DEL MAR, Calif. - The list of candidates for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 28 grew over the weekend to include a Canadian stakes winner and a horse claimed for $40,000 on Saturday.

Arthur’s Tale, who has not raced since finishing second, beaten a head by Toby’s Corner, in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9, is being considered for the Travers on Aug. 27 at Saratoga, trainer Tom Albertrani said.

Arthur’s Tale came out of the Wood with a leg injury. He has worked four times since returning to the work tab, including a five-furlong move in 1:02.87 Sunday over the main track. Albertrani, who noted the work was six furlongs in 1:16-and-change, said he would wait until Arthur’s Tale works this coming weekend before deciding where to run him.

For Steve Asmussen, the day after a hard race is not the time for making definitive decisions on where a horse will make her next start. So, while My Miss Aurelia appeared to come out of her neck victory in Sunday’s Adirondack Stakes in good order, Asmussen was typically non-committal on whether the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 4 would be her next start.

Trainer Bill Mott toyed with the idea of having his 3-year-old filly Royal Delta make her turf debut in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid Stakes. Ultimately he decided against that and instead will stick with his original plan of running her in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama.

“She’s good enough on dirt – she’s a Grade 2 winner – she deserves a chance in there,’’ Mott said. “The prestige of the Alabama, it’s a Grade 1, it’s more money, I think those are the reasons. We might consider the grass later on down the road.’’

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When John Velazquez won Monday’s first race at Saratoga aboard Caixa Eletronica, it was his 36th victory of the meet, opening up a 10-win lead in the standings of what was supposed to be a wide-open battle for the leading rider. Seven of Velazquez’s 36 wins have come in stakes.

Putting an apprentice who rides at a light weight on a horse with speed is an age-old strategy in Thoroughbred racing. It worked perfectly for trainer Greg Tracy when he gave Amie Pooli the mount on Mariacomo last Saturday at Northlands Park. Packing a feathery 107 pounds, Mariacomo went to the lead under Pooli and never looked back while winning her first race at a major track.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Cozi Rosie showed in Sunday’s $250,000 John Mabee Stakes at Del Mar why trainer John Sadler thinks she deserves a chance in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs in November.

Although he has branched out with a strong stable in Southern California and with national stars such as Eclipse champion Blind Luck, Jerry Hollendorfer’s roots remain deeply planted in Northern California.

DEL MAR, Calif. – All-sources handle at Del Mar is down an average of 6 percent through Sunday compared with same point of the 2010 season, a figure that may be difficult to reverse before the season ends, track president Joe Harper said on Monday.

Del Mar has run 20 days of its 37-day meeting, which runs through Sept. 7.

Handle, including ontrack, offtrack, and account wagering sources has averaged $11,221,976, lower than 2010 average of $11,925,681 at the same point last year. Average ontrack handle is down 6 percent, from $2,220,715 in 2010 to $2,080,664 this year.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Awakino Cat returns to his favorite course – and his favorite race – when he seeks a three-peat in the $75,000 Troy Stakes, the featured event on Wednesday’s 10-race card at Saratoga.

Awakino Cat, a 6-year-old gelding trained and partly owned by Linda Rice, is 4 for 5 at Saratoga, including victories in the 2009 and 2010 Troy, run at 5 1/2 furlongs. Awakino Cat’s only loss on the Saratoga turf came in his career debut four years ago.