By Hank Wesch

PACIFIC CLASSIC WATCH, FINAL EDITION, ONE WEEK OUT

Irish Surf, a romping 8 ½-length winner in the 1 1/2 –mile Cougar II Handicap on July 25, put in a final work Sunday morning, seven days in advance of  a possible start in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic.

Elvis Trujillo, who guided Irish Surf to the Cougar II win in his second assignment aboard the colt, was in the irons. Del Mar’s clockers timed the 4-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway in 1:13.20 for six furlongs with interim splits of :37.40 and 1:04.00 and noted the exercise was accomplished in a facile manner.

The official time was a tick or two faster than that of trainer Dan Hendricks,  who hand-timed it from a second-floor observation point in the grandstand.   

“I was happy with it,” Hendricks said. “Sometimes he’s aggressive and sometimes he gets a little lazy. That was kind of medium. If he goes off easy and finishes like that, I’ve got no complaints.”

Irish Surf is nominated to both the Grade I Pacific Classic, 1 ¼ miles on Polytrack, and the Grade II $200,000 Del Mar Handicap, 1 3/8 miles on turf, on Saturday, August 23. The Pacific Classic is a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Santa Anita. The Del Mar Handicap is a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the  $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf the same day.

Thirteen of Irish Surf’s 15 starts prior to the Cougar II had been on turf. He has a win and second in three starts on Del Mar’s polytrack.

Hendricks said  a decision regarding  Irish Surf’s next race wouldn’t be made before the close of entries on Wednesday and possibly not until sometime after that, keeping open the possibility of entering both races.

In other Pacific Classic news Sunday:

• Trainer Ken McPeek confirmed that Alan Garcia will travel from his East Coast base to ride Frac Daddy.
• You Know I Know went seven furlongs under Edwin Maldonado in 1:24.60. 
• Imperative worked five furlongs Sunday morning in 1:03.60 under Kent Desormeaux. Clockers termed it “easy as could be.”
• Toast of New York made the trans-Atlantic flight from England to Los Angeles on Saturday and spent the first of two nights in the quarantine area at Los Angeles International Airport. He is scheduled to be vanned to Del Mar  Monday evening and go to the track Tuesday morning.
• Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner Majestic Harbor will be put through a final workout Monday morning at 6:30.
• Undefeated Shared Belief is scheduled to work Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields in Albany before shipping in for the race.
• Argentine import Mystery Train will work Wednesday morning and at that time a rider for the Classic – most likely Fernando Perez – will be determined.

OAKS FILLIES EXIT FIT FOR A QUEEN (ELIZABETH II STAKES)

Personal Diary, Stellaris and My Conquestadory, the 1-2-3 finishers in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Oaks, were all reported doing fine Sunday morning.

And it’s possible all three could tangle again in the Grade I $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday, October 11 if all are called for the invitation only event.

Trainer Vicki Oliver, who notched the first Grade I  stakes victory of her career with Personal Diary, said the daughter of City Zip would be on a plane back to Kentucky on Wednesday.

Oliver said she brought Personal Diary from Kentucky to Del Mar with the  idea of getting a win in a non-winners-of-two level race and then going on to the Oaks. Personal Diary was second, beaten only a head, in the ninth race on July 27 and won the Oaks by 2 ¾ lengths at odds of 9-1.

“We wanted to win the (July 27 race) but then we had a rough trip and didn’t,” Oliver said. “But it all worked  out in the Oaks. If she wins the QEII, I don’t see why she couldn’t wind up in the Breeders’ Cup, but that’s a huge step up for a 3-year-old. We’ll see how she comes out, go to the QEII and then go from there.”

Runner-up Stellaris will soon be headed back to trainer Mike Stidham’s headquarters in Chicago for recuperation and the Keeneland race is a likely target, assistant Chris Davis said.

Stidham entered Stellaris and stablemate Istanford in both Friday’s Sandy Blue and Saturday’s Oaks. Istanford was an easy winner in the Sandy Blue and Stellaris made a game late run to finish second in the Oaks. “We made the right decision,” Davis said. “It was close to perfect, but (Personal Diary) ran a heck of a race.”

