Del Mar: Pacific Classic next for Jeranimo

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Jeranimo, winner of the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes on turf last Saturday, will attempt to win his second Grade 1 race of the meeting in the Pacific Classic, trainer Mike Pender said Wednesday.

There had been discussions about sending Jeranimo to Arlington Park for the Arlington Million on Aug. 17, but Pender said the Pacific Classic has more appeal.

“I don’t want to ship,” Pender said. “He likes to run out of his own stall.”

Owned by B.J. Wright and Robert LaPenta, Jeranimo won his second turf stakes of 2013 in the Eddie Read over 1 1/8 miles. A winner of 10 of 35 starts and $1,400,864, Jeranimo finished eighth in the 2011 Pacific Classic, his most recent start on a synthetic track.

The Pacific Classic is run over 1 1/4 miles, and Pender thinks Jeranimo can get the distance.

“He can run all day,” Pender said. “I think it fits.”

[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]

Kobe’s Back to skip Best Pal

Kobe’s Back, winner of the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes for 2-year-olds in his debut at Hollywood Park on June 15, is likely to miss the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 4 in favor of the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 4, trainer John Sadler said.

Sadler said that Kobe’s Back had heat in a knee recently, but that X-rays showed no damage.

“I’ll take my time,” Sadler said. “I’m not in a big hurry.”

Purchased for $480,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s sale of 2-year-olds in training, Kobe’s Back closed from last in a field of nine to win the Proctor over 5 1/2 furlongs by a convincing 3 1/4 lengths.

◗ Jockey Gary Stevens will not ride at Del Mar on two of the next three weekends, according to his agent, Craig O’Bryan. Stevens, who has won four races at this meeting, is booked to ride Oxbow in Sunday’s Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and will spend Saturday traveling to New Jersey. From Aug. 7-11, Stevens will be in England, where he is part of the Shergar Cup program at Ascot on Aug. 10.