 Expert - Jon Lees | |
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| Jon Lees is an award-winning racing journalist who was senior news reporter for the Racing Post for 20 years, before that he was chief racing correspondent for Britain’s national news agency, the Press Association. He was named Racing Reporter of the Year at the HWPA Derby Awards in 2013. He has travelled extensively covering horse racing, attending his first Breeders’ Cup in 1994. Since 2018 Jon has been a freelance, writing for The Times, the Telegraph, At The Races and Breeders’ Cup, working in PR for Ladbrokes and Newbury racecourse, and regularly contributes to the website horseracingplanet.com. | |
Expert Column for Pacific Classic Day (S1) (Jon Lees)
S1-1 Green Flash Handicap
The Green Flash Handicap over 1,000m is run around one of the tightest turf tracks in the US, so hard luck stories are part and parcel of racing at Del Mar.
The 12-runner field for the G3 race has brought back MOTORIOUS, last year’s 1.8 lengths winner when the favourite over a field which included FAST BUCK, who was ninth. MOTORIOUS went on to run well in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, finishing a close-up fifth at Santa Anita. This year he has not quite been in the same form. He lines up here, like last year, off a run in a G2 at Churchill Downs in May, but could finish only fourth in an allowance race at Santa Anita in June.
SASSY NATURE returned from tackling a G2 on dirt in January, win over 1,000m at Del Mar this month. Smartly away from her inside draw, she raced clear of the field for a comfortable victory over DANIEL'S MAGIC, UNCONQUERABLE KEEN and FAST BUCK. Breaking from gate 3, she could be hard to catch if she can get away quickly.
CONNIE SWINGLE has never finished outside the first three in 11 career starts. The 5YO mare warmed up for the Green Flash by winning the Listed Daisycutter Handicap on her first start after spell. She showed admirable courage to stick to her task despite taking a bump which pushed her against the rail as the field negotiated the turn. She was able to save ground until she was produced in the stretch, hitting the front 200m out and was driven out to score.
JOHNNY PODRES is enjoying a productive season, winning three times this year at Santa Anita. He has won twice at Del Mar, the last two years ago, but a last time out second in an optional claimer, when he couldn’t quite reach the winner, was a positive showing which could put him in the mix.
SELECTIONS: 3. SASSY NATURE, 9. CONNIE SWINGLE, 11. JOHNNY PODRES, 7. UNCONQUERABLE KEEN & 10. MOTORIOUS
1ST DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S1-1: Multiple – 3. SASSY NATURE & 9. CONNIE SWINGLE
S1-2: Multiple – 7. ADARE MANOR & 5. KATONAH
TREBLE SELECTIONS (27 unit bets):
S1-1: Multiple – 3. SASSY NATURE, 9. CONNIE SWINGLE & 11. JOHNNY PODRES
S1-2: Multiple – 7. ADARE MANOR, 5. KATONAH & 3. DR VENKMAN
S1-3: Multiple – 5. LAMMAS, 1. ASTRONOMER & 9. FIRST PEACE
S1-2 Pacific Classic
The Del Mar Summer Meet comes to a climax with the running of its richest and most prestigious race, a race that has been won by some of the US’s biggest stars, notably BEST PAL, CANDY RIDE, BEHOLDER, CALIFORNIA CHROME and FLIGHTLINE.
Southern California’s leading trainer Bob Baffert has won the race a record seven times and appears to have an eighth victory well within his grasp as he saddles two of the nine-strong field in this 34th edition of the race.
ADARE MANOR is the winner of ten of her 18 starts and three out of four during 2024. She has won three times at G1 level and was last defeated in the 1,600m race, staying on to finish 0.8-length behind the winner. This year she has won three Graded races. Her latest victory was at Del Mar where she reeled in the leader to win comfortably and, although the Pacific Classic is 300m further than her last won, there is no reason to believe she won’t stay the distance. She gets a sex allowance from the males. She is the class act.
The morning line oddsmaker has DR VENKMAN as the chief danger to ADARE MANOR. The lightly raced 4YO won the G2 San Diego Handicap, the traditional Pacific Classic warm-up, last time on his fifth start, beating KATONAH. It was the first time the one-time sprinter had tackled two turns and while he passed the test, he now moves up another 300m. KATONAH, who finished a length down at the line, kept going willingly to suggest he could turn the tables over further.
The race received a late supplementary entry for THERE GOES HARVARD, now in new ownership. The 6YO won the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup two years ago but has been well below par in his four runs since.
Ex-Argentine FULL SERRANO is pitched into the Pacific Classic after a single start in California, having won an allowance race on debut at Del Mar at the start of August. His only stakes win in Argentina was on turf but as he runs for Hronis Racing and John Sadler, owners and trainers of FLIGHTLINE, he merits respect.
SELECTIONS: 7. ADARE MANOR, 5. KATONAH, 3. DR VENKMAN, 6. FULL SERRANO & 2. THERE GOES HARVARD
2ND DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S1-2: Multiple – 7. ADARE MANOR & 5. KATONAH
S1-3: Multiple – 5. LAMMAS & 1. ASTRONOMER
DOUBLE TRIO SELECTIONS (36 unit bets):
S1-2:
Banker – 7. ADARE MANOR
Selections – 5. KATONAH, 3. DR. VENKMAN, 6. FULL SERRANO & 2. THERE GOES HARVARD
S1-3:
Banker – 5. LAMMAS
Selections – 1. ASTRONOMER, 9. FIRST PEACE, 3. DU JOUR & 7. FLASHIEST
S1-3 Del Mar Mile
Southern California’s leading trainer Bob Baffert has few turf horses but DU JOUR brings a solid pedigree to the G2 Del Mar Mile over 1,600m. The 6YO gelding gave Baffert his first victory in the race in 21 years when he defeated EXAULTED by 2.3 lengths with IRIDEO fourth 12 months ago. He secured his first G1 victory this year when he captured the Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita and now carries a penalty in races of this level. He was only sixth when carrying the extra weight in the Eddie Read Stakes in July, although the race was over 1,800m.
The key warm-up for this race was the Listed Wickerr Stakes run over the course and distance last month. The first five across the line, FIRST PEACE, ASTRONOMER, FLASHIEST, CONCLUDE and ALMENDARES finished within four lengths of each other. FIRST PEACE was receiving 2lb from ASTRONOMER and the pair now meet on equal terms.
LAMMAS is an intriguing challenger having been based at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California until the track’s recent closure. He is multi-talented having won on dirt and synthetic as well as turf. He has won four of his five starts in 2024, producing his best performance in the G3 San Francisco Mile Stakes, and though the standard of racing Golden Gates was historically of a lower grade to Southern California, he was too good for ASTRONOMER, fourth, back in April.
SELECTIONS: 5. LAMMAS, 1. ASTRONOMER, 9. FIRST PEACE, 3. DU JOUR & 7. FLASHIEST
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