Catalina Cruiser © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club DAY 18 15 NOMS FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC; FINAL WORKS BEGIN Fourteen older males and champion 4-year-old filly Unique Bella have been nominated for the 28th running of...

Skye Diamonds © Benoit Photo Skye Diamonds, the latest in a career-long series of successful claims by trainer Bill Spawr, will seek to add to her resume when she tries for a second consecutive victory...

Ike Walker © Benoit Photo Ike Walker, a six-year-old gelding who dearly loves competing at Del Mar, scored his fifth victory in seven starts at the seaside track and twelfth over-all during a 42-race career...

Unique Bella © Benoit Photo DAY 17 UNIQUE BELLA IN THE PACIFIC CLASSIC? FIRST STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN Of the eight names on nomination forms for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic secured by the...

Instagrand © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club OXO Equine’s Instagrand, who appeared every cent worth his $1.2 million purchase price in breaking his maiden by ten lengths in fast time in late June, figures to be...

Divisor © Benoit Photo Kentucky-bred Divisor gamely fought off the stretch-long challenge of Show Me Da Lute to win Del Mar’s feature race Wednesday, a one mile contest over the main dirt track. With Santiago...

Cordiality © Benoit Photo Cordiality, a bang-up third versus open stakes company in the Grade III Wilshire at Santa Anita in late June, will face eight fellow older California-bred fillies and mares Friday in the...

Geovanni Franco aboard Johnny Strong © Benoit Photo DAY 16 FORTUNATE FRANCO RECOVERS FROM SPILL TO WIN ONE DAY LATER The name, Geovanni Franco, registers as Italian. The birthplace listed in the Del Mar jockey...

Bellafina © Benoit Photo Kaleem Shah’s Bellafina, an $800,000 purchase last March, completed a sweep of Del Mar’s Sunday stakes doubleheader for jockey Flavien Prat as she led from wire-to-wire to win the Grade II...

River Boyne (IRE) © Benoit Photo FLAVIEN PRAT (River Boyne, winner) – “Going into the backside, he grabbed the bit and they were slowing it down up front. It put me in a bit of...

DAY 15 ACCELERATE PUTS IN PENULTIMATE WORK FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC John Sadler-trained Accelerate, the probable favorite for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 Sunday morning, leaving only one more...

Cambodia © Benoit Photo Winter Quarter Farm’s Cambodia, given a well-judged ride by Drayden Van Dyke, stormed to the front entering the stretch and drew off to an impressive triumph in the featured Grade II...

Tap the Wire © Benoit Photo DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Tap the Wire, winner) – “He broke really well. We were just sitting in there; he was relaxed. I asked him in the stretch and he...

Restrainedvengence © Benoit Photo DAY 14 BRINKERHOFF PLAYS GIANT-SLAYER ROLE AGAIN IN SUNDAY’S LA JOLLA Trainer Val Brinkerhoff saddled Restrainedvengence to a $24.80 upset in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes on opening day of the meeting...

Go On Mary © Benoit Photo Go On Mary, a 10-1 longshot despite the presence in the saddle of Rafael Bejarano, gamely held off the challenge of 8-5 favored Okinawa to win Friday’s featured $81,330...

Farrin Peterson © Benoit Photo DAY 13 VET AND JOCKEY BOTH? PETERSON FIGURES SHE’LL ‘IRON’ IT OUT Farrin Peterson, 26, from Roseville in Northern California, is an honors student in her fourth year of studies...

River Boyne © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Irish-bred River Boyne, a two-time stakes-winner at Santa Anita this year, will carry highweight of 122 pounds Sunday versus five three-year-old rivals in the Grade III $150,000 La...

Eddie Haskell © Benoit Photo Eddie Haskell, piloted by Geovanni Franco, barely held off rapidly-closing Eric the Trojan, the 9-5 favorite, to win Del Mar’s feature race Thursday, a five-furlong sprint on the grass, by...

Phil Hall & Summerland © Benoit Photo DAY 12 LONG FREEWAY JOURNEY LEADS TO SORRENTO FOR SUMMERLAND Trainer Phil Hall loaded his undefeated two-year-old filly Summerland onto a van at Hastings Park, Vancouver, Canada, early...

Sophie P. © Benoit Photo English-bred Sophie P, winner of the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita in late May, will carry highweight of 122 pounds Saturday versus eleven formidable filly and mare rivals in...