Zensational, Battle of Hastings featured on Pacific Classic undercard

Zensational, Battle of Hastings featured on Pacific Classic

undercard

The $1 million Pacific Classic is the main event at Del Mar on Sunday, but

there will be a couple of three-year-old stars competing on the undercard. The

West Coast's best sprinter, ZENSATIONAL (Unbridled's Song), will seek his third

straight Grade 1 victory over older horses when he starts in the $300,000

Pat

O'Brien S., and the nation's best turf sophomore, BATTLE OF HASTINGS (GB)

(Royal Applause [GB]), will make his eagerly-awaited return to the Golden State

in the $350,000

Del

Mar Derby (G2).

After easily winning the Bing Crosby S. (G1) as the 2-5 favorite earlier in

the meet, Zensational figures to be a similarly short price against five

undistinguished challengers in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien. The gray ridgling

rolled to a 2 1/2-length decision last time, garnering a career-best 104 BRIS

Speed rating, and owns a three-race winning streak. An authoritative winner of

the Triple Bend H. (G1) two starts back, the Bob Baffert trainee will break from

the rail with regular rider Garrett Gomez.

Grade 2 winner NOBLE COURT (Doneraile Court), unraced since a third in the

Triple Bend, is also entered along with Bing Crosby runner-up TALKIN TO MOM ROO

(You and I), and last-out allowance/optional claiming winners NIKKI'SGOLDENSTEED

(Formal Gold) and BIG BAD LEROYBROWN (Wild Again) will face a major class hike.

SCREEN TO SCREEN (Deputy Wildcat), who owns a six-race losing skein, completes

the cast.

Battle of Hastings opened this year with victories in the Baldwin S. (G3) and

La Puente S. at Santa Anita prior to hitting the road for his next three starts.

His first attempt resulted in a fast-finishing second in the American Turf S.

(G3) at Churchill Downs, and the Jeff Mullins runner has taken his game to a

new level since then, recording victories in the Colonial Turf Cup (G2) and

Virginia Derby (G2). After defeating Take the Points (Even the Score) both

times, the classy gelding was flattered when that rival returned to win the

Secretariat S. (G1) in his next outing.

Battle of Hastings has proven himself at a variety of distances, so the cut

back to 1 1/8 miles should be no problem, and he's recorded bullet works over

the turf at Del Mar in preparation for the Del Mar Derby. Tyler Baze will return

to the saddle aboard the bay, who earned a whopping 110 BRIS Speed rating in his

last start.

Arkansas Derby (G2) winner PAPA CLEM (Smart Strike), who finished a good

second to Pioneerof the Nile in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G2) over Pro-Ride earlier

this season, will make his turf debut off a fourth in the Haskell Invitational

(G1), and the hard-trying colt owns a commendable fourth-place effort in the

Kentucky Derby (G1). Gomez will pick up the mount for Gary Stute.

AFLEET EAGLE (Northern Afleet) will step up to face graded company following a 2

1/2-length score in the Oceanside S. on opening day, and the Vladimir Cerin

pupil owns a three-race win streak. METEORE (Pulpit), RENDEZVOUS (Victory

Gallop) and GRETSKY (Toccet), the respective top three finishers in the August 15

La Jolla H. (G2), will all return for the Del Mar Derby, and the Canadian-based

MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF (Medaglia d'Oro) will invade for Roger Attfield off a fifth in

the Hall of Fame S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Cinema H. (G3) victor OIL MAN (Ire) (Pyrus) and California-bred allowance

winner ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat) round out the field.

The stakes action at Del Mar will get underway Sunday in the $100,000

Torrey Pines S. sending three-year-old fillies one mile. Grade 1 runner-up

THIRD DAWN (Sky Mesa) owns the most stakes experience in the six-filly field,

and enters the Torrey Pines off a 1 1/2-length score against allowance/optional

claiming company over track and trip.