Argentine Group 1 winner Mystery Train a wild card for Pacific Classic
DEL MAR, Calif. – Mystery Train has won seven stakes in Argentina in the last 18 months. Even with those credentials, trainer Darrell Vienna said he is unsure what to expect when Mystery Train makes his American debut in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24.
Recently purchased by Jed Cohen, Mystery Train has been in California since late July. On Thursday, the 4-year-old had his second workout since arriving, running seven furlongs in 1:27 on the Polytrack synthetic surface.
Vienna said Mystery Train will work five furlongs next Thursday.
“He’s really fit,” Vienna said. “It’s a question of whether he’s acclimated and can run on this surface.”
Vienna said Mystery Train broke a 17-year-old track record for about 1 1/4 miles at Hipodromo de Palermo in Argentina with a victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Honor in 1:58.95 in April and then lowered his own mark to 1:58.31 two races later with a win in the minor Malvinas Argentinas on May 31, his final start in that country.
Mystery Train, by the stallion Not For Sale, has won stakes from about 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.
Mystery Train is part of an expected field of 12 in the Pacific Classic, which is run over 1 1/4 miles. The race is led by Shared Belief, the undefeated champion 2-year-old male of 2013 who will face older horses for the first time in a stakes, and Majestic Harbor, who won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28.
Other runners include Game On Dude, who won the 2013 Pacific Classic, Clubhouse Ride, Footbridge, Frac Daddy, Imperative, Irish Surf, Sky Kingdom, Toast of New York, and You Know I Know. Big Cazanova and Fed Biz are possible runners.