PACIFIC CLASSIC

 PACIFIC CLASSIC IS CATCH A FLIGHT’S NEXT DESTINATION

Catch a Flight has become something of a milestone maker for both Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

The 5-year-old Argentine-bred’s victory in the Grade II Precisionist Stakes on May 2 at Santa Anita was No. 2,000 all-time for Mandella. And Catch a Flight’s last-jump victory in Saturday’s $200,500 Grade II San Diego Handicap was the first in that race for Mandella albeit his 55th stakes win at Del Mar, fifth on the track’s all-time list.

Stevens recorded his 5,000th career victory on Catch a Flight in the South African import’s second U.S. start, February 13 in an allowance race at Santa Anita. The San Diego was the first stakes win of the meeting for Stevens and his 83rd overall at Del Mar, tied for seventh all-time with Victor Espinoza. The first two Del Mar stakes wins for Stevens, 52, were recorded in 1985.

That Mandella didn’t have a San Diego Handicap win on his Del Mar chart was somewhat surprising since the San Diego is the major prep for the TVG Pacific Classic, which Mandella has won with Dare And Go (1996), Gentlemen (1997) and Pleasantly Perfect (2004).

Mandella didn’t hesitate to  state that Catch a Flight is TVG Pacific Classic bound. But he did hesitate Sunday morning to compare his latest Classic hope with his past winners.

“It’s too early to tell, and not fair to the others who are not here to defend themselves,” Mandella said. 

 “He (Catch a Flight) is a hard trier. He doesn’t have anybody over a barrel and he doesn’t win races by a big margin. But he’s getting better and better every race.”

The San Diego was the seventh 2015 start for Catch a Flight, who  was put in Mandella’s care late last year. Catch a Flight is owned by Brazilian billionaire businessman Julio Bozano who has been involved with thoroughbreds for more than three decades.

Peter Miller called the effort of San Diego runner-up Appealing Tale “fantastic.”

“The horse ran unbelievably well, Joe (Talamo) rode an excellent race and even in defeat I’m very happy,” Miller said Sunday morning. “He’s come out of it well and now we’ll look at the Pat O’Brien (7 furlongs, Grade II, $250,000 on Saturday, August 22).

Trainer Bob Baffert said that Bayern and Hoppertunity, third and fourth in the San Diego, are also Pacific Classic bound.