Pacific Classic Analysis
1. Om N Joy (20-1)
Om N Joy is a four-year-old filly taking on males, but she has plenty of experience at Del Mar. In five starts at the track, she has two wins, a second and two thirds.
She won the Grade 2 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita on May 30 after chasing a wicked 45-second opening half-mile pace. Last time out, she rallied from off the pace to finish second, beaten only a half-length, in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar.
This will be her first attempt at 1¼ miles. She should save ground behind the speed and could pick up a minor award if the pace gets hot.
2. Forged Steel (5-1)
Forged Steel will be ridden by Edwin Gonzalez for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
He won the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1¼ miles on May 25, going wire to wire by more than nine lengths. However, that victory came in a five-horse field that did not appear particularly deep.
He subsequently finished fifth, beaten a dozen lengths, in the Grade 2 Suburban.
The major question is whether he can sustain his speed with several other horses likely to be involved early.
3. Finger (8-1)
Finger is an intriguing international shipper coming in from Japan. The three-year-old son of Gun Runner has been remarkably consistent, with four wins and four runner-up finishes from eight starts.
He is four-for-five this year with a second this year and enters off victories in his last two starts, including the Tokyo Derby at 1¼ miles in a 16-horse field.
The distance should not be an issue, and from post three he figures to be fairly close to the pace. The biggest question is how he will handle his first start in the United States against older horses.
4. Subsanador (12-1)
Subsanador is 12-1 on the morning line for trainer Richard Mandella, with Mike Smith aboard.
The seven-year-old has struggled to find his best form this year, finishing fourth and getting beaten by eight, eight and 37 lengths in his three starts.
He is winless in three starts at Del Mar, although he does have a second at this distance. Back-to-back bullet workouts at Del Mar provide some reason for optimism, but he will need a major turnaround.
5. Malarchuk (10-1)
Malarchuk is another horse with the ability to be forwardly placed.
The jockey-trainer combination of Umberto Rispoli and Michael McCarthy has performed well, winning 27% of the time while producing a positive return on investment.
He finished second, beaten more than nine lengths by Forged Steel, in the Hollywood Gold Cup. He prefers to race near the front, which could become an issue if several other speed horses push the pace.
Read more at Today's Racing Digest
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