Irish Surf may have to change tactics for Pacific Classic
DEL MAR, Calif. - When Irish Surf took a clear lead after a quarter-mile of the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar on July 25, he essentially won the marathon race a mile from the finish. It will be almost impossible to utilize the same strategy in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24.
Against a tougher field, and one loaded with horses that run or near the front, Irish Surf will have company early. Trainer Dan Hendricks said on Sunday that he was unsure whether he would tell jockey Elvis Trujillo to send Irish Surf early, or take a patient approach.
“I have no idea whether we’ll go,” he said. “First, we have to see who enters and go from there. It’s a big difference as to who is drawn outside and who is inside.”
Irish Surf worked six furlongs on Sunday, one of three Pacific Classic hopefuls to post workouts. Hendricks timed Irish Surf in 1:13.70. An official time was not given. Imperative, the winner of the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in April, worked five furlongs in 1:03.40. You Know I Know, third in the 2013 Pacific Classic, worked seven furlongs in 1:24.60.
Trujillo worked Irish Surf, who exercised alone. A 4-year-old colt, Irish Surf worked the last quarter-mile in 23.80 seconds, Hendricks said.
“I wanted a strong finish,” Hendricks said. “He’s good and ready.”
Irish Surf has won 3 of 18 starts and earned $213,660 for Gainesway Stable and Erik and Pavla Nygaard’s Thor-Bred Stable. In the Cougar II Handicap, Irish Surf won by 8 1/4 lengths, setting a track record of 2:29.01 over 1 1/2 miles on the Polytrack synthetic surface.
How that will measure against Pacific Classic runners such as Shared Belief, the undefeated champion 2-year-old male of 2013; Majestic Harbor, who won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in June; or Game On Dude, who won the 2013 Pacific Classic, is unclear.
“We don’t know,” he said. “The biggest difference is the pace. We’ll go from a 50-second [opening half-mile] to a 47. It’s a 15-length difference.”
The Pacific Classic is likely to have 12 starters, including Clubhouse Ride, Footbridge, Frac Daddy, Mystery Train, Sky Kingdom, and Toast of New York.
Imperative, who races for Kenji Morinaga, was third in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, but a disappointing eighth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap over 1 1/16 miles here on July 26. Imperative was third on the backstretch, but no factor through the final quarter-mile, finishing 11 1/2 lengths behind race winner Fed Biz.
The race was a throw-out to trainer George Papaprodromou.
“I thought that maybe that afternoon he didn’t get a hold of the track,” he said. “Hopefully, he can handle it this time. I do believe he’s a Grade 1 horse and he’ll do what you ask him. It’s a matter of whether he likes the track.”
Sunday, jockey Kent Desormeaux worked Imperative.
Papaprodromou timed Imperative through an opening quarter-mile of 26.42 seconds, and a final quarter-mile in 24.51. Papaprodromou timed the workout in 1:03.60. Desormeaux gave Imperative a vigorous hand ride through the final furlong.
You Know I Know is winless in six races since an optional claimer here in early August 2013. In the San Diego, You Know I Know was last early and finished third, 6 1/2 lengths behind Fed Biz.
“He was running against the bias,” trainer John Sadler said.
A 5-year-old gelding, You Know I Know races for Anthony Chacon and Paul Mangini Jr. You Know I Know has won 5 of 23 starts and earned $378,085. He has earned $192,000 in three starts on Del Mar’s Polytrack, never finishing worse than third.
This will be one of You Know I Know’s last chances to race on the surface. Del Mar plans to replace its Polytrack with a dirt surface in early 2015.
“With him, we know he loves the track,” Sadler said. “It’s not like we have 10 chances. He’s a price. You can’t win by staying home.”