Accelerate, Collected post final moves for Pacific Classic

Accelerate and Collected posted their final workouts on Sunday over Del Mar’s fast main track in readiness for Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1).

Accelerate clocked three-quarters in 1:12.20 with exercise rider Jose Contreras in the irons. The four-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky was last seen upsetting Arrogate with a gate-to-wire, 8 1/2-length victory in the San Diego Handicap (G2) on July 22 at Del Mar.

“It will be one of the quicker works, I imagine,” trainer John Sadler said. “He looks good and he galloped out well. A very nice work.”

Accelerate has finished off-the-board only once in his 12-race career, with that coming as a fourth in a maiden special weight in his second career outing last year. In addition to the San Diego Handicap, the Kentucky-bred chestnut boasts a win in the Los Alamitos Derby (G2), closed out his sophomore campaign with a third in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and opened this season with a pair of Grade 2 placings.

Collected also took a spin around Del Mar on Sunday to prepare for the Pacific Classic. The Grade 2 winner, who is three-for-three this season, turned five furlongs in 1:01 under regular jockey Martin Garcia.

“He went very nice, looked really good, like his usual self,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “Nothing really serious, but we did his serious work last week.”

Collected’s last move was timed in 1:37.20 for a mile on August 7. The City Zip four-year-old has been consistently working since taking the Precisionist Stakes (G3) on June 24 by 14 lengths. That followed a 3 3/4-length victories in both the Californian Stakes (G2) and Santana Mile.

The latter contest was Collected’s first start back following a near year-long break after he ran 10th in the 2016 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.

Entries close for the Pacific Classic on Tuesday morning, and the post-position draw is scheduled later that day from 3:30-5:30 p.m. (PT) at the Brigantine Restaurant.