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Geaux Rocket Ride, Stilleto Boy Put In Final Works For Pacific Classic

The #$1-million FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar is less than a week away and many nominees for the $1-million race put in their final works this weekend for the 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-old and older.

On Friday, Geaux Rocket Ride went seven furlongs in 1:25. It was the 3-year-old's fourth work since his breakout win in the TVG.com Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park last month. Two of those works were at seven furlongs, as trainer Richard Mandella readies the son of Candy Ride for his first race against older horses.

On Saturday, Arabian Knight worked five furlongs in :59.60 (3rd fastest of 94 times moves at the distance). The son of Uncle Mo also ran in the Haskell, finishing third, and he's put in four works since returning to the West Coast and to the Bob Baffert barn.

The last of the trio of 3-year old eyeing the Pacific Classic is Skinner. He worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:00.60 (22/94) for trainer John Shirreffs, who said he was waiting to see how his son of Curlin did in his final work before making a final decision on whether to run or not. The colt has put in six works since his last race, a runner-up finish to Reincarnate in the Los Alamitos Derby on July 8.

Piroli worked four furlongs in :47.60 (9/124) on Saturday at Del Mar for trainer Michael McCarthy. His last race was a fourth-place finish in a second-level allowance race at Del Mar last month but before that he was runner-up to Defunded in the Gold Cup (G1) at Santa Anita. He's worked three times since.

Stilleto Boy put in a nice five-furlong work Saturday for trainer Ed Moger Jr., stopping the clock at 1:00.60 (23/96). The Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner is a go for the Pacific Classic next Saturday.

“We are going to run him,” Moger said. “We breezed him Saturday and he came out of it good. He's been training great the whole meet and he's ready to run.”

The son of Shackleford has worked six times since his last race, a sixth-place finish in the Stephen Foster (G1) at Ellis Park.

Slow Down Andy worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 (9/14) on Saturday. He's worked three times since his runner-up finish to Senor Buscador in the San Diego (G2).

American Admiral worked four furlongs in :48.40 (38/126) Saturday at Del Mar. Trainer Tim Yakteen has worked the big, imposing son of American Pharoah three times since his eighth-place finish in the San Diego last month.

Tripoli, the 2021 Pacific Classic winner, is being pointed to this year's race. He worked seven furlongs Saturday in 1:25.20.

“He likes this track,” trainer John Sadler said. “Last year we didn't want to run him (in the Pacific Classic) against Flightline. He was fifth in the prep (San Diego) and (jockey) Tiago (Pereira) said to us he had some trouble and with good luck he would have been second.”

On Sunday, trainer Doug O'Neill sent out Katonah, who worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.00 (1/9). The Pleasanton Mile winner has worked three times since returning from Northern California.

The Pacific Classic is the feature on a five-stakes program next Saturday. The draw for the 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will be held Tuesday at the Brigantine Restaurant in Del Mar.

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Champ Elite Power Likely To ‘Go Straight To Breeders’ Cup’ After Forego Second

Trainer Bill Mott reported that Juddmonte's reigning champion male sprinter Elite Power will likely train up to his Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) title defense following a runner-up effort in the Forego (G1) Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

The chestnut 5-year-old son of Curlin entered the Forego from an eight-race winning streak, which included last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint as well as a victory in the last-out Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) on July 29 at Saratoga. In the Forego, he raced along the rail in third before launching an inside rally in the stretch to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Gunite.

Mott said Elite Power would probably not target the $250,000 Vosburgh (G2) on Sept. 30 at Belmont at the Big A, a race he won last year en route to his Breeders' Cup accolade.

“He seemed fine,” Mott said of how Elite Power emerged from the Forego. “He'll more than likely go straight to the Breeders' Cup.”

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Ireland-Based Bolshoi Ballet To Return For Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Breeders’ Cup

Bolshoi Ballet drew off to an impressive 4 1/2-length score in Saturday's Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The victory in the 12-furlong inner turf test for older horses provided Bolshoi Ballet with a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Aidan O'Brien and piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the 5-year-old Galileo bay earned his second top-flight score on the NYRA circuit after taking the 2021 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1).

“He was good, wasn't he? I fancied him coming out here — he looked well,” said T. J. Comerford, traveling assistant for O'Brien.

The former O'Brien-trainee Stone Age, now in the care of Chad Brown, led at the five-eighths, but was no match for the vigorous run of Bolshoi Ballet, who was in command after 10 furlongs and in front by four lengths at the stretch call hitting the wire under a hand ride in a final time of 2:29.29 over yielding going.

The victory registered a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure – a 21 point improvement on his Belmont Derby score.

“He just kept it very simple,” said Comerford of the trip engineered by Velazquez. “He followed the pace and as the pace started to fall away, he took on Stone Age down the back and it was all easy from there. He just ran clear. I think he would be even better on a bit better ground.”

Comerford and Bolshoi Ballet will fly back to Ireland Sunday evening with a return trip for the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on September 30 at Belmont at the Big A under consideration as a springboard to the Breeders' Cup.

Bolshoi Ballet, who was a dual Group 3 winner in his native Ireland as a sophomore prior to his Belmont Derby win, made only one start in 2022 before launching his comeback in April, coming into the Sword Dancer off a sixth-place finish at odds of 125-1 in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) July 29 at Ascot. He is campaigned by Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.

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‘We Didn’t Want To Bother Anybody’: One In Vermillion Departs Saratoga Before Dawn Sunday

Jonathan Kalman's One in Vermillion, who crossed the finish line first in H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) Saturday after favorite New York Thunder fatally broke down on the lead near the the sixteenths pole at Saratoga Race Course, was shipped out before sunrise Sunday morning for the 20-hour van ride back to Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.

Trainer Esteban 'Steve' Martinez said he pulled the van carrying his first graded stakes winner out of the upstate New York track at 4:45. a.m. (ET). They had been stabled in Barn 70 on the Oklahoma training track since Aug. 23.

“We wanted to leave early, before the track opened for training. We didn't want to bother anybody,” Martinez said. “It's been a smooth trip. The weather is good. We really enjoyed Saratoga. The people are very nice, and everyone was very good to us.”

One in Vermillion, a California-bred Army Mule colt who was a wire-to-wire winner of stakes at Turf Paradise and Sunland Park over the winter, was outrun in the early stages of the H. Allen Jerkens but was able to make a wide run late, pass the stricken colt, and cross the finish line as the official winner after starting at 19-1 odds.

“We tried to stay close, but it didn't happen. He didn't break the way we wanted, and we know there was a lot of speed in that race. [Jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr.] did a great job on him. He just waited right there. We were happy with the way he ran,” Martinez said. “We are happy for the horse. I can't believe what happened. That horse was a great horse.”

Martinez said the short-term plan is to remain at Canterbury, where he has a 20-horse stable, until that track closes Sept. 16 and then head to Remington Park, which will host eight stakes September 24, including the Oklahoma Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles and David M. Vance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs.

“So far, that's the plan,” Martinez said. “Maybe they'll let us stay a few more days after Canterbury and it's on to Remington.”

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