DEL MAR LEADERS

Through Thursday

JOCKEYS / WINS

Juan Hernandez / 29

Antonio Fresu / 24

Hector Berrios / 20

Umberto Rispoli / 20

Ramon Vazquez / 16

TRAINERS / WINS

Philip D’Amato / 16

Doug O’Neill / 16

Bob Baffert / 14

Peter Miller / 13

Peter Eurton / 11

WEEKEND STAKES (DEL MAR)

Saturday

• $1 Million Grade I Pacific Classic, 3-year-olds and up, 1¼ miles

• $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1⅜ miles (turf)

• $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)

• $150,000 Grade III Green Flash Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 5 furlongs (turf)

• $150,000 Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile

Sunday

• $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Derby, 3-year-olds, 1⅛ miles (turf)

• $125,000 Shared Belief Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 mile

DOWN THE STRETCH

• Saturday’s Pacific Classic at Del Mar will include a trio of 3-year-olds who will be making their first start against older horses. “If we hope to get to the Breeders’ Cup Classic then we’ve got to test ’em a little bit against older horses,” said trainer John Shirreffs, who will saddle 10-1 shot Skinner in the mile-and-a-quarter race. “This will give him an opportunity and then maybe the Awesome Again (Sept. 30) at Santa Anita will be another opportunity. The timing seems to be really good.”

• Antonio Fresu, who was suspended for eight days on Thursday for excessive use of the whip, has been on quite a roll. He won 10 races last week and continued his winning ways with a victory aboard Trouville in Del Mar’s fourth race Thursday. He sits second in the rider standings behind Juan Hernandez, 29-24. “Everywhere is different. Something like this at another place wouldn’t be the same,” Fresu told Jim Charvat of Del Mar publicity. “But with Del Mar, it’s a big meet and it’s so important to get winners.”

• In addition to the Pacific Classic, whose winner will earn an automatic, expenses-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, two other Del Mar stakes are “Win and You’re In” races on Saturday. The Del Mar Handicap winner receives an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 and the Green Flash Handicap victor will earn a berth in the Turf Sprint, also on Nov. 4.

— Art Wilson