Limited Liability Seeks Elusive Graded Win in McKnight

Effectiveness over 1 1/2 miles on turf will be tested in two undercard stakes on Jan. 25, Pegasus World Cup Day, when Gulfstream Park stages the $215,000 William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) and the $165,000 La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T). Both races are three-turn grass events, with the former featuring older males and the latter older females.

Likely to save ground early in the William L. McKnight Stakes is Stuart Janney III's Limited Liability , who starts from the rail in the overdrawn field under international riding star Frankie Dettori. Dettori is familiar with his mount, having ridden the Shug McGaughey trainee to an 8 1/4-length victory in the 2 1/16-mile Nashville Gold Cup Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs before a subsequent runner-up finish in the Nov. 9 Red Smith Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack behind stablemate Integration .

Integration is one of the leading contenders in the Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1T).

Limited Liability, a 6-year-old gelded son of Kitten's Joy , seeks an elusive graded stakes victory after registering eight graded placings.

Godolphin's dual graded/group winner Bold Act  is one of his principal adversaries.  Though he lost all four of his starts in the United States last year, his final outing of 2024 was his best: a nose loss when second in the Sycamore Stakes (G3T). He captured the race the previous fall for trainer Charlie Appleby

William Buick, who traveled to America to ride for Appleby and Godolphin on Pegasus World Cup Day, is aboard the sometimes headstrong 5-year-old New Approach gelding. They start from post 11.

"He's a little bit of a quirky character," assistant trainer Chris Connett said. "He's got his own mind about things, but we've got his [exercise] rider here, Michael Stainton, who really seems to jell with the horse. Sometimes we have some other riders on him, and he doesn't quite enjoy it so much, but him and Michael got a group bond and they've both settled into the American way of training and life. He's a forward-going type of horse. He just likes to run and hopefully will, especially over that trip on Saturday will be ideal."

Other graded stakes winners in the lineup include Anglophile  and Rockemperor  in the McKnight, the ninth race on the 13-race program.

Class Drop For Beautiful Love

Two races before the McKnight, the Godolphin team is well represented in the La Prevoyante by Beautiful Love , who came within a length of victory in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar when edged by Moira , Cinderella's Dream , and Didia .

At her best over a distance of ground, she won the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) in September during the Belmont at the Big A meet before finishing a follow-up third against older rivals when beaten 1 1/2 lengths by LSU Stables' La Mehana  in the Waya Stakes (G3T).

La Mehana, subsequently seventh in the Nov. 10 Long Island Stakes at Aqueduct and first in the Dec. 26 Via Borghese Stakes at Gulfstream, returns in the La Prevoyante for trainer Christophe Clement.

Another threat is Chop Chop , who makes her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher after Repole Stable purchased the graded-winning daughter of City of Light for $900,000 during The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton.