Pacific Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup Picks

Bob Hill, TSV staff writer —-

Del Mar and Saratoga Race Courses

Pacific Classic – Del Mar – G1 for 3yos and up at 1-1/4 miles on the Main Track

Run at the distance of the BC Classic on the very track where that race will be contested this year, the Pacific Classic offers a great preview of several top horses in the handicap division of thoroughbred racing. Six of the eight in the field are California-based horses , with only Fierceness (1) and Lure Him In (7) shipping west for this race. They both have run at Del Mar previously, so every entry has experience on this oval.

Three entries offer short odds and virtually all the hype for this race. Fierceness (1) is 3-1 on the ML. He finished second in the BC Classic here last November when posting a 111 Beyer speed figure as runner-up to Sierra Leone. He’s always been enigmatic, sprinkling a few duds in amongst some very impressive wins. If he does a repeat of that BC Classic he has a great shot to win this race.

Journalism (6) is the second choice of the ML oddsmaker at 9-5. He has been the second best 3yo of 2025, losing only to Sovereignty in the Derby and Belmont. This is his first race in California where he is trained since May. This is his first time facing older horses. His jockey, Umberto Rispoli, cannot afford to get him trouble as he has done previously. Against this level of competition he has to have all go right to have a chance to win. No one doubts his grit or determination.

Nysos (4) is the 8-5 ML favorite out of the barn of Bob Baffert who is winning at a 33% clip at this meet. The lightly raced son of Nyquist will be trying the 10-furlong distance for the first time in his career. His sire did win the Kentucky Derby, but it is legitimate to raise the distance limitation question for a 4yo going this route of ground for the first time.

Midnight Mammoth (2) finished second in the Santa Anita Gold Cup at this distance in his last outing at the end of May. He faced no horse of the caliber of the top trio in here. He’s a candidate for a small piece. Indispensable (5) has hit the board at nine furlongs previously, but this race is a huge jump in class for him.

Ultimate Gamble (3), Lure Him In (7), and Tarantino (8) round out the field. Each is 20-1 on the ML. Taratino is the best fit class wise, but even a small piece would be welcomed by the connections of this trio.

Selections: 6 – 1 – 4 – 2 – 8

Sunday Saratoga Race Course

Jockey Club Gold Cup – G1 – at 1-1/4 miles dfor 4yos and up on Main Track

The Jockey Club Gold Cup goes off as race 5 at Saratoga on Sunday, August 31. Nine entries highlight this contest. A beautiful dry fall day appears to be on tap for the final Grade 1 of this prestigious meet.

Sierra Leone (3) was sensational when winning the G1 Whitney earlier this month. The defending BC Classic champ appears to be rounding into top form for a defense of his title. He is an exciting spectacle when he unleashes his bold, athletic turn of foot down the stretch heading for the finish line. He will be seeking to avenge his loss to Mindframe (4) in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in late June. That race was the best in Mindframe’s seven-race career. Mindframe has already proven that he can make this distance when he finished second in the 2024 Belmont Stakes at a mile-and-a-quarter.

Highland Falls (2) finished a close second in the Whitney while posting a 107 Beyer speed figure. A repeat if that effort makes him a true contender here for Brad Cox and Godolfin. He offers value at 5-1. White Abarrio (5), now six years old, continues to compete at this high level, but his lone win at the distance was in the 2023 BC Classic. He continues to post solid works for Saffie Joseph, Jr. and C Two Racing. Ricardo Santana , Jr. takes the mount from Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Contrary Thinking (6) is in this race at odds of 50-1 for a single purpose. He is the rabbit whose job it will be to assure a brisk pace for stablemate Sierra Leone to close into. Interestingly, Phileas Fogg(7) led gate-to-wire in the G2 Suburban in a pace scenario slightly faster than the one Contrary Thinking provided in the Whitney. Antiquarian (8) shadowed Phileas Fogg every step of the way in the Suburban, so it would seem logical that these three will produce a favorable pace scenario for Sierra Leone. Mindframe will also be in the mix, and he has the most to lose from the presence of a rabbit. Under the right circumstances I can see either or both of Phileas Fogg and/or Antiquarian hitting the board.

Disarm (1) rounded out the trifecta in the Whitney, and this race may set up the same way for him once again. He was 46-1 in the Whitney, and that won’t be repeated here. That’s a more likely scenario for Banishing (9) who could be the horse that bettors forget about. If you are playing the trifecta and superfecta in this race, be sure to look for the forgotten horse at very long odds as one to include – excluding Contrary Thinking.

Selections: 4 – 3 – 9 – 5 -1