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Jockey Paco Lopez and trainer Claudio Gonzalez took the respective jockey and trainer titles at Monmouth Park, which closed its meet Sunday.
The victory broke a tie with the late Bobby Frankel and made Bob Baffert the Pacific Classic's all-time winningest trainer with seven victories.
Arabian Knight held off Geaux Rocket Ride by a neck to win the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. It's the record seventh victory in the West Coast's major summer race for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The win earns Arabian Knight an automatic entry into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, to be run at his home track of Santa Anita in November. Arabian Knight paid $6.20 to win. The result was a reversal of the $1 million Haskell in July at Monmouth Park. That's where Geaux Rocket Ride won and Arabian Knight was second. In the Pacifc Classic, Slow Down Andy was third.
The John Sadler-trained horse can join Tinners Way, Skimming and Richard’s Kid as two-time winners of the track’s signature race on Saturday but would be the first to do so in non-consecutive years.
Saturday’s 11-race program at Del Mar is as good as it gets for the racing fan, with full fields top to bottom and concluding with five graded stakes.