Pegasus World Cup Invitation List Released

Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto and Charlatan are among a dozen grade 1 and grade 2 winners on a list of 16 horses invited Jan. 3 to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The fifth running of the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus, won previously by Longines World's Best Racehorse Arrogate (2017), Horse of the Year Gun Runner  (2018), Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light , and Mucho Gusto (2020), will be run Jan. 23 along with the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T).

Baffert, who won the Pegasus last year with Mucho Gusto and the inaugural running with Arrogate, has two chances for a hat trick with his defending champion and Charlatan.

After his victory in the Pegasus last year Mucho Gusto finished fourth Feb. 29 in the Saudi Cup before Baffert gave the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man  time off. He returned Dec. 26 to finish fourth of six in the San Antonio Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Charlatan was regarded as one of the country's top 3-year-olds after his performance in the 2020 Arkansas Derby (G1), which he won by six lengths but was disqualified after failing a post-race drug test. He then was sidelined with an ankle injury before returning off a seven-month layoff to win the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.

Multiple grade 1 winner Knicks Go enters the Pegasus off three consecutive victories since being moved to the stable of Brad Cox. The 5-year-old Maryland-bred son of Paynter  was an impressive winner last out in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile second Jesus' Team sold for $30,000 as a yearling and has earned $508,940. The Jose D' Angelo-trained 4-year-old finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) last year.

Sharp Samurai was beaten a nose by Jesus' Team for the place in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The 7-year-old gelding, based at Santa Anita with trainer Mark Glatt, was second last year in the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), Eddie Read Stakes (G2T), and City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T). His last victory was the 2018 City of Hope Mile. Sharp Samurai is also on the invitation list for the Pegasus Turf.

W.S. Farish's homebred Code of Honor will be making his 13th consecutive start in a graded race, his 10th in a grade 1 event. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor was placed second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and went on to win the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), the latter via the disqualification of Vino Rosso  for interference. Code of Honor's 4-year-old season included a victory in the Westchester Stakes (G3) and second-place finishes in the Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) and Kelso Handicap (G2).

Tax, claimed for $50,000 out of his second career start by trainer Danny Gargan for co-owner Hugh Lynch, will run in his second consecutive Pegasus. The 5-year-old, an impressive winner of the Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Dec. 12 off a seven-month layoff, was fourth in the 2019 Belmont Stakes (G1) and won that year's Jim Dandy. The son of Arch finished ninth in last year's Pegasus after stumbling at the start.

Mr Freeze finished second in last year's Pegasus World Cup, 4 1/2 lengths behind Mucho Gusto. Trained by Dale Romans, Mr Freeze went on to win the Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) and Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) before wide trips resulted in a sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and fifth-place finish in the Clark.

Calumet Farm is hoping the third time is the charm for True Timber. Seventh in the 2019 edition of the Pegasus and eighth last year, the 7-year-old enters this year's edition off a victory in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack. It was his first win in 13 starts, since September 2018.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Dec. 19. The 5-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado, who won the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) in August, has been a model of consistency, winning eight of 15 races while racing at 11 different tracks for trainer Miguel Angel Silva.

John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye, a lightly-raced 4-year-old, upset Mucho Gusto and four others Dec. 26 in the Malibu when he closed from last. Trained by Eric Kruljak, Kiss Today Goodbye finished fifth in the Del Mar Derby (G2T) and fourth in the Twilight Derby (G2T) earlier in the year.

Harpers First Ride, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred, enters the Pegasus having won four of his last five starts including a victory in the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3). Maryland's perennial leading conditioner Claudio Gonzalez trains the son of Paynter.

Anothertwistafate, winner of the Jan. 2 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita and Sept. 10 Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) at Emerald Downs, is No. 1 on the also eligible list. The son of Scat Daddy is also on the invitation list for the Pegasus Turf. Locally-based Math Wizard, a grade 1 winner who finished second last summer to Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) show finisher Global Campaign  in the Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3), is second on the AE list while King Guillermo, owned by former Major League Baseball all-star Victor Martinez, and Idol, second in the San Antonio, round out the list.

