The same 2,000m course and distance of the Grade I Pacific Classic will again be used for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the fall. Returning to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for the $1,000,000 race on Saturday, August 30 is Preakness scorer Journalism. Michael McCarthy’s three-year-old Curlin colt faces seven rivals in California receiving 6lb weight for age all-round.
Swerving another battle with Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes hero Sovereignty, who has since added the Travers Stakes to his resume in a romp, is not without method. Journalism and other horses campaigned in Triple Crown races must face their elders eventually at the World Championships in the fall, so McCarthy tests the waters now.
As the Preakness Stakes winner, and also placed at Churchill Downs and in the Belmont, we’re dealing with one of the leading three-year-old thoroughbreds in America. Prior to his Triple Crown runs, Journalism landed the Grade I Santa Anita Derby at California’s other premier racetrack. He now returns to the Golden State and Del Mar where he first tasted victory as a juvenile.
Journalism hasn’t won over the mile-and-a-quarter distance of the Pacific Classic yet, but did confirm the form of the Preakness result with Gosger in the Haskell Stakes around Monmouth Park in New Jersey last time. He makes his seventh start of the campaign now, all at either Grade I or II level. A win here for Journalism punches his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup this fall as it’s a “win and you’re in” race.
Connections take this opportunity of picking up more course experience but, even with the advantage of weight for age, he now faces some strong older horses. Our experts now assess the competition Journalism takes on at Del Mar.
Fierceness Also Seeks Fourth Grade I Victory
There’s more than one three-time Grade I winner in the Pacific Classic field of eight. Fierceness joins Journalism as a multiple scorer at the highest level. Representing the Todd Pletcher barn, this four-year-old City Of Light colt burst onto the scene in the fall of 2023 with a romp in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. It had Repole Stable dreaming of a Triple Crown bid last season.
While that didn’t materialize for Fierceness, he was 2024 Kentucky Derby favorite after an even more impressive gate to wire success in the Florida Derby. After also landing the Jim Dandy, he beat Horse of the Year and wonder-filly Thorpedo Anna by a head in the Travers. Fierceness then placed behind old rival Sierra Leone in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He now looks to go one better over the same course and distance here.
Starting this season with a Grade II win during the Kentucky Derby meet, Fierceness perhaps then found the drop back to a mile for the Metropolitan Handicap against him. Although placed at Saratoga then, he disappointed when again a beaten favorite and only fifth in the Whitney Stakes on his latest outing. Pletcher’s older horse is on the comeback trail in the Pacific Classic, then, but he’s had a lighter campaign than Journalism.
The pick of last season’s form makes Fierceness a viable threat to the younger runner if he reproduces it. He has some questions to answer now, especially after Sierra Leone edged into the lead in their head-to-head record, which now reads 3-2 against him. Fierceness is better than he showed at the Spa when last in action with Pletcher and Repole wanting him to peak in the fall.
Improving Nysos Favored for Pacific Classic
Bob Baffert has a record seven wins in this race, but only two of those victories came after 2017 in 2020 and 2023. Oddsmakers fear his runners with good reason here and San Diego Handicap scorer Nysos is a narrow Morning Line favorite on the best Preakness racebooks over Journalism. The four-year-old son of Nyquist is 5-6 on the track and never finished outside the top two.
Nysos now races beyond an extended mile for the first time after progressing through the grades. Already a dual Grade III winner either side of his Christmas break, Baffert’s charge dead-heated for second and missed out on Churchill Downs Stakes success by a neck to Mindframe on the Kentucky Derby card. Nysos then added a third Grade III over 1,400m to his resume in the Triple Bend at Santa Anita.
The 5.5-length runner-up Dr. Venkman has since gone one better and landed the Pat O’Brien Stakes here earlier this month. Nysos defied topweight en route a Grade II victory of his own in the San Diego last time. He won easing down under regular rider Flavien Prat, but looked like he wouldn’t have any problems staying the longer distance of the Pacific Classic.
Having won both of his two career starts at Del Mar, with re-opposing San Diego third Tarantino needing to find six lengths off 6lb worse terms now, plenty points to Nysos being the biggest threat to Journalism. Whether he should be favorite over the Preakness hero is another matter.
Of the others, Hollywood Gold Cup second Midnight Mammoth finished behind Fierceness in the Whitney, so there’s something to find at this level. John Sadler has four winners of this race since 2018, but Indispensable hasn’t run since November and that lack of fitness is a major concern.
Pacific Classic 2025 Post Positions Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Fierceness (124lbs) – 3-1
- Midnight Mammoth (124lbs) – 12-1
- Ultimate Gamble (124lbs) – 20-1
- Nysos (124lbs) – 8-5 fav
- Indispensable (124lbs) – 15-1
- Journalism (118lbs) – 9-5
- Lure Him In (124lbs) – 20-1
- Tarantino (124lbs) – 20-1
Our Handicapper’s Verdict
It’s not as easy as it might’ve been for Journalism, but the 6lb weight for age all-round is a great leveller. Getting that from Fierceness and Nysos should see him cross the wire in front. This is a stern test of his Breeders’ Cup Classic credentials, but the three big guns stand head and shoulders above the rest of the field. There’s no real case for a longshot making the show, unless Nysos fails to stay the 2,000m or Fierceness again flops.
WATCH: Journalism Win the Preakness Stakes
