The undefeated Flightline can solidify his ranking as the top horse in the country when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. A $1 million purchase three years ago, Flightline has won his four career races by a combined 43½ lengths. For Saturday he is the 1-5 morning-line favorite in the 2022 Pacific Classic odds. Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer is second in the odds at 4-1 in the six-horse Pacific Classic field, while Royal Ship is third at 8-1. Post time for the $1 million race is 8:50 p.m. ET.
With an accomplished field set to leave the starting gate, you'll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Pacific Classic picks.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders' Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year, in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby!
Since joining SportsLine in November, her picks have cashed in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Sham Stakes, El Camino Real Derby, San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Kentucky Oaks, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Del Mar Oaks. Anyone who has followed her is WAY UP.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Pacific Classic field, given her horse-by-horse analysis, made her picks and constructed her wagers.
One surprise: Yu's top pick is not the undefeated morning-line favorite, Flightline. "While he has been visually impressive, he has yet to run around two turns, and the classic 1¼-mile distance is a test for many," she says. None of her wagers will have Flightline winning.
Yu's top pick is a horse who is ready to "peak for this race." She also is high on a longshot whose "2022 form is good." She is including these horses in her 2022 Pacific Classic bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see her picks before locking in any of your own.
So who wins the 2022 Pacific Classic? What longshot is a MUST-BACK? What does Yu think of every horse in the race? And how has she constructed her wagers? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Michelle Yu's 2022 Pacific Classic horse-by-horse analysis and picks, all from the insider who nailed the top two finishers in June's Belmont Stakes!
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