DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Go Between prevailed in a long stretch battle with Well Armed to win the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del
Mar racetrack Sunday.
     
Go Between, at 5-2 odds, was ridden by Garrett Gomez and won by a neck. The 5-year-old horse ran 1 1-4 miles in 2:01.18. Mast Track was third, 2 1-2 lengths behind Well Armed.
     
The victory gave Go Between an automatic spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic in a new Win and You're In program that's made certain stakes races BC qualifiers.
     
Go Between settled in eighth early in the 10-horse field and inched up to fifth with a quarter-mile left. Well Armed, who sat just off the early leaders, took the lead into the stretch but was run down late by Go Between.
     
"I like to keep him covered early, like a turf horse, because he started off running on grass," Gomez said.
     
Go Between is trained by Bill Mott, who entered Cigar in the Pacific Classic in 1996, only to see the champion's 16-race win
streak snapped by Dare and Go.
     
Go Between, owned by Peter Vegso, didn't just earn a spot in the starting gate Oct. 25 at Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Classic. He also merits consideration as a contender because of his performance on synthetic surfaces.
     
Go Between has three wins and three second-place finishes in six such starts. The Breeders' Cup will be run on a synthetic surface for the first time this year.
     
Vegso, publisher of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, said Mott made the decision to switch Go Between from grass races to synthetic after the horse perked up training on the Polytrack at Keeneland. The horse has shipped from Kentucky to run four times on California synthetic surfaces this year and produced two wins and two seconds.
     
"I'm as happy as can be," Vegso said of the prospect of a synthetic Breeders' Cup. "I'm looking forward to it. It would be great if Curlin comes, if Big Brown comes. That would be terrific competition."
     
Student Council, who won the Pacific Classic when it was run on Polytrack the first time in 2007, finished fifth.
     
There were three other Win and You're In races on the Del Mar card. John Sadler trained the winner of two of those races.
     
In the $328,000, Grade II Del Mar Mile on turf, Whatsthescript made a strong stretch move to finish three-quarters of a length
ahead of Bold Chieftain and earn a spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile.
     
Gomez rode the Sadler charge in a time of 1:32.40. Global Hunter was third, a neck out of second. A win bet returned $6.
     
Gomez was aboard Colonel John in winning the Travers on Saturday at Saratoga. He had to take off his first two scheduled mounts Sunday at Del Mar because his flight to the West Coast was late.
     
"This weekend means a lot to me," said Gomez. "That's two big wins, and two Breeders' Cup starters."
     
In the $200,000, Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap, Dearest Tricksi prevailed in the 6 1-2-furlong race for fillies and mares.
Jockey Mike Smith put Dearest Tricksi on the lead, and she held on to win by a nose over late-charging Tiz Elemental, who was 1 1-2 lengths ahead of third-place La Tee. Dearest Tricksi, timed in 1:15.17 and earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. A win bet returned $6.20.
     
Sadler claimed Dearest Tricksi away from Cody Autry for owner Tom Mankiewicz for $32,000 at Del Mar on Aug. 4, 2007. She has won seven of eight starts under Sadler's care, including three graded stakes.
     
Lewis Michael won the $297,500, Grade II Pat O'Brien Handicap to secure a spot in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Trained by Wayne
Catalano and ridden by Rene Douglas, Lewis Michael rallied from fifth to win by 2 3-4 lengths, running seven furlongs in 1:21.17.
Rebellion came on from last in the 12-horse field to finish second, a neck ahead of pacesetter Barbecue Eddie. Lewis Michael returned $19.20 for a win bet.
     
Midnight Lute, the favorite at 9-10 odds and the defending Breeders' Cup Sprint champion, ran in traffic on the turn and finished 10th.