The 2018 TVG Pacific Classic is one of the biggest horse races of August, a Grade 1 $1 million event Saturday at Del Mar. A field of eight will go to post at 9:43 p.m. ET. Professional and amateur bettors alike will put down wagers on who wins it all, as well as on exotics like trifectas and superfectas. Accelerate, a John Sadler-trained horse, is the favorite at 8-5 Pacific Classic odds, followed by Doug O'Neill entrant Pavel at 7-2 and Roman Rosso at 5-1. Dr. Dorr, trained by Bob Baffert, and The Lieutenant are 6-1.
Before you lock in your 2018 Pacific Classic picks, you need to see what horse racing legend Hammerin' Hank Goldberg has to say.
If you put $50 on Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's Preakness picks last year, you would have won well over $11,000. You would be rolling in it if you put anything on his picks for the Arlington Million last Saturday, as he nailed his exacta pick by fading the favorite for a huge payout. He also picked a 39-1 long shot to show in the Secretariat Stakes, and that one paid off too. Three weeks ago, Goldberg's picks won a pile of dough for his followers at the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, as he nailed the top four horses in order, winning his exacta, trifecta and superfecta! He even won the Pick 4 at Monmouth that weekend.
The reason Goldberg has been so successful: He goes straight to the source. Last year at the Preakness, for example, he chatted up Brown, the trainer for Cloud Computing, before the race. "He was training off the charts, was Chad's top horse all year, and had a tough trip in the Wood Memorial," Goldberg said. "Brown skipped him for the Kentucky Derby, rested him, and trained him up for the Preakness."
When Goldberg learned Javier Castellano was getting off Gunnevera to ride Cloud Computing, the Hammer pounced on the 14-1 long shot to win and put him on top of his exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets. Cloud Computing, of course, surged late and beat Classic Empire in one of the most thrilling Triple Crown races ever. Senior Investment -- a 30-1 long shot on the Preakness odds board Goldberg liked nearly as much -- finished third, giving the Hammer and his followers monster payouts.
A legendary prognosticator and current CBS Sports expert, Goldberg couldn't have been more dead-on about the 2018 Kentucky Derby. He picked Justify to win, saying he excelled in the slop. The result: Justify sloshed to victory over Good Magic in the rain and mud by two-and-a-half lengths.
He also cashed the Pick 4, Pick 5 and Pick 6 at Pimlico this year. He followed that up by pegging Justify as the horse to beat at the Belmont, and we all know what happened.
Now that the Pacific Classic 2018 lineup is set, Goldberg released his picks, predictions, and exotic bets over at SportsLine.
We can tell you he's not going with one of the favorites, Pavel, to win it all, despite his success against strong competition.
"He ran this race last year, ran it terribly, but was almost 30-1," Goldberg said. "He's really improved since that race. He's matured, but I don't think he gets it done on Saturday in the TVG Pacific Classic 2018. There are far better values in this field."
Instead, Goldberg is banking on a horse with plenty of success on the West Coast who has an unexpected edge over the rest of the field. Goldberg is putting him in his exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, and so should you. Anyone who backs him could hit it big.
So what are Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's 2018 Pacific Classic picks? And which horse has an unexpected edge over the field? Check out the Pacific Classic odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Goldberg's picks for the TVG Pacific Classic.
Accelerate (8-5)
Pavel (7-2)
Roman Rosso (5-1)
Dr. Dorr (6-1)
The Lieutenant (6-1)
Prime Attraction (8-1)
Beach View (15-1)
Two Thirty Five (20-1)
