East/West Showdown Looms in Pegasus World Cup Turf

Since it evolved from the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes to become the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) in 2019, the race's two winners went on to rank among the divisional leaders. Bricks and Mortar was voted Horse of the Year after his Pegasus Turf-winning season in 2019, and last year's winner, Zulu Alpha, is a 2020 Eclipse finalist as older turf male.

If one such runner is to contend for a championship in 2021 after winning the $1 million Pegasus Turf Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, he will have to further his pre-Pegasus Turf accomplishments, as Bricks and Mortar and Zulu Alpha both did. Four of Saturday's 12 entries are one-time grade 1 winners—Next Shares, Storm the Court, Aquaphobia, and Say the Word.

The 1 3/16-mile turf race lacks an international entrant but does feature an east/west battle.

Heading the group from California are Peter Redekop's Anothertwistafate, a Scat Daddy 5-year-old trained by Peter Miller, and Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word, a 6-year-old More Than Ready  gelding trained by Phil D'Amato. Their morning-line odds are 5-1 and 6-1, respectively.

Anothertwistafate stretches out slightly in distance after winning the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) in his second turf start, while late-running Say the Word cuts back after a rallying third in the 1 1/2-mile Hollywood Turf Cup (G2T) at Del Mar.

"He's the type of horse that doesn't seem to get tired," Miller said of Anothertwistafate. "He's got a lot of stamina and is built like a horse that can get a mile and a half."

Among others, they face a trio of runners from East Coast-based trainer Todd Pletcher: 7-2 morning-line favorite Colonel Liam, 9-2 shot Largent, and 8-1 Social Paranoia.

"The good thing for us is they all seem to like this turf course. They all have very good records here," Pletcher said. "We're pretty pleased with their final races over this course and the way they've been training, and the fact that their records are all good here gives us added optimism."

They exit winning races at Gulfstream. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent took the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) Dec. 12; The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia captured an allowance optional claimer Dec. 16 and won the Appleton Stakes (G3T) locally in March; and Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam defeated 3-year-old competition in the Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26.

Godolphin homebred Pixelate also raced in the restricted 3-year-old ranks last month, though he did so at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, winning the Woodchopper Stakes for trainer Mike Stidham. He also won the Del Mar Derby (G2T) last year as a sophomore.

"He deserves his chance to sort of compete and knock off a big one," said Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager for Godolphin. "If you look at his charts and his races, he has rarely been off the board, and when he has, it hasn't been by much. He's usually had some sort of side comment of trouble in the race. He would be the epitome of consistency. He seems to show up no matter the distance, the track, or the competition."

Along with other stakes races at Gulfstream this year, the Pegasus World Cup Turf will be contested without horses being treated with the diuretic Lasix, a ban that was just in place for the Pegasus and Pegasus Turf last year. Only Anothertwistafate and Next Shares raced without Lasix in their last races. 

Entries: Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. (G1T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 23, 2021, Race 11

• Grade IT
• 1 3/16m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Next Shares (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	123	Richard Baltas	20/1
2	2Breaking the Rules (KY)	John R. Velazquez	123	Claude R. McGaughey III	10/1
3	3Storm the Court (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	Peter Eurton	12/1
4	4North Dakota (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Claude R. McGaughey III	10/1
5	5Colonel Liam (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
6	6Largent (VA)	Paco Lopez	123	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
7	7Aquaphobia (KY)	Joe Bravo	123	Michael J. Maker	20/1
8	8Anothertwistafate (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	Peter Miller	5/1
9	9Cross Border (NY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Michael J. Maker	15/1
10	10Pixelate (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	123	Michael Stidham	15/1
11	11Say the Word (ON)	Flavien Prat	123	Philip D'Amato	6/1
12	12Social Paranoia (KY)	Luis Saez	123	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1