Opportunity Knocks for Dr. Venkman in Pacific Classic (2024)

With the mare Adare Manor out of the Aug. 31 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), Dr. Venkman is now favored on the revised morning line. The $1 million Del Mar racelost much of its excitement without Adare Manor, who could have become only the second distaffer to win the race, following Beholder in 2015.

Adare Manor "tied up a little after her gallop yesterday and was still a little tight this morning," according to trainer Bob Baffert. She had been the morning-line favorite for the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic. Baffert, who has won the race a record seven times, still hasReincarnate in the field.

A 4-year-old son of Good Magic,Reincarnate is coming off back-to-back seconds in the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) and Cougar II Stakes (G3). He has not won since the 2023 Los Alamitos Derby. Kazushi Kimura is listed to ride from post 4.

Dr. Venkman, the least experienced in the Pacific Classic field, was originally 5-2 odds on the morning line before being dropped to 8-5 following the scratch of Adare Manor. Mark Glatt trains the 4-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper. Antonio Fresu rides from post 3.

In only five lifetime starts, Dr. Venkman has won three times and finished second twice. After two conditioned victories of more than five lengths each, Dr. Venkman ran second by a head in the 2023 Perryville Stakes at Keeneland and second in the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita, both at seven furlongs. In the 1 1/16-mile San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar July 27, Dr. Venkman scored by a length over Katonah, another Pacific Classic entrant.

"You want to work your way up to a route," Dr. Venkman's trainer, Mark Glatt, said. "He was certainly very effective sprinting and you're always a little bit on edge to make a change if they're running so well, which he had done early on in his career. We always thought after this layoff, the sooner we got him going farther the better he might get. I think we kind of proved that in the San Diego. We'll see if the mile and a quarter is within his wheelhouse. I think it will be."

Since Del Mar inaugurated the Pacific Classic in 1991, only three horses have won the San Diego and Pacific Classic: Maximum Security in 2020, California Chrome in 2016, and Skimming twice, in 2000 and 2001. Bobby Frankel trained Skimming, and Baffert trained Maximum Security at the time of his Del Mar success.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, who won the 2006 Pacific Classic with Lava Man, has two in this year: Katonah (Tiago Pereira, post 5) and Mixto (Kyle Frey, post 8 with the scratch of Adare Manor). Prior to his San Diego second, Katonah won the 2023 Pleasanton Mile Stakes in his stakes debut. Mixto ran second in this year's Pleasanton Mile and has placed in three graded stakes.

John Sadler has trained four of the last six Pacific Classic winners: Flightline in 2022, Tripoli in 2021, Higher Power in 2019, and Accelerate in 2018. He will saddle Full Serrano this year. A stakes winner in his native Argentina, Full Serrano has started only once in the United States, winning an allowance optional claimer at Del Mar Aug. 3. Reylu Gutierrez will ride from post 6.

Il Miracolo (Mike Smith, post 1) is the lone shipper and now the 3-1 second choice on the revised morning line. Trained by Antonio Sano, he captured the March 30 Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and most recently finished second in the Aug. 17 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park. Il Miracolo is a 4-year-old son of Gun Runner and a grandson of Candy Ride. Candy Ride won the 2003 Pacific Classic, setting the track record of 1:59.11, which still stands.

"He's used to traveling," Sano said. "He's a big horse. We're really happy with how he's been doing so far. He loves the track. He loves the environment. We're happy with the post position. We have Mike Smith—you couldn't have anyone better."

Rounding out the field are multiple stakes winner None Above the Law and supplemental entrant There Goes Harvard. The latter, cross-entered in the Del Mar Handicap (G2T) on the Saturday card but subsequently scratched from that race,has not won since the 2022 Hollywood Gold Cup.