DEL MAR : First Thought Was Right One in Pacific Classic

Four days after trainer Bobby Frankel maintained his hold on the Pacific Classic, some final thoughts on Del Mar’s richest race and other happenings during the first three weeks of the meeting:

--Concern had a legitimate excuse for his dismal performance in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but he had no excuses for his non-threatening fifth place Sunday. Perhaps the fluke was that he ran so well in the Californian.

--A certain handicapper is still kicking himself. Immediately after the Gold Cup, he wrote that Tinners Way was his early pick to win the Pacific Classic, provided, of course, that Cigar didn’t return for the race. So, guess who he picked last Friday afternoon? Soul Of The Matter, who ran a good second, but was no match for Tinners Way.

--Tinners Way obviously likes the Del Mar main track better than Hollywood Park, and the Classic was his third race after a layoff and that is often a horse’s best. It also didn’t hurt that he got a perfect trip under Eddie Delahoussaye.

--Why would anybody breed to Houston? He was an overrated race horse during his brief career and his sons and daughters have shown a tendency to work well in the morning, then do little in the afternoon. From a handicapping standpoint, if you see Houston in a horse’s lineage, disregard the horse.

--A sire that can be bet with confidence is Prized. The conqueror of Sunday Silence in the 1989 Swaps Stakes and also the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf that same year has been a tremendous 2-year-old sire, which seems odd because he certainly was no sprinter.

--After favoring late-runners and horses that rallied wide early on, the main track has catered more to speed types lately and the rail hasn’t been such a bad place to be.

*

After finishing fourth in his comeback sprint on Hollywood Park’s main track, Megan’s Interco won for the 10th time in 22 starts in Wednesday’s third race, a $60,000 allowance race.

Bothered by chronic foot problems that kept him away from the races for more than seven months, the 6-year-old Interco gelding tracked the pace set by longshot Lottery Winner, then took over at the top of the stretch and went on to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Dream Fitz in 1:41 4/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Owned by Milt Bronson and trained by Jenine Sahadi, Megan’s Interco was ridden by Corey Black and paid $3.40 as the 7-10 favorite.

Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year at Churchill Downs, Megan’s Interco is almost certain to skip the Breeders’ Cup this year. Sahadi indicated he could race twice in the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, in the Col. F.W. Koester on Oct. 7 and the California Cup Mile on Nov. 11. He won the 1993 California Cup Mile.

“I think he’s as good as he was before,” Sahadi said. “He relaxes, he passes a horse now if he has to, and he does things he didn’t use to do before. He’s a fresh horse and he’s done his traveling [the Breeders’ Cup and Hong Kong last year]. It would be better for him to stay here.”

*

T.J.’s Gold, who finished fourth in the Swaps Stakes, will not go east to take on Thunder Gulch again in Saturday’s $750,000 Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Trainer Pico Perdomo had planned to ship the California-bred, but T.J.’s Gold came up with a cough and will stay home.

A field of seven seems likely for the 1 1/4-mile Travers, in which Thunder Gulch will try to strengthen his hold on the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top 3-year-old.

Successful in the Swaps in his first start since winning the Belmont, Thunder Gulch worked five furlongs in 1:03 Monday morning. He is likely to be opposed by Citadeed, Pyramid Peak, Composer, Star Standard, Malthus and Rank And File.

*

Ron Ellis is one of the best trainers when it comes to having a horse ready to run after a layoff and he proved the point again in the $77,250 Real Good Deal Stakes.

Profit Margin, who hadn’t run since Sept. 5 of last year, remained perfect in three starts--all at Del Mar--with a one-length victory over Contentment, the lone filly in the field of six.

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wygod and ridden by Chris McCarron, the 3-year-old Pirate’s Bounty colt covered the seven furlongs in 1:21 3/5.

Down the backstretch, the 5-1 shot didn’t look as if he was going to make the turn, drifting wide, but he straightened himself and went on to give McCarron his second victory of the day.

Natural Swinger was third in the Real Good Deal, then came Canyon Crest, Chocolate Threads and Awesome Daze, the 6-5 favorite.

Horse Racing Notes

Besides riding Megan’s Interco, Corey Black also won with Romaine and April’s Benefit. . . . Dr. Caton, the highly touted 2-year-old from Wayne Lukas’ barn, won’t make his debut until the Oak Tree meeting. The son of Seattle Slew, who had been training at Santa Anita, had been scheduled to run earlier this month, but he has been turned out at Lukas’ Westerly Farm.