Pacific Classic (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
August 17, 2019
Apples To Oranges has had a successful three year old season, winning the Wood Memorial before hitting the board in both the KYD and the BEL. Those results pointed him to the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, a race that has been kind for three year olds recently. He’d be among our picks to win, and after finding himself off the viewer early on in this race, he would close well and pick up an impressive three length win. It is the third win in the stake for trainer Mb Stables, who last won in 2016 with High Pride, via a dead heat. Jockey M Franco becomes a first time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 2:00.64, the fastest winning time since 2012. Let’s take a look at it!
(½ Mile- :44.73)- Range Of The Sun has them running early, setting a blistering opening half mile for trainer Team 7 Illusions, who likely wanted to use this to the advantage of Beaver Wars, a deep closer. Hollywood Latte, the PRK winner from Nakamura Stables also started quickly out of the gate, and would chase Range Of The Sun. So too, would Fox News, from D J C Racing Stables, who started to the outside of the pacesetter, but he would eventually back off of that pursuit and drop into the first pack group. State Police (Smokey Stover) was now third, with Scarlet Ninja (Fractious) and Achilles (Diablo Diablo) behind him, as well as Fox News going four wide. Next were two Team 7 Illusions horses, Crossing The Rubicon and Beaver Wars. The trainer had to like where Beaver Wars was at this point, in comparison to the second pack. That pack was off the viewer, led by Devilish Details (Mb Stables) and Combat Wombat (Maxmillion Farm). Next were Champion In Action (Night Rider Stables) and Liberty Valance (D J C Racing Stables). The trailers were two from Mb Stables, Questionable, and Apples To Oranges. The eventual winner was last here, with 15 ½ lengths to make up.
(3/4 Mile- 1:08.56)- The rabbit leads the way halfway down the backstretch before being passed by Hollywood Latte, who probably just got caught up in this pace. State Police didn’t pull either over for speeding, and instead gained some ground and was looking at a three wide move. Scarlet Ninja, Achilles, and Fox News were still three wide, and maintaining their position. Crossing The Rubicon moved a length ahead of Beaver Wars. We still had the large gap behind them, being six lengths, to the rest of the field who was still off the viewer. Did not see much change amongst them with the exception of Apples To Oranges, who moved to the rail, but only gained one of the lengths back so far.
(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Range Of The Sun packed it in at the top of the turn, and this is where we started seeing the rest of the field appear on the viewer, and they were coming quickly. There was action at the front of the field, too, but with the way the second pack was charging, it had the feel that one of them was going to take over the race. For now, though, Fox News had moved into the lead, impressively moving to the outside of State Police and completing that pass. Hollywood Latte was still hanging on, and Beaver Wars made a great push from the outside as he took the baton from his stablemate. All four were heads apart for the lead. Achilles was within a length of the action, and Scarlet Ninja, for now, was keeping pace on the rail. Crossing The Rubicon was passed by his stablemate, and running the seventh. The second pack was initially led by Combat Wombat, but it would be Apples To Oranges, who came off the rail in the turn to move into the money lane for the stretch. Interestingly, he was now running even with Range Of The Sun right now, and his sights were now set on the approximate three lengths he needed to make up on the front four. Combat Wombat was looking to do this while running up the middle of the pack. Trailing, and running four across the track were Devilish Details, Champion In Action, Liberty Valance, and Questionable. The latter of which had the ability to follow his stablemate in the money lane if he had the leg kick to do it.
(Finish- 2:00.64)- In the stretch, a powerful drive was put on display by Apples To Oranges, who easily put away the rest of the field, including the other closers in the race, and ends up winning the race in an HRP rout of three lengths. Combat Wombat, who had to alter his path in the stretch to avoid Achilles, ran second in his bid to win the race in two consecutive seasons. Questionable had plenty of stretch drive, too, and that would work out well as he would nip Beaver Wars at the line for third. Liberty Valance came on well, too, but only gets fifth to show for it, edging Crossing The Rubicon. Devilish Details used the rail to be seventh, ahead of the tiring Fox News. Rounding out the order, its Achilles, State Police, Champion In Action, Scarlet Ninja, Hollywood Latte, and Range Of The Sun. The rabbit loses by 18 lengths.
About The Winner- Apples To Oranges, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by M Franco, is a three year old colt by Slither, and is out of El Gran Terra. He was bred in California as a third quarter two year old by Night Mare Racing, and acquired by Mb Stables, unraced, in private sales in July 2018 for $70.000. The win is his third in nine starts, and its his second graded win. His career earnings are now $1,928.400.
Track: Fast
Time: :443 1:082 1:341 2:003
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 8 – 4 Paid 38.40
$1 Trifecta: 8 – 4 – 12 Paid 894.60
Scratched: Smugglers Blues
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
