The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Southern California is exploring
a plan to attach a $5 million bonus to the Pacific Classic if Triple
Crown winner American Pharoah runs in the race, Del Mar officials said
on Thursday.
The bonus would require a horse to win the Aug. 22 Pacific Classic, a
yet-to-be-identified race at Santa Anita – probably the Awesome Again
Stakes – and the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Kentucky,
the officials said. Del Mar officials have already discussed the plan
with American Pharoah’s trainer, Bob Baffert, who has yet to commit to a
schedule for the horse but has said the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the
ultimate goal.
“We just want to make sure that if Bob and [the colt’s owners] the
Zayats are considering us, we’re putting our best foot forward,” said
Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar’s chief operating officer.
American Pharoah arrived back at Baffert’s Santa Anita base on
Thursday after spending several weeks at Churchill Downs in Louisville,
Ky., following his Belmont Stakes win. If the colt’s connections go the
California route, it would mean taking on older horses in all three of
his starts.
An alternate plan is to ship back to the East Coast to Monmouth Park
for the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 and then shoot for the
Aug. 29 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Both stakes are restricted to
3-year-olds. Ahmed Zayat, the colt’s owner, is a New Jersey resident and
has indicated that he would like to race American Pharoah at Monmouth.
Tracks have routinely used bonuses to lure popular horses to their
tracks. In most cases, the bonus is attached to one race, however, so
the Del Mar plan would be unique in that way.
Winning three races in a row against older horses would be a tall
order for any horse. Still, Del Mar likely would seek out an insurance
policy to pay the bonus should a horse win all three races, and
negotiations over a policy would be somewhat complicated. The Pacific
Classic is also sponsored by TVG, the broadcasting and account-wagering
company, and the company likely would be involved in the negotiations.
Rubinstein said Del Mar would love to have American Pharoah remain in
California during the lead-up to the Breeders’ Cup, and that the track
likely would tie in the colt’s dominating performance in the Del Mar
Futurity last year as part of the promotion of the $1 million Pacific
Classic.
“This is kind of where it all began,” Rubinstein said.
Although the Del Mar plan is not official, another track has already
hung up a $2 million purse for American Pharoah. Canterbury Park in
Minnesota has offered to boost the purse for its Mystic Derby from
$200,000 to $2 million if the horse runs in the race, which would be
scheduled for Aug. 30 under the new conditions. However, Zayat has
already rejected the idea.