Multi-millionaire Giacomo, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby (gr. I), takes the spotlight in Saturday's co-featured grade II, $300,000 San Diego Handicap in a field of older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Del Mar. It will be run as the eighth race on the card.The San Diego traditionally serves as a stepping-stone to Del Mar's signature event, the grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic, scheduled for Sunday, August 20.Giacomo, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, followed up his stunning Derby victory at odds of 50-1 with a third in the Preakness (gr. I) and a sixth in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) before getting a breather until the grade II Strub Stakes at Santa Anita Feb. 4, where he finished third. He then ran fifth in the Santa Anita Handicap and has been off since.
Most of the other contestants are well-known runners in the area, but a new shooter from the eastern division of the Robert Frankel barn – the Irish-bred Rathor -- could add an interesting note to the affair. He's posted three wins in four starts since coming to the Frankel barn from England before finishing sixth in Belmont Park's Grade I Suburban Handicap July 1.San Diego HandicapPost position -- Horse, weight, jockey
1--Preachinatthebar, 117, Jon Court
2--Rathor, 115, Garrett Gomez
3--Texcess, 114, Aaron Gryder
4--Papi Chullo, 112, Cornelio Velasquez
5--Southern Africa, 113, Alex Solis
6--Giacomo, 117, Mike Smith
7--Publication, 115, Victor Espinoza
8--Spellbinder, 115, Corey Nakatani
