulfstream-based but with a division at Monmouth Park the past three years, notched his first stakes win at the track with the victory.

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