Full Serrano, Subsanador under consideration for Pacific Classic
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DEL MAR, Calif. – Since they won seven-figures races in the fall of 2024, Full Serrano and Subsanador have combined to go winless in seven stakes.
Their next chances may come in the leading race of the Del Mar meeting, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 22. The $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles is the richest annual race in California.
Full Serrano, who won the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar in November 2024, was withdrawn from the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 18 because of a foot issue. He worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Del Mar on Sunday, leaving trainer John Sadler encouraged by the 7-year-old horse’s condition.
“It was a good step forward,” Sadler said of the workout. “For him to run in the Classic, we’ll need four works.”
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Owned by Hronis Racing, Full Serrano was second by a half-length in the 2024 Pacific Classic, his American stakes debut. In Argentina, Full Serrano was a Group 3 winner at about 1 1/4 miles on turf in December 2023.
Full Serrano has triumphed once in five starts since the 2024 BC Dirt Mile, winning an allowance race at a mile here last September.
Earlier this year, Full Serrano was third by 7 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January and fourth by 2 3/4 lengths after a troubled start in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile in March.
Subsanador was last of five in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on March 25, his third loss this year after a layoff of 18 months. Trainer Richard Mandella said on Sunday that Subsanador was hampered in the Gold Cup because of mishap with a shoe.
“He came back with a shoe that was loose,” Mandella said. “It was moving around on him. The shoe was hanging on by a nail.”
Subsanador won the Grade 1 California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita in September 2024, which had a $1 million purse that year as part of a one-year experiment in which Santa Anita management enhanced purses for three stakes. The race, typically known as the Awesome Again Stakes, had a purse of $300,000 last September and will again this year.
A few weeks after the win in the California Crown, Subsanador was diagnosed with an ankle injury that led to the lengthy layoff. Mandella said over the weekend he was encouraged by Subsanador’s five-furlong workout in 59.20 at Del Mar on July 23.
“I might try the Classic,” Mandella said. “We’ll see how it comes up. It’s just a thought, not a sure thing.”
The list of probable starters for the Pacific Classic is led by Nysos, who won the seventh stakes of his 10-race career with a commanding victory by four lengths in the Grade 1 Met Mile at Saratoga on June 6. Nysos, trained by Bob Baffert, has never started at 1 1/4 miles.
Other candidates are Finger, Forged Steel, Knightsbridge, Navajo Warrior, and The Goat.
Knightsbridge, trained by Bill Mott, won the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at 1 1/8 miles by 10 1/4 lengths at 1-2 odds on July 18. Second in the Met Mile, the Monmouth Cup was Knightsbridge’s longest career race.
Finger is a Japanese-bred 3-year-old by Gun Runner who has won 4 of 8 starts, the latest of which was the Tokyo Derby at 1 1/4 miles on dirt at Oi Racecourse on June 10. Del Mar officials said on Sunday that Finger is scheduled to arrive in California on Aug. 12 to begin quarantine.
The Pacific Classic field will not include British Isles, who won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles in March. British Isles, fourth behind Forged Steel in the Hollywood Gold Cup, worked three furlongs in 37.40 at Del Mar on Sunday, his first work since returning from a 45-day break at a local farm.
“I wanted to freshen him up a bit,” trainer Richard Baltas said.
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