Pacific Classic Contenders Put in Final Drills
Image:
Description:
Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Geaux Rocket Ride wins the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park
The Pacific Classic (G1) is less than a week away and many nominees for the $1 million race put in their final works this weekend.
Three talented 3-year-olds worked over the weekend in Geaux Rocket Ride , Arabian Knight , and Skinner . Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Geaux Rocket Ride went seven furlongs in 1:25 Aug. 25 as trainer Richard Mandella readies the son of Candy Ride for his first race against older horses. Meanwhile, Arabian Knight, third in the Haskell, worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 Aug. 26 for trainer Bob Baffert.
The last 3-year-old eyeing the Pacific Classic is Skinner. He worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:00 3/5 for trainer John Shirreffs, who said he was waiting to see how his son of Curlin did in his final work before making the decision on whether to run or not. The colt is coming off a runner-up finish to Reincarnate in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby July 8.
Top older horses for the Pacific Classic also turned in breezes over the weekend.
Piroli worked four furlongs in :47 3/5 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 Park.
Stilleto Boy , winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), put in a nice five-furlong work Saturday for trainer Ed Moger, Jr., stopping the clock in 1:00 3/5.
"We are going to run him," Moger says. "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."
Among other contenders to breeze were Slow Down Andy (six furlongs in 1:13 3/5, American Admiral (half mile in :48 2/5), and 2021 Pacific Classic victor Tripoli (seven furlongs in 1:25 1/5).