Accelerate Works Toward Pegasus World Cup

With a group of media members surrounding trainer John Sadler in the Santa Anita Park grandstand at about 6:45 a.m. PT Jan. 5, a white-haired onlooker couldn't help but make his way over to see what was up.

"How far did he go?" trainer Bob Baffert asked Sadler, inquiring about the workout Hronis Racing's Accelerate  put in through the early morning darkness Saturday in preparation for the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).

"He went (six furlongs) in 1:13 and change," Sadler responded. "I think he's on the same pattern as the Pacific Classic (G1)—the same spacing."

"He's trying to scare me off," quipped Baffert, who could start Malibu Stakes (G1) winner McKinzie in the $9 million race at Gulfstream Park. "He's trying to spook me. He doesn't need to spook me. I've seen him train out here."

Sadler's stopwatch was in sync with the Santa Anita clockers, who timed the five-time grade 1 winner and Horse of the Year candidate in 1:13 2/5 for six furlongs. Only identifiable by blinking red and blue lights on his exercise rider's helmet through much of the breeze, Accelerate galloped out to a mile in 1:41, according to Sadler's watch.

"It was a good work, and he's been working good," Sadler said. "We're three weeks out, so next week will be a substantial work. … That'll be the biggest work of the series."

Sadler said Accelerate's next work, scheduled for Jan. 12 at Santa Anita, could be seven furlongs or six furlongs in company. Saturday's drill was the fifth in a series since the son of Lookin At Lucky 's last-out victory in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. His final work, which is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Santa Anita before he ships to Gulfstream, would be shorter and a bit easier of a tuneup.

Another Pegasus contender, Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light , also worked Saturday at Santa Anita for trainer Michael McCarthy. The son of Quality Road  covered five furlongs in 1:00 flat, which was tied for the fastest at the distance with fellow graded winner Selcourt.

Other notable workers were Marley's Freedom (four furlongs, :48 1/5), McKinzie (four furlongs, :48 4/5), Battle of Midway (four furlongs, :49 2/5), Vasilika (four furlongs, :48 4/5), Vyjack (four furlongs, :47 4/5), Blackjackcat (five furlongs, 1:00 3/5), Paradise Woods (five furlongs, 1:01 flat), Pavel (five furlongs, 1:01 flat), Catapult (six furlongs, 1:14 flat), Giant Expectations (six furlongs, 1:15 flat), and Hunt (four furlongs on the training track, :49 1/5).