Acclamation puts his stamp on Pacific Classic

Acclamation (red shadow roll) would not be denied in the Pacific Classic (Benoit Photos) ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat) successfully made the transition to Polytrack on Sunday to score his third straight Grade 1 win when holding Twirling Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]) by a head in the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. With Patrick Valenzuela rationing out his speed, the Donald Warren trainee had enough left to hold off the late rally of the near 5-2 favorite while setting a new track record of 2:00.61 for 1 1/4 miles. “I thought it was excellent,” Warren said of Valenzuela’s ride. “He nursed the horse along just like we wanted him to, a length or two in front and was able to save enough to hold off any horse that made a run at him. “We were looking for a speed type rider and he’s always been one of the best in the world at putting a horse on the lead, so it was kind of a natural fit. That’s what I look for when I’m trying to choose a jockey is will he fit the horse well. You want Eddie Delahoussaye on a big stretch runner and you want a PVal on a front runner. It’s that simple. Valenzuela sent his mount to the front out of the gate, and Acclamation proceeded to lead the way through splits of :24 2/5, :48 3/5 and 1:12 4/5 while closely tracked by Game on Dude (Awesome Again) to his outside. Twirling Candy had taken up a stalking position just in behind, with Tres Borrachos (Ecton Park), Setsuko (Pleasantly Perfect) and Don Cavallo (El Prado [Ire]) running in tandem in the third flight.

As Acclamation reached the turn, Game on Dude had ranged up to present his
challenge and Twirling Candy was making his own move on the outside. The trio
hit the stretch together, with Acclamation still holding a slim one length lead
through a mile in 1:36 3/5, but Game on Dude soon fell to the wayside as the
pacesetter and Twirling Candy battled it out. The five-year-old Acclamation was
stubborn, though, never letting his younger rival pass him at any moment to eke
out the head score.

“He broke alertly for me and I wanted the lead. He took me there and I was
able to slow it down,” Valenzuela said. “They came to me at the five-eighths
(pole) but I let him run and he was fine with it. At the sixteenth (pole)
Twirling Candy came to me and had every right in the world to run by. But my
horse stuck his neck out and fought the battle. He wouldn’t let him by.

“I think I rode a very good race. But I couldn’t have done it without this
horse. He’s a great horse. And it doesn’t matter — grass or dirt or Poly. He’s
just a runner.

“I am so blessed to have this,” Valenzuela added. “I am so blessed and
grateful and thankful.”

Acclamation earned his third straight Grade 1 victory when holding Twirling Candy (Benoit Photos) Sent off the 4-1 third choice, Acclamation was worth $10.80, $5.40 and $5. It was another four lengths behind Twirling Candy to Stately Victor (Ghostzapper), who just got up to stick his nose in front of Game on Dude to claim the show spot. “He ran a very good race. He gave me everything he had,” jockey Joel Rosario said of Twirling Candy. “The distance was not an issue. He dealt with the distance. But the other horse (Acclamation) was too tough today. He was the winner.” “He ran a very big race. We’re very happy other than not getting the win. We just came up a head short,” said Twirling Candy’s trainer, John Sadler. “We got the trip we thought he would get. We thought he would pick that horse up, but that horse just out-bobbed him a little bit. But he ran real well.” Quindici Man (Came Home) followed by another 4 3/4 lengths with Tres Borrachos, Don Cavallo, Jeranimo (Congaree) and Setsuko completing the order under the wire. Great Warrior (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]) was withdrawn and Bourbon Bay (Sligo Bay [Ire]) was an early scratch in favor of the Del Mar H. (G2) earlier on the day, where he ran second by just a head.

Acclamation entered the Pacific Classic having already made a name for
himself on the Southern California turf scene, taking the Eddie Read H. (G1),
Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1) and Jim Murray H. (G2) in his past three.
He actually defended his titles in the Whittingham and Jim Murray from last
year, and also owns five stakes placings, including the 2010 Strub S. (G2) and
2009 editions of the Hollywood Derby (G1), Del Mar Derby (G2) and San Gabriel H.
(G2), all on turf.

Campaigned by Peter and Mary Hilvers & E.W. and Judy Johnston, the bay has
really come on in the past few months and now boasts a 27-8-2-6 career mark. He
joined the millionaire’s club with Sunday’s victory, with the $600,000 winner’s
share pushing his bankroll to $1,538,048.

Bred by Old English Rancho in California, Acclamation is the last
registered foal out of the unraced Silveyville mare Winning in Style, making him
a half-brother to the stakes-placed duo Strut Your Stuff (Bold Badgett) and
Always in Style (Lucayan Prince). Another of Acclamation’s half-siblings, Flying
in Style (Flying Sensation), is the dam of 2007 Derby Trial S. winner, Flying
First Class (Perfect Mandate).

Winning in Style is herself a half-sister to Grade 3 hero Stylish Winner (Obraztsovy)
and Grade 2-placed stake winner Stylish Stud (*Petrone). Further back in this
female family one can find multiple stakes queen Fleet Treat (Fleet Nasrullah)
as well as multiple Grade 1 star and $2.3 million-earner Marlin (Sword Dance
[Ire]).