DEL MAR — There’s no Flightline in Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. No reason not to believe that most of the 10 horses that will run in the 33rd edition of the track’s signature race have a realistic shot at the top prize of $600,000.

It’s not surprising that owners and trainers are not sorry to see the brilliant colt who romped to a record 19¼-length victory last summer now on the farm making babies. They miss him like they’d miss a bad headache.

Last year, Flightline’s five opponents didn’t face a small mountain to climb. They had to scale Mount Everest. Their chances were slim and none, and none had snuck out the back door shortly before the race.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella told me this week he doesn’t miss the 2022 Horse of the Year one little bit.

“Not in here,” he said dryly.

John Shirreffs, who campaigned a pretty good horse of his own in Zenyatta, saw only one horseman at Tuesday’s post-position draw that misses Flightline.

“I don’t miss Flightline, but I think the guy (trainer John Sadler) sitting over there does,” he quipped.

Mandella and Shirreffs have horses running Saturday that are legitimate contenders. Mandella will saddle the 5-2 morning-line favorite, Geau Rocket Ride, and Shirreffs will send out Skinner (10-1), third in the Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up to Reincarnate in the Los Alamitos Derby.

Skinner was scratched the day before this spring’s Kentucky Derby because of an elevated temperature.

“That was very disappointing,” Shirreffs said. “We’re excited to try him at a mile and a quarter. We think he’ll like (the distance), but until you do it you don’t really know. He’s a horse that finishes well. If you watch his races, he makes a big move on the turn and is able to finish.”

“It’s a good field,” Mandella said. “Interesting all the 3-year-olds this year. And they’re all good, hard-trying, classy colts. I’d say I wish it was a 3-year-old race, although the 3-year-olds might be the better group this year. It’s the best race we have here. Kinda what we aim at.”

A record three sophomores will run this year. The Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight joins Geaux Rocket Ride and Skinner in a field that was trimmed to 10 Thursday when Katonah, a 20-1 longshot, was withdrawn.

Geaux Rocket Ride has won three of four starts, including the Grade I Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 22. The only blemish on his résumé is a runner-up finish behind Practical Move in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 4. The Haskell, which he won by 1¾ lengths with Mike Smith aboard, was his most impressive race to date.

“Just he did it so professional,” Mandella said. “Sat back, let the speed go and came on when the real running started. He’s just risen to every occasion we’ve brought him to and we hope he keeps rising.

A son of Candy Ride, who won the 2003 Pacific Classic, Geaux Rocket Ride will get the services of Smith again. The man they call “Big Money Mike” has a chance to become the race’s all-time winningest rider. He’s currently tied with the late Garrett Gomez atop the list at four victories.

Mandella was undecided a few weeks ago whether to run Geaux Rocket Ride in the Classic or wait a day and go in the $125,000 ungraded Shared Belief Stakes that is restricted to 3-year-olds.

What helped him decide?

“A million dollars,” he said. “It’s got something to do with it, yeah.”

Mandella might have one of the best 3-year-olds he’s ever had. We’ll know more Saturday evening, but history tells us Geaux Rocket Ride couldn’t be in better hands since he arrived at Mandella’s barn as a 2-year-old.

“He’s just gotten better each race,” Mandella said. “He had a minor injury (as a 2-year-old), turned him out and started over. It came out pretty good. Through the year he’s matured. He’s like a boy that became a man.”

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter @Sham73

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