For trainer Bobby Frankel, there has been good, better and best in the $1-million Pacific Classic, and he rated Saturday as the best after his lightly regarded Tinners Way made a late run to beat Best Pal by one length.

Frankel won the 1992 Classic with Missionary Ridge and repeated last year with Bertrando, whose owners switched trainers this year. Bertrando, the 2-1 favorite Saturday, was victimized by an early duel with Slew Of Damascus for the lead and finished next to last in the nine-horse field.

"This win makes me feel the best of all," Frankel said. "It's not revenge, but it's always nice to beat the horse that you trained last year. This should help my career more than anything."

The 53-year-old Frankel's horses earned $8.6 million last year and he won the Eclipse Award for best trainer.

"Yeah, I know all that, but a trainer's only as good as his last win, just like in other sports," Frankel said. "How many times have you seen a guy win a huge race, and then the next time you see them, they've disappeared?"

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-08-14/sports/sp-27106_1_del-mar