Campaign Could Prove Value in Pacific Classic

Seven of the eight graded stakes to be run Saturday, Aug. 17 take place at either Del Mar or Saratoga Race Course, the lone outlier being the Monmouth Oaks (G3) where Jaywalk looms odds-on against four opposing 3-year-old fillies.

Sophomore fillies also are spotlighted at the Spa, where the Lake Placid (G2T) and the storied Alabama Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) are the featured attractions. Chad Brown, who completed an unprecedented sweep of the four graded stakes on last Saturday's Arlington Million Day program, sends out the morning-line favorites in both races to the surprise of no one.

The Lake Placid and Alabama are the first two legs in another "Cross Country" Pick Five to be followed by the Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T), the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1) and the TVG Pacific Classic (G1).

Lake Placid (Sar, race 9, 5:26): Naturally, in addition to 2-1 favorite Regal Glory (5) Brown also saddles second choice Blowout (4) in this grassy 1 1/16-mile route. They were separated by a half-length earlier at the meet in a three-horse, all Brown-trained renewal of the Lake George (G3) that more closely resembled an in-company workout than an actual race.

Neither filly has ever finished worse than second and they look to have a slight edge on Varenka (1), a regally bred Augustin Stable homebred whom, to recall, we needed to complete a pick five on Stephen Foster night in the Regret (G3T) when she was a traffic-troubled third, "Stuffed 3/16, willingly," as described by the short comment in the charts.

Varenka, who was thought of highly enough to earn a shot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) as a maiden, returned early at Saratoga to overcome the far outside and a slow pace to take her preliminary allowance condition. Whether she gets enough pace up front remains to be seen.

A - 4, 5

B - 1

Alabama (Sar, race 10, 5:59 ET): Brown's got the chalk here too in Dunbar Road (1), but 8-5 seems a little strong on a filly going a mile-and-a-quarter who's never been past 1 1/16 miles and has no demonstrable edge figure-wise on a number of others. To her credit, her only loss was by a half-length to the more experienced Champagne Anyone (4) in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) as a second-time starter, and she overcame a snail's pace to win the Mother Goose (G2).

Champagne Anyone has been something of an in-and-outer with and without the blinkers, but fits on her best effort.

Point of Honor (7) is the logical second choice off a wide second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and is the only member of the field to have won as far as nine furlongs, having edged Ulele (6) in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) despite a wide trip. Ulele flattered that performance when she came back to run a close second to Lady Apple (2) in the Iowa Oaks (G3). Lady Apple's only defeat from five outings this year was a third in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Street Band (5) took the Twin Spires Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) prior to a troubled trip in the Kentucky Oaks, but rebounded to take the Indiana Oaks (G3), which makes her the only entrant other than Lady Apple with two graded stakes wins this year.

At the bottom line, the Midwestern fillies could offer some value in a wide-open edition of this prestigious event.

A - 2, 5, 6

B - 1, 7

C - 4

Del Mar 'Cap (Dmr, race 7, 5:00 PT): Whittling this field of nine long-distance turf runners down to five is about as much hair-splitting as can be managed. Itsinthepost (7) has been the beaten favorite in each of the past two runnings but in between captured five grade 2 stakes over his preferred course at Santa Anita Park. He's relegated to backup mode along with Oscar Dominguez (1), who has turned in three good efforts since claimed by Richard Baltas.

Baltas also tightens the girth on major threat Marckie's Water (4), who took the Charles Whittingham (G2T) prior to a bang-up second in the Eddie Read (G2T).

If you remember, we were high on United (5) when he ran second in the Whittingham in his stakes debut. The lightly raced Dick Mandella trainee has since posted a sharp score over the Del Mar course and will again be ridden by the red-hot Flavien Prat.

The Great Day (6) makes his third start off a year layoff, and the import from Argentina looks to be peaking after rallying for second in the Arlington Handicap (G3T) behind Bandua, who ran a close third in the Arlington Million (G1T) last Saturday.

A - 4, 5, 6

B - 1, 7

Del Mar Oaks (Dmr, race 9, 6:00 PT): Chad Brown's far-reaching empire invades—surprise!—with Cambier Parc (1), who fits with the locals based on her form in Florida, Kentucky and New York. The Medaglia d'Oro  filly is the only one cutting back in distance following a good effort for third in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T).

Lady Prancealot (11) and Maxim Rate (2) were one-two in the Senorita (G3T) in May. The former has since come back to take the Honeymoon (G3T), and it's worth noting the Irish-bred filly's first start in the United States was a fast-closing second over the Del Mar layout at 17-1 last summer. Maxim Rate, meanwhile, was caught behind a wall of horses turning for home in the San Clemente (G2T) last out and finished well when clear.

Mucho Unusual (10) is 3 for 3 since switched to turf, capped by a last-to-first run in the San Clemente.

A - 1, 11

B - 2, 10

Pacific Classic (Dmr, race 10, 6:30 PT): The last two winners of the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), Pavel (3) and Seeking the Soul (5), may vie for favoritism, the former having taken its 2018 running as a grade 1 in 2018 and the latter making his first appearance since winning it as a grade 2 two months ago.

Pavel was a distant second in last year's Pacific Classic behind 2-5 shot and eventual champion older male Accelerate  but meets no such rival here, and while he is without a win from eight tries at 10 furlongs he has run well enough in those races to have banked $1.475 million at the distance.

Campaign (8) has been rock solid in five starts since transferred to Accelerate's conditioner John Sadler, winning three times including the Tokyo City (G3) and the Cougar II Handicap (G3) at 12 furlongs. Sadler also sends out Higher Power (6), who was victimized by a slow pace when second to the front-running Bombard in the grassy Wickerr early at the meet. Sadler has very good turf-to-dirt numbers, and the switch to Prat begs attention as well.

Quip (2) ran Seeking the Soul to a desperate photo in the Foster, and he may try to grab the lead from post 2. He's been good to us previously, winning the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2)  as a 3-year-old as well as the Oaklawn Handicap (G2)  earlier this season.

A - 3, 8

B - 2, 5, 6