Tripoli Catches Tizamagician for Pacific Classic Score

The first time Kosta Hronis tried to name a horse Tripoli  for his father's hometown in Greece, the name wasn't available.

Hronis, who likes to name horses for family connections, tried a second time with a son of Kitten's Joy  —Love Train , by Tapit  .

And Tripoli made the wait worth it Aug. 21 by scoring in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge event, providing the winner with an all-expense paid entrance into the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

John Sadler, who has trained the Hronis Racing horses since the beginning, saddled Tripoli. The victory gave the Hronis/Sadler combination its third Pacific Classic in four years, following back-to-back wins by Accelerate   in 2018 and Higher Power   in 2019.

When the field of nine broke out of the gate for the 1 1/4-mile Classic, the crowd of 12,655 roared, especially the many with microshares in Tizamagician , co-owned by MyRacehorse and the late B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm. Tizamagician surged to the front shortly after the start and led the field down the stretch the first time and around the first turn, completing the first quarter-mile in :23.52 and a half-mile in :46.98.

Tripoli actually broke on top, but jockey Tiago Pereira let Tizamagician set the pace and settled Tripoli into third. That put Tripoli on the rail, saving ground, until Pereira felt they needed to start their run.

"I was okay running right behind the leaders," said Pereira. "When it was time to run, I had plenty of horse."

Pereira shifted Tripoli slightly off the rail approaching the quarter pole, the better to run down Tizamagician. Tripoli grabbed the lead nearing the eighth pole. Tizamagician valiantly tried to stay with him, urged on by his many owners. But Tripoli had plenty left to defeat Tizamagician by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 2:02.37.

Sent off as the fourth choice, Tripoli paid $15 on a $2 win ticket.

Tizamagician held for second, while Dr Post , a graded stakes-winning shipper from the Todd Pletcher barn, closed belatedly from eighth to finish third.

"He broke on his feet, so (Pereira) was able to tuck him in there and he looked comfortable all the way around," said Sadler. "He had a perfect trip—give the rider a lot of credit. He rode him perfectly."

Congratulations again to the entire Hronis & Sadler team as @ToddTVG presents the winning trophy in the @delmarracing Winner's Circle for the TVG Pacific Classic!@BritneyEurton spoke with winning owners @kostahronis @stephrosa3, trainer John Sadler & jockey Tiago Pereira! pic.twitter.com/3fjNDRgegu

— TVG (@TVG) August 22, 2021

Adding to the thrill of Tripoli's victory is the fact that he began his career as a turf runner. His first 11 races came on the turf, with two wins, two seconds, and three thirds, but none in stakes company. One of those wins came May 1 in a Santa Anita Park allowance race, the same day that Hronis and Sadler had Rock Your World  in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Rock Your World lost all chance when he was jostled at the start and jockey Joel Rosario momentarily lost an iron. Rock Your World finished 17th.

Following that allowance win, Sadler called an audible and switched Tripoli to the dirt.

"We'd had a little luck with another horse called Heywoods Beach ," Sadler said. "He'd run well on the grass, and we switched him to the dirt and he won nicely. When we're at Santa Anita for a long time, they don't let you breeze on the grass. So these turf horses train a lot on dirt. It was worth giving him a try on dirt because it gives you twice as many races."

Tripoli responded with a smart victory June 19 in allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita. When the circuit moved to Del Mar, Sadler entered him in the July 17 San Diego Handicap (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. The colt raced wide into the lane and finished a close second to Express Train .

Blue Devil Racing Stable bred Tripoli in Kentucky, and Lane's End consigned him to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Sadler and bloodstock agent David Ingordo picked out Tripoli for Hronis, buying the colt for $450,000 in the name of Martin Anthony.

He is now one of three winners for his dam, who also has an unraced 2-year-old Hard Spun   filly named Starship Jessica.

"David and I both bought him at Keeneland," Sadler said of Tripoli. "David Ingordo picked him out, and I was there when we bought him. I was grinding my teeth that I paid too much."

That $450,000 looks pretty good now, as Tripoli has earned a total of $811,960 and has his ticket punched for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Del Mar established a new single-day betting mark Saturday when $36,005,613 was wagered on its 11-race card, smashing the old mark of $25,870,431 set on TVG Pacific Classic Day in 2018.

Video: TVG Pacific Classic S. (G1)