The 3-year-olds showed up their older peers in the Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Sept. 2 at Del Mar, as Arabian Knight held off Geaux Rocket Ride in a thriller that spoke to the quality of both 3-year-olds. In the process, Arabian Knight's trainer, Bob Baffert, broke a tie with the late Bobby Frankel to win the race for the seventh time, a skein that began with another 3-year-old, General Challenge, in 1999.

Subscribe now!

Zedan Racing Stables' Arabian Knight took it to the field from the start, winging his way to the front early under jockey Flavien Prat. Even though the colt likes to run on the lead early, it was a daring strategy, given the distance of 1 1/4 miles and the closers that could loom, especially Geaux Rocket Ride.

Those two 3-year-olds had met at 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes July 22 at Monmouth Park when Geaux Rocket Ride defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mage by 1 3/4 lengths and Arabian Knight finished two lengths back in third after setting the early pace. Baffert knew going into the Pacific Classic that Geaux Rocket Ride would pose the biggest threat.

For the Pacific Classic, Baffert brought in jockey Flavien Prat to ride. John Velazquez had ridden the colt in his first three starts: daylight victories in a 2022 maiden race at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park as well as in the Haskell. Earlier on the Sept. 2 card, Prat won the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on the Baffert-trained Du Jour, a horse owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, and Debbie Lanni.

Geaux Rocket Ride and jockey Mike Smith drew the rail, while Arabian Knight and Prat drew post 9. When the gate opened, Prat and Arabian Knight took the lead. Longshot Piroli raced in second, while Smith had Geaux Rocket Ride on the rail in third.

From the very beginning, Baffert was waiting for Geaux Rocket Ride.

"I kept watching for the 1, I knew the 1 was the horse to beat," Baffert said. "He looked fantastic in the paddock."

Baffert also had great respect for Richard Mandella, the trainer of Geaux Rocket Ride.

"Richard Mandella doesn't run horses in races for the fun of it," Baffert said. "And Mike Smith, I was probably watching Mike Smith more than I was watching my horse."

The question was, which way would Smith go, inside or outside of Arabian Knight?

"I thought about staying inside all the way," Smith said. "But then I was afraid I might get stuck down there by the winner."

Smith elected to take Geaux Rocket Ride to the outside of Arabian Knight But before Geaux Rocket Ride challenged Arabian Knight, 4-year-old Slow Down Andy got to within a head of the Baffert runner around the second turn. Arabian Knight had to fend off his older rival and then deal with Geaux Rocket Ride.

"The mile and a quarter I wasn't sure about," Baffert said. "You don't know until they do it. And he got it done, but he got it done with a lot of grit at the end. That was a lot of heart. He dug in."

The two 3-year-olds surged toward the wire together, and Arabian Knight managed to hold off a very determined Geaux Rocket Ride by a neck, stopping the clock in 2:03.19. Slow Down Andy held on for third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Geaux Rocket Ride.

"He's a nice horse and he showed it today," said Prat. "He was running easily for me all the way around. He's lightly raced and I think this race will only make him better."

The Pacific Classic, with its $1 million purse, made Arabian Knight a millionaire, with a total of $1,158,250 in only four starts. He became the first horse to win the Pacific Classic with only three previous starts. Flightline last year won the race with four prior starts.

Arabian Knight also earned a "Win & You're In" berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Whether the colt will get a race between the Pacific Classic and the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup will be decided at a later date.

"We're going to see how much this takes out of him," Baffert said. "It was a tough race, but he didn't look exhausted or anything like that. All of these races are demanding. I'm just enjoying the moment right now."

Baffert marveled at winning a seventh Pacific Classic.

"It's an honor. It's a great race," he said. "I remember the first one (when 3-year-old Best Pal won in 1991). I was just getting into the business. I watched it on the backside on the trainer's stand by myself because I had to help feed. It was so exciting to watch. I never envisioned that I would be able to win it so many times."

Following General Challenge, Baffert's record includes Richard's Kid in 2009-10, Game On Dude in 2013, Collected in 2017, and Maximum Security in 2020.