Berrios picks up Pacific Classic mount on Express Train

DEL MAR, Calif. – Hector Berrios will replace Mike Smith on Express Train in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 31 at Del Mar, trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday.

Berrios, who through Sunday was fourth in the jockey standings with 15 wins, will ride Express Train in a race for the first time. Berrios, 37, has been aboard Express Train for his last two workouts, Shirreffs said, the most recent of which was six furlongs in 1:13 last Friday at Del Mar.

Berrios has had 19 mounts for Shirreffs in his career through Sunday, winning three times.

“I’ve had luck with him, and that’s the main thing,” Shirreffs said.

Express Train, a winner of 7 of 21 starts for Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable, was third in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 27 at Del Mar, finishing behind two other candidates for the $1 million Pacific Classic in Dr. Venkman and Katonah.

Shirreffs described the move to Berrios as a “group decision.”

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Express Train was sixth in the 2021 Pacific Classic and fourth in the race in 2022. He was second in the Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles in 2021 and won the same race in 2022.

“He’s handled the distance very well in the past,” Shirreffs said.

The Pacific Classic field may include Full Serrano, an Argentine-bred who won an allowance race in his American debut at a mile on Aug. 3. Trained by John Sadler, Full Serrano worked five furlongs in 59.80 on Sunday at Del Mar.

Sadler said Full Serrano will have one more workout next week before a decision is made on whether the 5-year-old is tried in the richest race of the Del Mar summer meeting.

“We’ll see how his next work goes,” Sadler said. “It’s a question: Do we try the big race or something more conservative?”

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