by BillyHoSports September 3, 2023
It was quite a day for the young guns as Arabian Knight wins the 2023 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a ‘Win & You’re In’ event for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The late blooming 3 yr old from trainer Bob Baffert got right to the lead and never gave it up. Furthermore, Geaux Rocket Ride, trained by Richard Mandella, is another 3 yr old who got out of the gate well, followed closely by the elder 5 yr old, Defunded. Catch the full race replay here.
In my preview video, I had mentioned that Arabian Knight was the fastest horse in the race. Moreover, I thought he was sitting on a big effort coming off that quality 3rd place finish in the Haskell. Remarkably, that was his first start since January. Arabian Knight led all the way setting fast fractions throughout & into the stretch with Slow Down Andy in hot pursuit, and Geaux Rocket Ride adjusting to reengage. Ultimately, Geaux Rocket Ride passes Slow Down Andy and sets his sights on the leader.
He gets it going a bit too late as he just misses the winner by a neck. However, it was a fantastic effort by Arabian Knight, who no doubt will get a well-deserved rest now. On the other hand, Geaux Rocket Ride ran a fine race coming off that big Haskell win, and Slow Down Andy looked really good handling those fractions. So, what’s next for these horses? I’d say that, in addition to Arabian Knight, we’ll be seeing Geaux Rocket Ride, Defunded, and possibly Slow Down Andy in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
