Betting With, and Against, Dr. Venkman in the Pacific Classic

A total of eight horses will travel 1 1/4 miles on the Del Mar dirt in Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic S. (G1). The marquee event of the meeting is led by the talented #3 Dr. Venkman (5-2), who will aim for his first Grade 1 victory in the historic contest.

Dr. Venkman – With

• $30 exacta: 3 with 1 ($30)
• $7 trifecta key: 3 with 1,5 ($14)

Dr. Venkman– Against 

• $1 trifecta: 1,5 with 1,3,5 with all ($24)
• $1 superfecta: 1,5 with 1,3,5 with 1,3,5 with all ($20)

Dr. Venkman has finished first or second in each of his five lifetime runs to date, and appears to be a formidable foe for trainer Mark Glatt. By Ghostzapper, the gelded four-year-old was a measured winner of the San Diego H. (G2) on the oval while making his two-turn debut, and moved his mark to 3-for-3 locally. Both his pedigree and running style hint that he will be up to negotiating the 1 1/4 miles on Saturday. The Kentucky-bred bay will be forwardly placed throughout under Antonio Fresu.

#1 Il Miracolo (8-1) is an interesting contender who has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each run of 2024. 

Conditioned by Antonio Sano, the hard-trying son of Gun Runner is a multiple Grade 3 winner with a lot of quality, and this distance should be within his scope from the rail. The Kentucky-bred chestnut has held his own against some top competition over the past two seasons, and I loved his prep for this when a clear second in the Iselin (G3) at Monmouth off a layoff. Mike Smith will have the colt in the second or third flight while saving ground to the top of the lane. 

#5 Katonah (8-1), one of two in the field for conditioner Doug O’Neill, was a fine runner-up in the San Diego H. (G2) off the layoff and has to be considered a contender in his second run of the season. The son of Klimt was a fairly progressive type in 2023 when capping his season with a stakes triumph, and he ran his best race to date on the surface most recently. The gelded chestnut has trained well in the interim, and it’s possible that he is in the best form of his life in preparation for this tussle. Tiago Pereira will be in the silks once again.