US Weekend Preview: Game On at Del Mar this Sunday

Game On Dude is fancied in the TVG Pacific Classic

In the second part of his US weekend preview, Simon Rowlands considers Sunday's Grade 1 action...

This year's TVG Pacific Classic, due to be run at Del Mar on Sunday (17:05 local time, 01:05 on Monday BST), has a properly international feel to it, courtesy of Amani (winner of four G1s in her native Chile) and Suggestive Boy (winner of the same in his native Argentina).

If your in-depth knowledge of South American form is not what it could be, you are not alone. But help is at hand, as both horses have run at Del Mar already. Amani was third in the Clement L Hirsch Stakes while Suggestive Boy landed the non-graded Wickerr Stakes last time.

Neither piece of form is likely to be good enough to hit the board in Sunday's $1m contest. But, whereas Suggestive Boy may be a doubtful stayer at ten furlongs, Amani promises to come into her own at the longer distance. One of her big wins in Chile came by 28 lengths: there's still a chance she is something special.

Then again, she will need to be- and maybe more besides- if Game On Dude is on his "A" game. The Bob Baffert-trained gelding is undefeated on home soil this year and now looks a match for most of the top mile-and-a-quarter horses in the world.

He dismissed Richard's Kid by a length and a half in the Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap last time and meets that rival- winner of this race twice in the past- on 4 lb better terms. In addition, Game On Dude has sometimes suffered from going a bit too fast close up but has no obvious pace pressure this time.

A high-class horse, in the form of his life and under perfect conditions, it may well be a case of "Party on, Dude!" for connections of Game On Dude this weekend. In terms of betting, it's worth being with him if he is odds against. If not, Amani is the value alternative.

There's a strong supporting card at Del Mar, not least in the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at 15:05 locally (23:05 BST).

Three of the six runners stand out, namely Capital Account, Camp Victory and Coil. There is a slight doubt about Capital Account's stamina, and about whether Camp Victory is quite as good as he was made to look last time, and Coil could be the one on this occasion.

Coil is fresh, having had just one run this year, and unexposed at this seven-furlong distance at this sort of level. The signs from his recent easy victory in an allowance optional claimer on this track were that he does not lack for speed or for quality, and this looks a good stepping stone for an autumn campaign at the highest level.

Saratoga stages a fascinating Personal Ensign Invitational Handicap at 17:56 local time (22:56 BST) on Sunday.

There are only six declared runners, but they include such classy individuals as Royal Delta and It's Tricky, winners, respectively, of the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic and CCA Oaks among others.

But this is something of a rarity among handicaps Stateside in that their lesser rivals receive plenty of weight and come right into the reckoning. That was the case in Royal Delta's last race, in which she got home narrowly from Tiz Miz Sue, who reopposes on the same 9 lb differential terms here.

Brushed By A Star, Love And Pride and R Gypsy Gold are all smart performers in their own right, and it adds up to a pretty stiff task for the two class acts in the field.

There's a decent chance that Royal Delta will start quite short, but she will need to be right at her best to win again and she has shown a tendency to throw in the odd disappointing run. In the circumstances, a win lay of Royal Delta is advised.

Recommendations
2pts win Game On Dude if longer than 2.01/1, 1pt win Amani if not
1pt win Coil
 2pts lay win Royal Delta