Can Star Fortress Repeat U.S. Debut in Pegasus FM Turf?

Star Fortress  stepped up big time in her North American debut in November at Churchill Downs and looks to repeat that effort as the morning-line favorite in a field of 12 entered for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old Sea the Stars  mare, trained by Cherie DeVaux, was a 6-1 long shot when she lined up for the Cardinal Stakes (G3T) Nov. 23 after suffering five straight defeats in England. She put all that in the rearview mirror, sprinting away to a 10-length victory with the favorite, Saffron Moon , best of the other five.

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect," DeVaux said of that effort after Star Fortress drew the No. 4 gate for the Pegasus. "Her form was okay from Europe. We were cutting her back in distance. She had been training really well, but we only had the opportunity to train on dirt, and she had been training extremely well.

"I was expecting her to have a good showing of herself but that performance definitely superseded anything you could have hoped for."

Star Fortress will have to run back to something like the Cardinal effort as she faces a tougher bunch at Gulfstream.

Todd Pletcher brings Cairo Consort  and Surprisingly , who drew stalls No. 1 and No. 12, respectively. Cairo Consort finished third in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1T) at Keeneland and won her first two starts of 2023, both at Gulfstream Park. She got a long break starting in May and returned Dec. 23 to finish fourth, beaten just one length, in the Tropical Park Oaks.

"It was a good effort in the Oaks," Pletcher said. "She just got a little too far back, closed well, but left her a little too much to do … We felt like she does handle Gulfstream really well. She had quite a bit of success as a 3-year-old there so we wanted to freshen her up with the idea that we would hopefully get a race in the Tropical Oaks and that would set her up for the Pegasus."

Chad Brown will saddle Fluffy Socks  and Chili Flag . Fluffy Socks, the star in that duo, drew the No. 7 gate and was installed as the second choice on the morning line at 9-2, following Star Fortress' 5-2.

Saffie Joseph Jr., Gulfstream's leading trainer, will send out Accomplished Girl  and Sister Lou Ann  and has Be My Sunshine  as the lone also-eligible. Didia , a multiple graded stakes winner from the Ignacio Correas IV barn, makes her return from a 10th-place disappointment in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita.

Last year's winner, Queen Goddess , will start from the No. 8 gate and the winner of the local prep, the Suwannee River Stakes (G3T), Full Count Felicia ,  also will have another go in the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf.

The Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf, contested at 1 1/16 miles, goes as the 10th race on a 13-race card highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational stakes.