International Horse Profile: Pacific Mission

Successful sire Lope de Vega is responsible for two Breeders’ Cup winners, both coming in this very race – Newspaperofrecord (2018) and Aunt Pearl (2020). Pacific Mission will try to make it three. 

A Juddmonte homebred, Pacific Mission, was produced by the multiple Group 3-winning Big Break. The Dansili mare is a full sister to the prolific Group campaigner Famous Name, who won 20 stakes and placed in 13 more, seven of them Group 1s, including a near-miss in the 2008 French Derby ( G1). 

Famous Name’s favorite place was Leopardstown. Baby sister Big Break echoed that when her first two wins came around the same left-handed track, notably the 2012 Killavullan (G3) as the odds-on favorite over males. Big Break scored her other stakes victory in the 2014 Concorde (G3) at Tipperary, a sharp, left-handed course. 

This family lore might be a clue to Pacific Mission’s own preferences. She’s lost both starts on straightaways and won in her lone chance going around a turn. 

From the high-percentage yard of Andrew Balding, Pacific Mission was fitted with a hood for her career debut at Ascot. The 6-1 shot was drawn on the far side, and when the gate opened, she tried to make a right turn (swishing her tail) into the open space. She was corrected and tacked toward the back end of the field. Although Pacific Mission made good headway in the middle stages, she drifted to her right, lost steam, and beat only one home. 

Pacific Mission was on her best behavior next time over Kempton’s Polytrack, when she took the hood off and donned a tongue tie instead. Drawn in post 1 again, she had the rail nearby to guide her, and she left the gate straight to secure a good stalking position. Pacific Mission saved ground around the right-handed turn, and she didn’t have to change her lane to rally, as the cutaway was there for her. She quickened nicely to score with ears up. 

The May Hill (G2) at Doncaster represented a significant class hike, but Pacific Mission acquitted herself well as an 11-1 shot. Off a beat slow, she raced keenly and found herself in a somewhat awkward position on the wing of the main group, possibly seeing too much daylight. Although she still appeared green when mobilizing, she made a strong bid and threatened to pull the upset until Aylin collared her late. 

On paper, Pacific Mission has something to find on form with Precise, who had beaten Aylin in her prior start. But the May Hill form can’t be taken too literally; a few reversed their results in their rematch in the Fillies’ Mile (G1), especially sixth-placer Venetian Lace, who came right back to run a massive second to Precise. 

The one clear conclusion is that Pacific Mission has leaped forward in every start, from her idiosyncratic six-furlong premiere to her seven-furlong maiden and the one-mile May Hill. If she could go so close in a strongly-run mile on good-to-soft down the Doncaster straight, she might be even happier on quick ground around turns. 

It’s also noteworthy that her connections are making a very rare appearance in this race. Juddmonte’s lone Juvenile Fillies Turf starter came in 2010, and Balding’s in 2019. They were forgettable experiences, but Pacific Mission must be giving them reason to fulfill her name at Del Mar.