Pacific Classic

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Sunday’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) features two horses who
blossomed during the Hollywood Park meet in LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew) and SURF
CAT (Sir Cat), a Grade 1-winning gelding from Kentucky in PERFECT DRIFT (Dynaformer),
and a two-time Grade 2 victor at Del Mar in CHOCTAW NATION (Louis Quatorze). We
like the the latter as our top pick for Sunday.

Choctaw Nation captured his first four starts prior to his stakes bow in last
year’s San Diego H. (G2) and defeated reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner
Pleasantly Perfect with a strong late run from well off the pace. He regressed
off that performance when finishing fourth in the Pacific Classic (G1) and went
to the sidelines for the rest of 2004. Trainer Jeff Mullins (winning at a 27
percent clip this meet) brought him back in a seven-furlong tightener in
February and then shipped the five-year-old gelding overseas for a third-place
effort in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in late March. Choctaw Nation returned to
Del Mar two starts later and rolled authoritatively off a slow pace to a superb
one-length decision in the San Diego last out. He figures to have more
legitimate fractions up front on Sunday and looks difficult to deny.

Perfect Drift drew a bad post (12), but the classy six-year-old remains a top
win threat. He was the picture of consistency without ever seeing the winner’s
circle in 2004
for trainer Murray Johnson, recording seven in-the-money finishes from eight
dirt starts and just missing the board when fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
He earned almost $1 million and some strong Speed figures in 2004, but he’s
already shown more during his six-year-old season, winning a turf allowance at
Keeneland in his 2005 bow and capturing the Washington Park H. (G2) by 4 1/2
lengths most recently. Perfect Drift rallied to be a good second in last year’s
Pacific Classic and could challenge for it all this time around.

Surf Cat is a dangerous front-end presence in his first start against elders.
The Bruce Headley-trained sophomore finished a close second when making his
stakes debut in the Affirmed H. (G3) at Hollywood two starts back and then
improved off that performance with a sharp five-length score in the Swaps
Breeders’ Cup (G2). The dark bay colt earned an outstanding 107 BRIS Speed
rating and still owns plenty of room for improvement, but we do have our doubts
about him at the 10-furlong distance. However, Surf Cat could get out on the
lead and forget to stop.

BORREGO (El Prado [Ire]) finished third earlier this year in the Santa Anita
H. (G1) and second in the Hollywood Gold Cup most recently. While he doesn’t win
often, the four-year-old owns a good late kick and could menace for part here.
He owns experience over the track, finishing second in last year’s one-mile El
Cajon S., and has been training forwardly for trainer Beau Greely. Consider for
the exotics.

Lava Man is the 9-5 favorite on the morning line and could prove vulnerable
at short odds. Trained by Doug O’Neill, the former claimer turned things around
at Hollywood Park this year, and enters this event off three straight wins at that
venue, including an 8 3/4-length triumph in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). There’s
no denying that Lava Man has gotten very good this summer, but he’s never
started over the main track at Del Mar and has dropped his last last seven
attempts outside of Inglewood, California. We’ll let him beat us. ACE BLUE (Brz)
(Coax Me Clyde) enjoyed the perfect trip before being passed by Choctaw Nation
and finished a good second in the San Diego. The five-year-old has enjoyed a
productive 2005 campaign, recording a 3-2-0
mark from six starts, but he does have some class concerns in this spot.
However, Ace Blue remains a threat to parlay a forwardly placed trip into a top
three finish.

CONGRATS (A.P. Indy) set the pace in the Hollywood Gold Cup before readily
giving way when challenged and doesn’t appear as sharp as he was earlier in the
year when finishing second in the Big ‘Cap. He’ll probably add to the early pace
and can’t be dismissed from top three consideration (he hit the board in
his last
five U.S. starts), but we’d be surprised to see him offer a serious challenge.
ISLAND FASHION (Petionville) is very sharp currently, finishing second by a head
both the Vanity H. (G1) and John C. Mabee H. (G1) in her last two outings. The
latter came on turf, but the gray five-year-old mare prefers the main track.
This remains a curious spot for trainer Marclelo Polanco to decide upon because
there are plenty of spots to run Island Fashion against her own sex, and she
probably prefers 8 1/2 or nine furlongs.

SUPER FROLIC (Pine Bluff) has been transferred to conditioner Vladimir Cerin
and owns commendable Speed ratings, but he faces a difficult class hike in his
California debut and may not want any part of the distance. MUSIQUE TOUJOURS (Musique
d’Enfer) captured the Sunshine Millions Classic earlier this year but hasn’t run
back to that performance in his last two starts, finishing off the board both
times. He does bring a nice work tab into this event, but we can’t recommend his
chances. OCEANUS (Brz) (Rainbow Corner [GB]) doesn’t look fast enough make an
impact.

POLISH TIMES (Sea Hero) has been scratched.