The Pacific Classic, a race of records, legends, and unforgettable memories

Del Mar's flagship event will celebrate its 36th running this Saturday, boasting $1,000,000 in purse money and 2000 meters steeped in history. Candy Ride and Gentlemen stand as the two Argentine-bred victors, while Flightline, Cigar, Beholder, and Bob Baffert headline some of its most memorable chapters

DEL MAR, California (Special for Turf Diario).— There are important races, and then there are races that ultimately define the very identity of a racetrack. For Del MarHacer clic para abrir el panel lateral y obtener más información, that race is the Pacific Classic (G1), which this Saturday will celebrate its 36th running over 2000 meters with a $1,000,000 purse, renewing a relatively young history that is nevertheless packed with champions, records, and unforgettable moments.

Its inception had everything to do with John Mabee, one of the founders of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and the driving force behind giving the California venue a truly grand event. He achieved that goal in 1991, and fate delivered a picture-perfect opening chapter: that inaugural edition was won by his own homebred colt, Best Pal (Habitony).

Since then, the Pacific Classic has compiled a magnificent gallery of stars. Perhaps no single performance was as extraordinary as Flightline's (Tapit) in 2022. The horse who would later be crowned Horse of the Year went off as the heavy 3-10 favorite—the lowest price for a winner in the race's history—and dismantled his rivals by 19 1/4 lengths, even with Flavien Prat wrapped up and easing him down through the final 200 meters.

At the opposite extreme stands one of the most famous defeats in American racing history. Cigar (Palace Music) arrived at the 1996 Pacific Classic riding a 16-race winning streak and seeking to set a new North American record for consecutive top-level victories. Sent off as the massive 1-9 favorite against just five rivals, he was drawn into a furious early speed duel and ultimately paid the price for the grueling pace.

Dare And Go (Alydar) capitalized, rallying from off the pace to pull off one of the greatest upsets in Del Mar history. Trained by Richard Mandella, he paid $81.20 on a $2 bet after going off at 39-1, and he still holds the record for the highest payout in Pacific Classic history.

Candy Ride, Owner of the Track Record

For Argentina, the Pacific Classic holds monumental memories. Only two horses born in the country have managed to win it, and both left an indelible mark. The first was Gentlemen (Robin des Bois), who in 1997 scored for Richard Mandella with Gary Stevens in the irons.

Six years later came Candy Ride (Ride the Rails), and his victory was even more staggering. Owned by Sidney and Jenny Craig and trained by Ron McAnally, Candy Ride won the 2003 renewal in 1m59.11s for the 2000 meters, a clocking that remains the fastest time in the entire history of the Pacific Classic.

That mark even survived the eight-year period when Del Mar ran on Polytrack between 2007 and 2014. On the synthetic surface, the record went to Dullahan (Even the Score), winner in 2012 in 1m59.54s.

At the other end of the spectrum, the slowest Pacific Classic was logged by Student Council (Kingmambo) in 2007—the inaugural season on Polytrack—in 2m07.29s. On dirt, the slowest winning time belongs to Higher Power(Medaglia D'Oro), who needed 2m02.43s to prevail in 2019.

Baffert vs. Frankel

Master trainers have also authored a huge share of this history.

During the early years, the Pacific Classic seemed like the private property of Robert Frankel, who won six of its first 11 editions. So dominant was his reign that a joke circulated proposing the race be renamed the “Frankel Classic.”

However, someone eventually surpassed him: Bob Baffert, who now boasts seven victories and stands as the all-time winningest trainer.

Among owners, the gold standard is Juddmonte, the powerhouse founded by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, with four triumphs.

Only three horses have won back-to-back runnings of the Pacific Classic: Tinners Way (Secretariat) in 1994 and 1995; Skimming (Nureyev) in 2000 and 2001—both conditioned by Frankel—and Richard’s Kid (Lemon Drop Kid) in 2009 and 2010.

Richard’s Kid also joins Awesome Gem (Awesome Again) and Game On Dude (Awesome Again) in an exclusive club of horses that have run in the Classic four times.

Beholder, Queen Among the Males

Fillies and mares have also written their own chapter. In total, six have dared to take on the males, though only one managed to conquer them. And what a performance it was. Champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) delivered a unforgettable performance in 2015 to crush her male counterparts by 8 1/4 lengths, becoming the sole female to capture the Pacific.

In terms of age, no horse older than six has ever won. Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony) and Game On Dude are the oldest winners on record. Four-year-olds dominate with 15 victories, while 12 winners were 5-year-olds.

Three-year-olds are not to be discounted either: 17 have tried, and six have won: Best Pal, General Challenge(General Meeting), Came Home (Gone West), Dullahan, Shared Belief (Candy Ride), and most recently Arabian Knight (Justify) in 2023.

A Race That Made History

The Pacific Classic has also generated its share of intriguing trivia. The tightest finish occurred in 2011, when Acclamation (Unusual Heat) wire-to-wire held on by a nose over Twirling Candy (Candy Ride).

The largest field formed in 2002 with 14 starters, while the smallest was Candy Ride's in 2003 with just four. The average field size across its first 35 editions stands at 8.5 runners.

Cigar's appearance in 1996 also set the all-time attendance record: 44,181 spectators packed Del Mar to watch the great champion attempt to extend his perfect streak.

In wagering terms, the handle record was set in 2021, when $36,024,030 was bet on the card on the day Tripoli(Kitten's Joy), trained by John Sadler, took the feature.

Kentucky, as expected, leads all birthing locations for winners with 22. California has produced seven—most recently California Chrome in 2016—while Argentina holds its head high with the legendary Gentlemen and Candy Ride. England, Florida, and Maryland also feature in the statistics.

Thirty-five editions have been more than enough to elevate the Pacific Classic into far more than just Del Mar's marquee feature.

Best Pal opened its history; Cigar starred in one of his most famous defeats; Beholder humbled the males; Flightlineoffered a display for the ages; and Candy Ride set a standard that, more than two decades later, no horse has managed to break. This Saturday, chapter 36 arrives. And, as with all truly great races, each new renewal faces the thrilling challenge of finding its place within a storyline already filled with legends.