Say the Word, Storm the Court Among Pegasus Turf Invitees

Grade 1 winners Say the Word and Storm the Court, and three stakes winners from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, lead a list of 16 horses invited Sunday to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

The third running of the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus World Cup Turf, introduced in 2019 to serve as a companion race to the Pegasus World Cup, will be run Jan. 23. The Pegasus Turf has been won previously by eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (2019) and Zulu Alpha (2020).

Trainer Todd Pletcher, winner of 16 of the past 17 Championship Meet titles at Gulfstream Park, has an intriguing trio of contenders for the Turf in Largent, Social Paranoia, and Colonel Liam.

Largent is an improving son of Into Mischief  who enters the Pegasus Turf off a victory Dec. 12 in the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T). The gelding has won six of nine career starts and has won four of his five starts at Gulfstream.

Social Paranoia, a 4-year-old son of Street Boss , prepped for the Pegasus Turf at Gulfstream Dec. 16 by winning an allowance optional claiming event off a five-month layoff. Last year he also won the Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream and the Poker Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park.

Pletcher's third entry is the lightly raced Colonel Liam, a 4-year-old son of Liam's Map  who enters the Pegasus Turf off an impressive 3 1/4-length victory Dec. 26 in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream.

Trainer Barclay Tagg, who trained the recently retired Tiz the Law  to victories in last year's Curlin Florida Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, and Travers, comes into the Pegasus Turf with Doswell. The lightly raced 6-year-old ran only once as a 2-year-old and did not return to the races until he was 4. The son of Giant's Causeway broke his maiden as a 5-year-old and ended 2020 with a second-place finish behind Largent in the Ft. Lauderdale.

It took seven races for North Dakota to win his first race, but the McGaughey-trained 5-year-old has since won three of five races with his last resulting in a win in the Nov. 21 Red Smith (G3T) at Aqueduct. McGaughey could also send out Breaking the Rules, a 6-year-old son of War Front  who comes off a fourth-place finish in the Knickerbocker Stakes (G2T) in October and a third-place finish in the Ft. Lauderdale.

Say the Word, a 6-year-old Ontario-bred by More Than Ready , enters off a third-place finish Nov. 27 in the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) for trainer Phil D'Amato after winning the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by Pattison (G1T) in October at Woodbine. The gelding finished fourth in his only race at Gulfstream, that coming in 2018.

Storm the Court is based at Santa Anita for trainer Peter Eurton. Winner of the 2019 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), the son of Court Vision  tried turf last year in the La Jolla Handicap (G3T) and finsihed second. Back on dirt, he was sixth in the Kentucky Derby before moving to turf again and finishing seventh in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) and second last time out in the Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T).

Cross Border will attempt to give trainer Mike Maker back-to-back wins in the Pegasus Turf after saddling last year's winner, Zulu Alpha. The 7-year-old son of English Channel  was second in last year's Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) and won the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T), both at Saratoga Race Course. He comes into the Pegasus Turf off a second-place finish in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Pixelate, trained by Michael Stidham, comes into the Pegasus Turf off a victory Dec. 26 in the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Godolphin homebred and son of City Zip won the Del Mar Derby in September and was fifth in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) in October.

Sharp Samurai and Anothertwistafate are both invited to the Pegasus Turf and are on the reserve list for the dirt race.

The Pegasus Turf also-eligible list is led by Next Shares, who will try to make his third trip to the Pegasus Turf the charm after a seventh-place finish in the 2019 edition and a 12th-place finish last year. The 8-year-old would enter this year's event off a third-place finish Jan. 2 in the San Gabriel.

The reserve invitation list also includes Field Pass. The Ontario Derby (G3) winner is trained by Maker. Trainer Chad Brown, who won the inaugural Pegasus Turf with Bricks and Mortar, has two on the reserve list in Red Bank Stakes (G3T) winner Analyze It and OXO Equine's Greyes Creek.