Cougar II winner Midnight Mammoth will try Pacific Classic
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A clear win in Thursday’s Grade 3 Cougar II Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar is likely to lead to the Grade 1 debut of Midnight Mammoth in the $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 31.
Midnight Mammoth started at an extended distance for the first time in the Cougar II and led throughout to win by 10 1/4 lengths in a 9-1 upset.
“I think the timing of the Pacific Classic is something to think about,” trainer Craig Dollase said on Friday. “He has an affinity for the track.”
A 5-year-old gelding, Midnight Mammoth was claimed for $50,000 at Santa Anita in March 2023 and has since won four of 15 starts and earned $208,080 for owner Jeffrey Sengara.
The win in the $100,000 Cougar II Stakes was Midnight Mammoth’s third consecutive victory, preceded by an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on May 27, in which he was eligible to be claimed for $50,000, and a starter allowance at a mile at Los Alamitos on July 4.
The Cougar II Stakes was Midnight Mammoth’s first appearance in a stakes since an eighth-place finish in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile in July 2023.
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“We’re still on cloud nine,” Dollase said. “What a run.
“He passed the test as far as the distance goes. That was one of our concerns going in. At the three-eighths pole, I thought he could get the distance. I thought, ‘Wow. We’ve got horse left.’ ”
Since being claimed, Midnight Mammoth has run at distances ranging from a 1,000-yard race at the evening meeting at Los Alamitos last November, in which he was fourth, to the more stamina-testing Cougar II.
“We’ve learned the hard way,” Dollase said. “We did a lot of experimenting with him. He likes to fight up front. He likes the lead to himself.”
Dollase knows the Pacific Classic will bring together many of California’s leading older runners. With Midnight Mammoth in peak form, the race is worth a try.
“Dreams are free,” he said.
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