Pacific Classic Odds, Picks & Predictions – Can Anybody Touch Unbeaten Flightline?

• The $1 million Grade 1 Pacific Classic is the top race of the summer at Del Mar
• Breeders Cup Classic favorite Flightline puts his unbeaten record on the line
• Is there betting value on or against Flightline? Could an exotic wager be worthwhile?

The Pacific Classic at Del Mar is the premier race of the biggest meet of the year on the west coast. It is also the first major race on the calendar where top three-year-olds face older horses. But this year, all eyes will be on Flightline.

The unbeaten and untested four-year-old has raced just four times. He is an enormous favorite to win the $1 million Pacific Classic. This is a Breeders Cup Win and You’re In race. If Flightline wins, he will be heavy chalk in the Breeders Cup Classic odds.

Let’s look carefully at the field, and ponder whether a bet on or against Flightline makes sense. Understanding horse racing bet types is valuable, because a win bet may not be our best option.

2022 Pacific Classic Odds

Odds as of August 31

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Because Del Mar’s meet is being run later than normal, and in an effort to avoid competing against last week’s Travers Stakes, the Pacific Classic is taking place in September for just the second time since being established in 1991.

The weather outside of San Diego on Saturday is expected to be in the mid-80s with about a 15% chance of rain. FanDuel TV (formerly TVG) will air the race around 8:30 pm ET.

The Pacific Classic will be contested over a mile-and-a-quarter on the main track. Recent runnings have included horses who were first across the line at the Kentucky Derby like California Chrome and Maximum Security. The most famous edition of the race was the stunning upset of Cigar, who lost for the first in a 16-race span in 1996. Cigar’s odds were the same as Flightline, the lowest in the history of the race.

Flightline Is Lighty Raced

Flightline did not debut until late April of last year, meaning he was not on the track early enough to earn his way into Triple Crown races. He has been the favorite in each of his four wins. The margins of victory were over 10 lengths during his first three races. Last time out he was somewhat less impressive, but never in danger of losing.

On Saturday Flightline will race around two turns, and go more than a mile for the first time in his career. That can be dangerous. Jack Christopher seemed unbeatable until going longer in the Haskell Stakes. That said, Flightline has given no reason for concern. His dad, Tapit, won the mile-and-an-eighth Wood Memorial. Trainer John Sadler has won the Pacific Classic three of the last four years.

Pacific Classic Contenders Country Grammer and Royal Ship Know Each Other Well

After beating Royal Ship in last year’s Hollywood Gold Cup, Country Grammer was off for nearly nine months before running two terrific races in the Middle East. He won the Dubai World Cup after finishing second in the Saudi Cup. Those two very rich races now have Country Grammer’s career earnings over $10 million. Often horses are not at their best when they first return to America. That was the case in late July when Royal Ship beat him.

Royal Ship has eight career victories in 18 tries. He ran seventh in last year’s Pacific Classic.

Express Train, Stilleto Boy, and Extra Hope are Pacific Classic Longshots

Express Train has not run since April but has won three of his last four starts, all graded stakes.

Express Train was 10 lengths clear of Stilleto Boy winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. He was second in April’s Californian Stakes and has not raced since. Express Train was sixth in last year’s Pacific Classic, but did beat Royal Ship in the 2021 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

Stilleto Boy got his revenge on Express Train in the Californian.

Stilleto Boy doesn’t win often, but he consistently takes on the biggest and best. He finished fifth in the Breeders Cup Classic and was third in the Pegasus World Cup. Stilleto Boy has three wins in 17 starts but has made over $1 million.

Extra Hope has just a single-stakes victory, but it did come at Del Mar.

Beating Royal Ship was excellent, but that race came over 20 months ago. Since then he has hit the board just twice in seven races and hasn’t won. He’ll need his best and maybe more than that on Saturday.

Pacific Classic Best Bet

Flightline is a deserving massive favorite and without question the most likely winner. In order to make him a good bet, you need to think he would beat this field about 85% of the time. That seems fair, but he might not like a longer distance. One option is to take a flier on a bigger price. An alternative is an exacta or trifecta with Flightline on top and maybe Country Grammer and Stilleto Boy underneath.

Pick: Flightline (-500)