Pacific Ocean takes away the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park
Pacific Ocean from the JMJ Racing Stables’ won the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes Grade 3 which was held at the Hollywood Park on 26th November. The four-year-old gelding was able to win the race with being 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Irrefutable
who also was barging in towards the wire.
Pacific Ocean did not take long to break away from his maiden which was on 20th August last year at Arlington Park. The next two allowance races that he participated in were straight victories so it will not be wrong to state that Pacific Ocean
did manage a hat trick in the very first three races of his career. The latter allowance victory was achieved at the very beginning of this season.
Out of the four racing attempts that Pacific Ocean made, two were wins, one second and another one seventh. He came second in the Hanshin Cup Grade 3 which again was at the Arlington Park on 21st May. The race was won by Workin For Hops and the
third one in line was Havelock.
The Bold Venture on 20th July saw him positioned seventh at Woodbine.
The victory in the Vernon O Underwood Grade 3 was Pacific Ocean’s first ever career stakes victory. He did not remain in the rear rather started off with a determined pace which was quite very swift and was able to cover the initial quarter-mile in :21.52
and finised the six furlong track in a minute and :08.48 seconds. M One Rifle stood third in the race.
The race also witnessed a horrific sight of Irrefutable collapsing on the track and passing away. His career was put at rest with him, the last race with the runner up’s position.
It was during the summer that Pacific Ocean was bought by Dennis Narlinger’s JMJ Racing Stables from the prior trainer, Wayne Catalano and is now under charge Mike Mitchell. Besides the death and victory records, this was the sixth lifetime attempt at racing
by Pacific Ocean and also the first one that he raced on a track other than Polytrack.
Pacific Ocean’s earnings after this success have gone up to $153,199 which has been amassed over time by four wins out of six starts. Whether he will be racing soon or not has not made news as yet.