San Diego Handicap next stop for Express Train

Express Train, a Grade 2 winner in January who was third in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 31, will start in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 17, trainer John Shirreffs said on Wednesday.

Race plans have not been finalized for Midcourt, who won his first start of 2021 in an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita last Friday for Shirreffs. Both horses are owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables.

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Express Train was beaten 4 1/4 lengths in the Gold Cup by Country Grammer, who has since been transferred from trainer Bob Baffert’s California stable to Todd Pletcher in New York for a summer campaign.

Express Train is winless in three starts since he won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Jan. 30.

The $250,000 San Diego Handicap is run at 1 1/16 miles and is a prep for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 21.

Last year, Midcourt was second by a nose in the San Diego and third in the Pacific Classic, losing both races to Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old male of 2019.

In the allowance race last out, Midcourt was always near the front and pulled clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite.

“He did a great race,” Shirreffs said. “I was very happy with the result. He’s such a trier.”

Midcourt has won 6 of 17 starts and earned $612,695. He has won three stakes, the most recent being the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2020.