Pacific Classic Odds & Betting Preview: Maximum Security Listed as -250 Favorite

• Del Mar’s biggest race, The Pacific Classic is Saturday
• Breeders Cup Classic favorite Maximum Security will be a heavy chalk
• After a close call last time out, is Maximum Security vulnerable now?

Maximum Security has crossed the finish line first in 10 of 11 career races including last year’s Kentucky Derby where he was disqualified. That’s not the only controversy the champion has been involved in. His $10 million prize for winning the Saudi Cup in February continues to be withheld because of the arrest of his former trainer Jason Servis on doping charges.

For the second time under the direction of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Maximum Security takes to the Del Mar dirt on Saturday. The $500,000 Pacific Classic is the biggest event Where the Surf Meets the Turf of the summer. He has just five rivals going a-mile-and-a-quarter.

The Pacific Classic has been won by the likes of Best Pal, Lava Man, Richard’s Kid, Game on Dude, and California Chrome. Higher Power was the victor last year, and he is back to defend that title in 2020. Baffert has won the event on five occasions.

Let’s look at Maximum Security and his competition, and break-down the Pacific Classic.

2020 Pacific Classic Odds

Odds taken August 18

The Pacific Classic is scheduled to begin at 9:30 pm EST. It will be televised by TVG.

The Favorite

If ever Maximum Security was vulnerable, it was last time out. His first race after returning from the Middle East, with a new trainer, a new jockey, and a track he had never run at before. While he won, it was far from his best effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHLiGq1cqsE

Champion horses find a way, and Maximum Security fought his way to a win on July 25. Now he has had more time with Baffert and stretches out to a-mile-and-a-quarter for the first time since his effort in the Kentucky Derby. He faces a couple of the same rivals in this race that he saw in the San Diego Handicap.

Top Contenders

In the San Diego Handicap, Higher Power was 7/2 and Midcourt 6/1. Higher Power was not overly competitive finishing third while Midcourt just missed. The reason Higher Power was thought to be the tougher competition for Maximum Security was that he beat Midcourt when they faced each other in June’s Gold Cup.

Sure, Improbable dominated both of them in the Gold Cup. That said, Improbable returned to romp against a good field in Saratoga’s Whitney Stakes. Both Higher Power and Midcourt are capable of winning high-level races.

Higher Power won The Pacific Classic last year by more than five lengths. Midcourt has grade two and three victories. It is unclear whether Midcourt wants to go this far a distance.

Longshots

Mirinaque is a complete and utter question mark. All nine of his races have been in Argentina. His trainer, Maria Munoz, works almost exclusively in South America though she sent the well regarded Ever Rider here several years back.

In a race where the other five horses are a combined two for eight at a-mile-and-a-quarter, Miranaque is three for three. His level of competition is a who knows, but in his last race, he finished second, beating 16 rivals. Two races ago, in his final race of 2019, he finished second in a field of 22 going a-mile-and-a-half. The four-year-old has two career grade one wins.

The Bet

We’re looking forward to trying to beat Maximum Security in the Breeders Cup, where the competition will be larger and better. The extra distance in this race should help him, and two races removed from running in Saudi Arabia is a lot better than his first try. Though nobody is going to get rich betting on Maximum Security, he is an extremely likely winner.

Pick: Maximum Security (-250)