Extra Hope will be longshot in small Pacific Classic field

DEL MAR, Calif. - Extra Hope will start in a Grade 1 race for the first time since late 2018 in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.

While Extra Hope lacks experience at the highest level, trainer Richard Mandella said he was left encouraged by the 6-year-old gelding’s third-place finish in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on dirt on July 24.

“He ran a good race in the Cougar II," Mandella said Sunday. “He’s trained like he’s come on from that. We’ll see if we can’t sneak up on them.”

A win by Extra Hope would be a sneaky result, and would come at a hefty win price. Owned by Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable, Extra Hope will be a longshot in a small field led by the undefeated Flightline; the Mandella-trained Royal Ship; and Country Grammer, the winner of the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in March.

Flightline won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in his lone start this year on June 11.

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Royal Ship won the sixth stakes of his career in his 18th start in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 30, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of Country Grammer. Trained by Bob Baffert, Country Grammer had his first start since the Dubai World Cup in the San Diego Handicap.

The Pacific Classic, which is run at 1 1/4 miles and is the richest race of the summer meeting, has a projected field of six, including Santa Anita Handicap winner Express Train and Stilleto Boy, who won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita in June and was a well-beaten third in the San Diego Handicap.

In his only previous start in a Grade 1 race, Extra Hope was third behind Improbable in the Los Alamitos Futurity. His lone stakes win has been the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles here in November 2020.

The Pacific Classic is one of five stakes on Saturday’s program, which includes three Grade 2 races on turf worth $300,000 each – the Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles, Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles and Del Mar Mile.