Trainer Mark Casse said My Conquestadory “ran her heart out,” and mentioned the QEII as a “possibility.”

SCRATCHES REDUCE RANCHO BERNARDO LINEUP  TO FOUR

The scratches of Fashion Plate and Sagebrush Queen reduced the field for Sunday’s $150,000 Grade II Rancho Bernardo Handicap to four. There will be no show wagering on the Rancho Bernardo, which goes as the fourth on a 10-race card

What’s In A Name -- The Rancho Bernardo Handicap is a nod to the city where California Chrome trainer Art Sherman now resides and has been contested annually since 1973. Defending champion Reneesgotzip will be attempting to become the fifth horse to repeat, the first since Behaving Badly in 2005-06.

KATHLEEN ROSE FAVORED  OF 10 IN SOLANA BEACH

Kathleen Rose, a winner of five of her last seven starts, is the  3-1 favorite in a field of 10 for the  $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap, the second stakes on Sunday’s card. The one-mile turf test for California-bred fillies and mares goes as the eighth on a 10-race program.

Owned by the B & B Stables Inc., Kathleen Rose reeled off three front-running victories in a row from March through June at Santa Anita and appeared headed for a fourth in the Grade II Royal Heroine on June 28 before being caught in the stretch and losing by a half length to Parranda.

What’s In A Name --The Solana Beach Handicap acknowledges the city just to the north of the track and has been contested annually since 1997.  Halo Dolly, winner the past three years, was recently retired, ending the chance of a fourth straight win in the same stakes, unprecedented in track history.

GOLDENCENTS WORKS FOR PAT O’BRIEN

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile defending champion Goldencents worked six furlongs Sunday under jockey Rafael Bejarano in 1:11.80 in anticipation of a start in the Grade II $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Sunday, August 24. The Pat O’Brien is a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile  on November 1 at Santa Anita.

Del Mar clockers caught  Goldencents in splits of :24.20, :47.80, :59.40, leading up to the 1:11.80 with the  4-year-old Into Mischief colt galloping out to seven furlongs in 1:24.60 and the mile in 1:38.60.

JOCKEY, TRAINER RACES REMAIN CONTENTIOUS

Kent Desormeaux and Elvis Trujillo won one race each on Saturday to remain tied atop the rider standings, but two victories by Rafael Bejarano moved the two-time defending champion within one of the lead. Desormeaux and Trujillo  have 20 wins, Bejarano 19 and Mike Smith, with one win Saturday, is next at 17.

Apprentice Drayden Van Dyke made progress on Saturday. His two wins moved him past Joe Talamo and into a tie for fifth with Tyler Baze and Fernando Perez.

Van Dyke’s win aboard favored Presiding Justice for John Sadler created the only movement among the leaders on the training list. Sadler, a three-time winner and the defending training champion, has nine wins, tied with Bob Hess, Jr. for third place. They are three behind leader Peter Miller and one in back of Jerry Hollendorfer.

CLOSERS – Ship And Win eligible horses on Sunday’s card are: Forest Elf (3^rd, Michael Stidham, trainer), Falcon Rock (9^th, Keith  Craigmyle), Malibu Way  (9^th, Alfredo Marquez) … Selected works from 246 timed  Sunday: Can the Man (4f, :48.00), Candy Boy (4f, :50.40), Parranda (4f, :47.80), Pontchatrain (4f, :50.60), Rovenna (4f, :48.40), Silentio (4f, :48.00), Summer Hit (4f, :48.00),  Charlie Em (5f, 1:01.60), Customer Base (5f, 1:00.40), Imperative (5f, 1:03.40), Legacy (5f, :59.00), Lil Bit O’Fun (5f, :59.20), Obviously (5f, :58.60), Skyway (5f, 1:00.00), Big John B (6f, 1:11.60), Goldencents (6f, 1:11.80), You Know I Know (7f, 1:24.60).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 16, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 16, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Saturday, August 16, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 57 out of 204 -- 27.94% 

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 46 out of 160 -- 28.75% 

Winning favorites on turf -- 11 out of 44 -- 25.00%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 12 -- 41.67%

In-the-Money favorites -- 123 out of 204 -- 60.29%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 12 -- 66.67%

Sunday, August 17, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793