The $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) on Saturday is set to feature one of the largest fields in the history of the showcase event of the Del Mar summer season.
The 11-horse field of 3-year-olds and up may not have a superstar among them, but that will only make for a more competitive race and test the acumen of the savviest of bettors.
The 1 ¼-mile Pacific Classic has a dash of everything – international flavor in Japan-bred Finger, the only 3-year-old in the field a filly, Om N Joy, taking on the boys at 20-1; East Coast invader Knightsbridge as the 5-2 favorite; 2025 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show at 6-1; and a pair from Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. in Forged Steel (5-1) and Navajo Warrior (8-1).
The winner earns an all-fees, automatic berth in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Let it be known that two Pacific Classic winners went on to take the Classic – Flightline in 2022 and Accelerate in 2018.
The race was first won in 1991 and has produced some amazing racing memories. Among them: Dare and Go’s upset of Cigar in 1996, Candy Ride’s track record in 2003, Beholder’s domination of males in 2015, and Flightline’s overpowering victory in 2022.
This edition is an exceptional betting race for handicappers as well as the casual bettor, with a big score very possible.
Let’s start from the top with the three betting favorites – Knightsbridge, Forged Steel and Hit Show (with jockey, trainer, odds, post position.
The 5-year-old son of Nyquist comes West off an explosive gate-to-wire effort in the 1 ¼-mile Monmouth Cup (G3) on July 18, romping by 10 ¼ lengths over a fast Monmouth Park track. The Godolphin homebred has won seven of 11 starts by mostly stalking the pace and is likely to be up front in a big field. This is his first race at 1 ¼ miles and against a larger field than he’s faced before.
The 4-year-old gray son of Vekoma could set or press the pace out of post 2. He’s had a lot of races in his career, with five wins in 19 starts. He made a successful trip out West by going gate-to-wire in winning the 1 ¼-mile Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) by 9 ½ lengths on May 25 at Santa Anita. Back East, he was tired fifth in the Suburban at the Spa on July 4 but has had several strong workouts since. If he gets a good start, he could be a strong factor.
The 6-year-old son of Candy Ride has a hefty bankroll of $9.5 million, thanks to his upset win at 40-1 odds in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in 2025. A mid-pack runner with a closing kick has seen him win 12 of 27 career starts with three seconds and two thirds. He’s 0-for-2 in 2026, with a third in the Blame Stakes (G3) and a distant second to Phileas Fogg in the Suburban Stakes (G2) last out on July 4. If the track plays to a speedy pace, which usually happens in the summer, this may be a tough trip to make the top 3.
A filly? Winning? Last time it happened was 2015, when Beholder, a Hall of Famer, won and then finished second in 2016 to California Chrome. The 4-year-old filly will be ridden by a 56-year-old Hall of Fame jockey, who doesn’t ride very often but is the regular rider aboard this filly. She’s a stalker and needs a strong break from the rail in this large field to give the boys a run for the money. She comes into the race in fine form, winning the Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita on May 30 and missing by a half-length in a surging second to Eunomia in the (G1) Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1. A weight allowance and a rail ride should help. At long odds, she’s worth a play since fillies/mares have been competing well against the boys recently: Suvie winning the Christophe Clement Stakes (G1), Luster taking the King’s Plate, and Nitrogen finishing a strong second in the Whitney Stakes (G1).
Why not? A Japan-based son of top stallion Gun Runner is the wildcard in the field. The only 3-year-old in the race, Finger has finished in the top 3 in all eight of his career starts in Japan and has earned over $1 million. A pace-setter who can also press the pace, he comes to America off a pair of victories at Ohi Racecourse in Tokyo: the 1 1/8-mile Haneda Hai in late April and the 1 ¼-mile Tokyo Derby on June 10. He also has experience competing against large fields. Japan-based runners have had success at Del Mar on dirt: Marche Lorraine won the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), and Forever Young took the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Riding a three-race win streak, the last two going gate-to-wire at different tracks, Navajo Warrior gives Joseph another solid shot at a Classic win. The 5-year-old gelding, a son of Candy Ride, started racing in California for trainer Tim Yakteen, broke his maiden at sixth asking at Del Mar, then won 4 of 5 before being transferred to Joseph. He’s won six of eight since, including the Pimlico Special (G3) on May 15 and the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 18. Don’t want to miss out on some nice odds.
The race will be televised on FS1. Post time for the Pacific Classic (race 10) is 5 p.m. ET.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Om N Joy (CA) | K J Desormeaux | A Ordonez | 20-1 |
| 2 | Forged Steel (KY) | E Gonzalez | S A Joseph, Jr. | 5-1 |
| 3 | Finger (JPN) | K Tosaki | H Tanaka | 8-1 |
| 4 | Subsanador (ARG) | M E Smith | R E Mandella | 12-1 |
| 5 | Malarchuk (KY) | U Rispoli | M W McCarthy | 10-1 |
| 6 | Original Sin (KY) | J J Hernandez | B P Walsh | 15-1 |
| 7 | Hit Show (KY) | F Geroux | B H Cox | 6-1 |
| 8 | British Isles (KY) | D A Herrera | R Baltas | 12-1 |
| 9 | Navajo Warrior (KY) | M J Husbands | S A Joseph, Jr. | 8-1 |
| 10 | Full Serrano (ARG) | J Rosario | J W Sadler | 8-1 |
| 11 | Knightsbridge (KY) | J Alvarado | W I Mott | 5-2 |
Last Updated on 08/20/2026
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
