Tiago Scratched From Pacific Classic; Shirreffs Not Happy with Track

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John Shirreffs, not comfortable running Tiago on the Del Mar Polytrack, has decided to scratch the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Swaps (gr. II) winner from the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic (gr. I).

“After watching my colt, Gentle Romeo, run on Wednesday, I decided I didn’t want to subject a 3-year-old to this kind of track,” Shirreffs said. “They went a mile and a sixteenth in 1:48 2/5, and although he had worked well over the track, it’s a totally different track in the afternoon, and he came back so tired after running up the track we thought he had tied up. But he was just muscle sore from struggling over that track. The mornings are fine, but later on, the temperature plays havoc with the track. When I saw the track hadn't changed through Friday's races, I decided to scratch.

“I don’t mind if the track is slow, but the races aren’t evenly paced. I know he comes from off the pace, which would work to his advantage, but there are too many unknown factors to take a chance with a 3-year-old. There is just too much we don’t know about the track. They did everything with the best of intentions, but it hasn’t played out too well. He’s run every month, so there’s no reason why we can’t miss one race. I have no definite plans. The Travers (nominations) is closed, so we’ll look for something else.”

Shirreffs still has the 4-year-old A. P. Xcellent as one of the contenders in the Pacific Classic, which now will go with 12 starters.

 

 

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