First turn 7-20

FIRST

TURN

JULY 20

Heaven by the Pacific

by James Scully

Del Mar is a state of mind on the Southern California racing

circuit. Well situated near the popular beaches of La Jolla with

plenty of fine dining, shopping and other local enticements, the

venerable oval serves as a vacation hotspot for owners and racing

fans as well as a getaway from the daily grind up north for

backstretch and track employees. Top-class racing is synonymous

with the Del Mar experience.

Bing Crosby helped found the track in 1937 and Del Mar quickly

became known for its relaxing atmosphere and celebrity appeal.

Jimmy Durante became such a regular that the turf course was

named after him. Seabiscuit added to the early history with his

famous match race against Ligaroti in 1938. Spotting his rival 15

pounds (130-115), Seabiscuit got up to win by a nose and went on

to defeat War Admiral 2 1/2 months later. He earned his only

Horse of the Year title that season.

The legendary Bill Shoemaker is a bigger part of Del Mar's

history. An apprentice rider in 1949, the Texas native made his

first appearance where the "Turf meets the Surf" that

year and promptly won the riding title with 52 wins. Shoemaker

squared off against veteran jockey Johnny Longden (of Count Fleet

fame) the following season and the eventual Hall of Famers dueled

throughout the meet before winding up in a tie with 60 wins each.

Shoemaker was the leading rider the next four seasons, capping

his six-year stretch with an amazing 94 triumphs in 1954, a

record that may never be touched. Only Laffit Pincay Jr., who

still fell eight short with 86 in 1976, has come close. Pincay

has won more overall races at Del Mar than any other jockey.

Shoemaker moved his tack east for 15 years in 1955, but

Longden remained a fixture, becoming the all-time leading rider

in Thoroughbred history at Del Mar in 1956. When Shoemaker

returned to Del Mar in 1970, he was in hot pursuit of Longden's

mark and eclipsed his former rival on September 7 when guiding

the juvenile filly Dares J to the wire first for his 6,033rd win.

He led all jockeys with 55 wins that meet.

The Ferrell Jones Award goes to the leading trainer each meet

and is named in honor of the conditioner who won races in droves

during the 1960s. Jones captured a record 11 training titles at

the seaside track, winning seven straight from 1960-66.

Charlie Whittingham was the leading trainer in 1972, and Bobby

Frankel won four straight titles, and five of six overall, during

the mid-to-late 70s. Both conditioners have been an integral part

of Del Mar's history. Whittingham saddled his first stakes winner

in 1961 and wound up with a record 73 stakes victories. Frankel

has won the centerpiece event, the $1 Pacific Classic (G1), six

times.

The 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic, which will be run for the 14th

time this year, has been dominated by Frankel since its inception.

He won four straight beginning in 1992 and two in a row recently

with Skimming (2001-02). He just missed with last year's runner-up,

Medaglia d'Oro, and owns a couple of other top three finishes.

Bob Baffert, who will be seeking a record eighth straight

training title this season, is the current king of Del Mar. The

silver-haired, sunglass-wearing Arizonian has won at a high

percentage and crushed the competition over the past seven years.

There's no reason to expect a change at the top in 2004.

Following a slow Hollywood meet, Baffert arrives at Del Mar with

a barn loaded with quality stakes runners and two-year-olds.

Fast and firm conditions are the rule at the picturesque

setting, which has gone more than 10 years without an off main

track, and Del Mar has been the nation's best track in terms of

daily average attendance and handle since the early 1990s.

This year's meet will feature the return of Pleasantly Perfect

(Pleasant Colony), who is unraced since capturing the Dubai World

Cup (UAE-G1) in a gutsy performance over Medaglia d'Oro. The six-year-old

is being pointed toward the Pacific Classic and will have the

perfect opportunity to debunk the silly notion of a "Dubai

Jinx," which applies some mysterious force upon horses who

traveled to Dubai.

Horses have been shipping back and forth across the Atlantic

Ocean for decades and maintaining their form, and Pleasantly

Perfect has the services of one of the world's leading

conditioners, Richard Mandella. Look for the $6.6 million earner

to come back strong at Del Mar. Pleasantly Perfect doesn't have

many races left in his career but could run twice during the

meet, using the August 1 San Diego H. (G2) as a prep for the

Pacific Classic.

A total of 19 graded events, including six Grade 1s, are

scheduled this year and the stakes fare gets off to a fast start

with the John C. Mabee H. (G1) and Eddie Read H. (G1), both

important turf tests, taking place this weekend.

Wednesday's opener is an exciting time. It kicks off 43 days

of great racing action in the most enjoyable setting the sport

has to offer.