The 36th Pacific Classic will bring an international dimension to Del Mar on Saturday, with Japan’s Finger preparing to make the biggest move of a young career. The three-year-old has won the first two legs of Japan’s Dirt Triple Crown and will now take on an 11-runner field in the $1 million Grade I contest over the American distance.
Pacific Classic 2026
Finger has spent the whole of the career in Japan, but the pedigree carries a clear American connection. The dam, Estilo Talentoso, was a Grade III winner and twice placed at Grade I level in the United States before being acquired by Japanese interests for $600,000 at a major American bloodstock sale in 2021.
Trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka and partnered by Keita Tosaki, Finger quickly established a reputation as a horse capable of making an impression over dirt. The first major step came in a maiden race, where a nine-and-a-half-length success announced the three-year-old to the Japanese racing scene.
Less than three weeks later, Finger returned at Funabashi Racecourse in Chiba Prefecture for the Grade III Bluebird Cup. The 1,800-metre contest provided a stronger test, but Finger again showed plenty of authority, finishing a length and a half clear.
The Bluebird Cup served as an official trial for the Haneda Hai, placing the winner on the next leg of the Dirt Triple Crown route. Finger’s progress was briefly checked in the Keihin Hai at Oi Racecourse, where a slow start left the horse racing behind the main group. Despite making ground along the rail, Finger could not catch Rock Ptarmigan in the closing stages and had to settle for second.
The rematch in the Haneda Hai produced a different result. Finger travelled more effectively and found enough in the final stages to defeat the same rival, earning a place in the Tokyo Derby and setting up a test at 2,000 metres.
That longer trip brought another significant examination. Finger went forward early in the Tokyo Derby, controlled the race from the front and maintained the advantage to the finish, winning by a length and a quarter. The result secured the second leg of the Dirt Triple Crown and put Finger in position to pursue a potential sweep when the Japan Dirt Classic is held in October.
Instead, the connections decided to interrupt that domestic campaign and travel to the United States.
The decision gives Finger a markedly different challenge at Del Mar. The Pacific Classic 2026 will be the horse’s first start outside Japan, against seasoned local performers and over a track and racing environment that will be new to both horse and rider.
For Tanaka, the task will be to have Finger settle into unfamiliar surroundings quickly. Tosaki brings experience at the highest level in Japan, while Finger arrives with the confidence of two major victories in the opening stages of the Dirt Triple Crown.
The 11-runner field will also test whether Finger’s Japanese form can translate immediately to American competition. His record so far suggests a horse who can travel strongly, race prominently and handle a rise in class, but the Pacific Classic 2026 will provide the clearest measure yet of his ability beyond home soil.
There is no finish order to report before the race itself. That result will determine whether Finger’s American venture becomes a one-off international challenge or the start of a wider chapter in an already fast-moving career.
The 36th Pacific Classic will therefore carry significance beyond its $1 million purse. For Finger, it is a first overseas test, a meeting with established American opposition and an opportunity to extend a Japanese campaign that has already delivered two major victories.
The Pacific Classic 2026 could mark an important turning point in Finger’s career, with the Japanese contender stepping beyond familiar surroundings for the first time.
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