Gold Cup winner Majestic Harbor points to Pacific Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Majestic Harbor, the upset winner of Saturday’s $500,500 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, will make his next start Aug. 24 in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a chance for the 6-year-old to enhance his position as a contender Nov. 1 for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Majestic Harbor gave owner Ron Beegle, who races as Gallant Stable, and trainer Sean McCarthy their first Grade 1 wins. Equally as important, Majestic Harbor received a fees-paid berth to the BC Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

For jockey Tyler Baze, the Gold Cup at Santa Anita was his first Grade 1 win since Ultra Blend won the Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar in 2011. Baze has struggled with personal issues related to alcoholism in recent years but has rebounded since returning to riding in January after an absence of more than six months. He finished the spring-summer meeting Sunday at Santa Anita in second-place in the standings behind Joe Talamo.

Milestones aside, the win by Majestic Harbor suggests a change in the handicap division in California. Game On Dude, who won a record third Santa Anita Handicap in March and won the Hollywood Gold Cup in 2012 and 2013, was the victim of a speed duel with Fury Kapcori on Saturday and faded to finish fourth as the 4-5 favorite.

Game On Dude, along with Clubhouse Ride and Imperative, who were second and third in Saturday’s Gold Cup at Santa Anita, are candidates for the Pacific Classic.

Majestic Harbor, a winner of 6 of 23 starts and $655,764, has raced for the 51-year-old McCarthy and trainer Paul McGee in Kentucky since his career began in late 2010. The Gold Cup at Santa Anita was Majestic Harbor’s second stakes win. He won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup over 1 1/2 miles on dirt here March 29. On May 31, Majestic Harbor finished third behind Clubhouse Ride and Fury Kapcori in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes.

In the week before Saturday’s race, McCarthy saw improvement form Majestic Harbor.

“The horse had a great week, a great 10 days,” McCarthy said in the winner’s circle. “The T’s were crossed. The I’s were dotted. You just hope that when you lead them over there, he fires, and he fired. I couldn’t have asked for things to have been any better.”

Majestic Harbor stalked the quick early pace of 22.38 seconds and 45.39 while racing in third on the backstretch. Baze guided Majestic Harbor four wide on the turn and took the lead with more than a quarter-mile remaining.

“I knew we would win last week after I worked him,” Baze said.

Baze, 31, paid tribute to McCarthy for supporting him.

“The guys that keep you going in these smaller barns, it just means so much,” he said. “They have stood by me, and they’ve been there for me.”

Clubhouse Ride was well-placed in early stretch but could not keep pace with Majestic Harbor.

“I thought if we could beat Game On Dude, we could get it all,” trainer Craig Lewis said Sunday. “He ran well. He’s tired. Physically, he looks good.”

Lewis said races at Saratoga such as the $600,000 Woodward Stakes on Aug. 30 and the $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs on Aug. 24, are other considerations for Clubhouse Ride.

Imperative, beaten eight lengths by Majestic Harbor, beat Game On Dude when they were first and second in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia in April. Imperative did not race again until the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, a gap that could have hurt the 4-year-old, trainer George Papaprodromou said Sunday.

“He ran his race,” Papaprodromou said. “Maybe after two months off, he needed a race. The horses that ran one-two had a race a month ago.”

As for the speed-duel runners, Fury Kapcori may run in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap over 1 1/16 miles July 24 at Del Mar, according to Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Trainer Bob Baffert was quick to mention that Fury Kapcori’s early fractions were quicker than the pace of 22.77 and 45.50 in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes for sprinters earlier in the day. The Baffert-trained Declassify won the Triple Bend.

Game On Dude, ridden by Mike Smith, was second to Fury Kapcori until the turn before being passed by Majestic Harbor and Clubhouse Ride. Smith did not persevere with Game On Dude in the stretch when beaten.

“Mike did the right thing,” Baffert said. “Sometimes, you have to call it a day.”