Pacific Classic Horse Race

Victory Gallop, the leading candidate for horse of the year, is scheduled to be flown to California today to begin preparation for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 29. The 4-year-old son of Cryptoclearance will make his California debut in the Classic after beating Behrens by a nose in winning the Whitney Handicap last Sunday at Saratoga. The win was Victory Gallop's second in a row. He won the Stephen Foster Handicap in June in what turned out to be Silver Charm's final start.

Jockey Gary Stevens and trainer Bob Baffert may have kissed and made up, but that won't stop Stevens from trying to beat Baffert's Captain Steve in Sunday's $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Stevens, who has won the Classic twice--with Bertrando and Gentlemen--since it was first run in 1991, rode Captain Steve in his last two races, but he'll be aboard Until Sundown when Victor Espinoza takes over on Baffert's colt Sunday.

Gloria Steinem's not going to like this. Betty Friedan will be beside herself. I don't think Hillary Clinton's going to be too pleased. Maybe not even the Queen Mother. Annie Oakley would want to shoot somebody. Annie, you will remember, was one of our first feminists. Her message to the men in her life was, "Anything you can do, I can do better--I can do anything better than you." Well, maybe she could. But a lady race horse named Paseana has a slightly different motto.

One of the happiest people after Pleasantly Perfect's one-length win Sunday in the $1-million Pacific Classic was on the periphery of the winner's-circle celebration. He was just 5 feet 3, wearing a neck and back stabilizer. Alex Solis has ridden Pleasantly Perfect to some of his biggest wins -- Breeders' Cup and Dubai included -- but he's on the sidelines now, the result of a spill that fractured a vertebrae and a few ribs on July 23.

The last time trainer Bobby Frankel sprung a surprise in a $1-million race, with Marquetry at 27-1 in last year's Hollywood Gold Cup, he practically ensured the public of a victory ahead of time. Frankel reasoned that Marquetry wasn't going to be carrying much weight and would be on the lead in a paceless race. This time, before the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Frankel was more subtle.

For trainer Bobby Frankel, there has been good, better and best in the $1-million Pacific Classic, and he rated Saturday as the best after his lightly regarded Tinners Way made a late run to beat Best Pal by one length. Frankel won the 1992 Classic with Missionary Ridge and repeated last year with Bertrando, whose owners switched trainers this year.

The house horse brought down the house. With the screams of 28,134 fans rising an octave with every last stride he took to the wire, Best Pal caught Twilight Agenda in the final 30 yards Saturday to score a one-length victory in the $1-million Pacific Classic, the richest race in the 52-year history of Del Mar. Because he was a 3-year-old in a field of older horses, Best Pal carried eight pounds less than the others in the 1 1/4-race that was expected to establish the horse of the year.

At the post-position draw on Wednesday, trainer Richard Mandella was asked how he would feel if one of his horses beat Cigar. "I'd feel terrible--for about a second," Mandella said. Mandella amended that time of remorse to half a second Saturday, after his Dare And Go, at 39-1, won the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar by 3 1/2 lengths, ending Cigar's winning streak at 16 races and costing him the chance to move by Citation, who put 16 wins together almost half a century ago.

Two years after Lava Man was claimed at Del Mar for 50 grand, he returned and pulled off his grandest feat yet, winning the $1-million Pacific Classic with a flourish Sunday to become the first horse to sweep the Santa Anita Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic in the same year.

Well, it was a slam dunk for Free House, a "Where is everybody?" win. The bridesmaid finally caught the bouquet. The "best friend" got the girl in the Warner Bros. movie for a change. The sidekick saves the fort. Free House just won't fold the hand. Three times last year, in the most publicized races in the sport, he chased his competition across the finish line in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.