What is a 'Grade 1 horse?' Is it a horse who has won a G1 race? Then Giacomo, Perfect Drift, and Good Reward certainly qualify, although the latter's G1 wins were on turf. Additionally, Super Frolic had a close third and fourth (in the BC Classic!) in G1s, Magnum had a close second and fourth in G1s, so only 2 members of the Pacific Classic field had not previously shown good form in G1 races. And all but one of these horses had won at G3 or G2 levels as well; these were not creampuffs.
And as to Sun King..., He has just finished second by a nose or so in two consecutive G1 races, the Whitney and the Met Mile. As a 2yo he was third in the BC Juvie and the Champagne, both G1s, and at 3 was second in the Haskell and third in the JC Gold Cup, both G1s. Yes, he has been beaten badly in a few of G1s as well, but horses are not machines (except Lava Man this year?) and this is a horse who needs a pace set-up to run his race. Sun King is a decent sort of horse who has been competitive at the G1 level since he was 2, not some jumped up allowance horse, like, say, Mayan King or Rathor.
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