First Mission Leads Busy Morning for Pegasus Hopefuls

Godolphin's First Mission  had his final major preparation for next Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park while breezing five furlongs Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. 

With regular exercise rider Kelvin Perez aboard, the 4-year-old First Mission worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00 2/5, the second-fastest of 52 workouts at the distance Saturday morning. Trainer Brad Cox said he timed First Mission galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13 3/5.

It was First Mission's third five-furlong workout after a trio of half-mile timed moves at Fair Grounds since his last race. That day he finished second by a nose to fellow Pegasus contender Trademark  in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.

"He's been doing very well week after week," Cox said by phone. "We're excited about giving him a shot at a grade 1. We weren't looking for anything really different than he'd done the last few weeks. We were just giving him an opportunity to go out there and stretch his legs, see how he's doing. And he's telling us he's doing as well as he ever has."

First Mission will ship to Gulfstream Monday after training, Cox said. Regular rider Luis Saez has the Pegasus mount.

Joseph-Trained Pegasus Horses Breeze at Palm Meadows

Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking , who is coming off a third-place finish in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park, Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Ode's O'Connor , who captured the Dec. 30 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream, breezed for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Jan. 20 at Palm Meadows Training Center.

Skippylongstocking breezed four furlongs in :47.75 while working in company with stakes winner Swirvin . O'Connor was timed in :48.55.

"They're in good order," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

At Gulfstream Saturday morning, trainer Antonio Sano sent Alexandres' Il Miracolo  to the track for an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:03.16 for a start in the Pegasus, following a third-place finish in the Clark at Churchill Downs.

Three Pletcher Trainees Work for Pegasus at Palm Beach Downs

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One , Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Crupi , and PRO Thoroughbred Enterprises Grand Aspen  breezed at Palm Beach Downs Jan. 20 while preparing for the Pegasus.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to saddle all three in search of his second success in the Pegasus, following Life Is Good  's victory in 2022.

Dynamic One, winner of the 2022 Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, who is scheduled to make his second start since being sidelined for more than a year, worked in company with Crupi, who is coming off back-to-back victories in the Queens County Stakes and the Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Crupi was timed in :48.29 for a half-mile, while Dynamic One :48.39.

Dynamic One, equipped with blinkers for the first time, started two lengths ahead of Crupi, who finished the breeze 1 1/2 lengths behind his stablemate.

Grand Aspen, who was beaten by a neck by O'Connor while finishing second in the Harlan's Holiday, breezed a half-mile in :49.13.