Hronis' Accelerate in the Spotlight for Pacific Classic

The management of Hronis Racing's top two horses has worked out organically, so far.

When an allowance race didn't fill for the talented but inexperienced Catalina Cruiser, trainer John Sadler altered his plan. Owner Kosta Hronis and Sadler wanted to give multiple grade 1 winner Accelerate some time off at some point during the year anyway, so they pulled him out of the San Diego Handicap (G2), and his stablemate and fellow chestnut romped in the 1 1/16-mile event July 21.

BALAN: Catalina Cruiser Powerful in San Diego Victory

Although Sadler and Hronis have entertained a variety of scenarios for the Accelerate and Catalina Cruiser, again circumstances guided them ahead of the $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) Aug. 18 at Del Mar.

Proven at the Pacific Classic's 1 1/4-mile distance, with wins in the Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1) and Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1), it's Accelerate's turn to be the spotlight, while Catalina Cruiser will either head to the 1 1/8-mile Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 1 or the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar Aug. 25.

"In the San Diego, Catalina Cruiser needed to run and Accelerate didn't. If we didn't run Catalina, he would have kicked the barn down," Hronis said. "But now John does not think it's fair to take him to a mile and a quarter in his fourth race."

Installed as the 8-5 favorite in the field of eight, Accelerate is now tentatively scheduled to compete in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park in late September as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). If he went in the San Diego, Hronis said the son of Lookin At Lucky  likely would have skipped the Awesome Again.

"We let it play out naturally, and we really didn't feel forced into (racing Accelerate and Catalina Cruiser against each other)," Hronis said. "And I prefer this schedule myself. I'd rather he be sharper for the Breeders' Cup."

Accelerate will have to be sharp Saturday as well. While the group awaiting him in the Pacific Classic is a bit behind on résumé, multiple challengers appear to be coming into their own.

At the top on that list is Reddam Racing's Pavel, who had shown flashes of talent in graded stakes since his debut in July 2017 but put everything together for a 3 3/4-length score in the June 16 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) on a steamy night at Churchill Downs.

DAUGHERTY: Pavel Surges to Stephen Foster Victory

"It was pretty incredible, because I thought he was very deserving of a grade 1 win," trainer Doug O'Neill said of the Stephen Foster victory. "He ran dynamite in (the grade 1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline March 31), and when he got back we pretty much gave him three weeks of doing nothing, so he was fresh and ready to go.

"Then in his comeback (a fourth in the Gold Cup), he was too quiet—maybe we overschooled him. But to see him bounce back that evening at Churchill was so fulfilling and exciting."

As satisfying as the Stephen Foster was for O'Neill, he admits he was looking for a bit of validation as he watched the Aug. 4 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, where he hoped he would see Stephen Foster favorite Backyard Heaven run well. Backyard Heaven finished a non-threatening seventh, however, and no Stephen Foster horses have come back to win, so O'Neill hopes to get some validation in the Pacific Classic.

"I was glued to the TV watching the Whitney, with the hope (Backyard Heaven) would run a good race, but Diversify crushed them," O'Neill said. "But I believe Pavel on his best day—and we're hoping his best days are ahead—ranks up with the best older male dirt horses in the world."

Another horse on the upswing is Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s The Lieutenant—a half brother to Triple Crown winner Justify—who has won or placed in his last four starts. Although he won his first graded stakes on the Golden Gate Fields synthetic main track in the May 28 All American Stakes (G3), his best race yet may have been his runner-up effort last time out in the July 7 Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, where he wasn't a threat to runaway winner Diversify but finished two lengths clear of a quality field in the 1 1/4-mile dirt race.

DAUGHERTY: The Lieutenant Hits His Mark in All American

"Obviously, Diversify's body of work speaks for itself," The Lietenant's trainer, Michael McCarthy, said of the two-time grade 1 winner. "On Suburban day it looked like on paper there would be more speed than materialized. But (Diversify) was alone, set impressive fractions, and kept going. But I always thought (The Lieutenant) could get a mile and a quarter, and he did. I thought he ran a very respectable race.

"Now it makes sense to come back at home. The spacing is right, the work pattern is right, and with age, he just seems to be getting more dialed in."

Trainer Bob Baffert ran first and second, respectively, with Collected and Arrogate  in the 2017 Pacific Classic and has another pair in this season, but with far less hype.

Dr. Dorr, who beat The Lieutenant in the Californian Stakes (G2), finished a well-beaten second in the San Diego last time out and ninth in the Suburban. Baffert wasn't even sold on running the Lookin At Lucky gelding in the Pacific Classic, but he saw enough in a work Aug. 14 at Del Mar to enter.

"I wasn't going to run him until yesterday," Baffert said. "He worked pretty well. It's a million dollars in your backyard, so we're going to take a shot."

The wild card from the Baffert barn is Zaur Bifov's Roman Rosso, who will make his U.S. debut and first start for the Hall of Fame trainer following three straight group 1 victories in South America.

"We're rushing a little bit with him, because it takes them a little bit of time to get acclimated (from South America), but every week he gets stronger and stronger," Baffert said of the 4-year-old Roman Ruler colt.

Rounding out the field is last-out Cougar II Handicap (G3) winner Beach View, grade 3 victor Prime Attraction, and three-time allowance winner Two Thirty Five.

Entries: $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic S. (G1)

Del Mar, Saturday, August 18, 2018, Race 10

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1The Lieutenant (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Michael W. McCarthy	6/1
2	2Dr. Dorr (KY)	Joseph Talamo	124	Bob Baffert	6/1
3	3Prime Attraction (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	James M. Cassidy	8/1
4	4Roman Rosso (ARG)	Flavien Prat	124	Bob Baffert	5/1
5	5Accelerate (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	John W. Sadler	8/5
6	6Beach View (MD)	Rafael Bejarano	124	Leonard Powell	15/1
7	7Pavel (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	124	Doug F. O'Neill	7/2
8	8Two Thirty Five (KY)	Franklin Ceballos	124	Richard Baltas	20/1