It seems hard to believe that a year has passed since eventual Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) winner Goldencents was run down by rival Fed Biz in a thrilling edition of the Pat O'Brien, but here we are at Del Mar again.
On Aug. 24 the two will have a rematch in a field of eight, one of three stakes on Pacific Classic (gr. I) day at the California oval. In 2013 Fed Biz ran down Goldencents for a one-length triumph in the Pat O'Brien, going seven furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:21.12.
Kaleem Shah's Fed Biz, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, returned from hiatus after a sixth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to win the July 26 San Diego Handicap (gr. II) at Del Mar in resounding wire-to-wire fashion, driving clear by 5 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile test despite jockey Martin Garcia losing his whip. The 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway drew post 2 with Garcia in the irons and carries 121 pounds.
Goldencents also earned some downtime at the end of the season after the Breeders' Cup victory and a failed Cigar Mile (gr. I) bid. He returned to action June 7 to run a very good second to Palace Malice in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park. The Doug O'Neill trainee enters this spot off another runner-up finish in his second start of the year for W. C. Racing, a game half-length loss to Big Macher in the July 27 Bing Crosby (gr. I) after getting bumped at the start.
Sharing highweight assignment of 123 pounds with Big Macher, Goldencents will be ridden from post 5 by Rafael Bejarano.
The Bing Crosby was the first grade I victory and second graded stakes score in a row for Big Macher, who won off a 3 1/2-month layoff having not raced since an April 12 win in the Potrero Grande Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park for trainer Richard Baltas. Tom Mansor and Tachycardia Stables' 4-year-old Beau Genius gelding, a California-bred, breaks from post 7 with Tyler Baze aboard.
Wertheimer and Frere's Silentio, third last year in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) for trainer Gary Mandella, comes off the turf for the first time in 13 career starts. He was third in the June 14 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (gr. IT). Victor Espinoza has the mount from the 3 hole.
Diamond Bachelor, Syndicated, Color of Courage, and Indexical complete the field.
Del Mar, Sunday, August 24, 2014, Race 9Entries: Pat O'Brien S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 98 1Diamond Bachelor (KY) SCRATCHED 0 UNKNOWN - 1 2Fed Biz (KY) Martin Garcia 121 Bob Baffert - 2 3Silentio (KY) Victor Espinoza 119 Gary Mandella - 3 4Syndicated (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 119 Michael Pender - 4 5Goldencents (KY) Rafael Bejarano 123 Doug F. O'Neill - 5 6Color of Courage (KY) Joseph Talamo 119 Richard E. Mandella - 6 7Big Macher (CA) Tyler Baze 123 Richard Baltas - 7 8Indexical (KY) Mario Gutierrez 116 Ben D. A. Cecil -
