Next Shares Pegasus Turf-Bound After San Gabriel Win

The perfect season debut and a ticket to the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) came down to a flared nostril for Next Shares in the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.

That was the margin the 6-year-old Archarcharch gelding found to his favor in a photo finish with Cleopatra's Strike, while Liam the Charmer also proved a tough opponent in the shadow of the wire.

Next Shares, making his first start since a 13th in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), broke a step slow and settled eighth in the field of nine under Geovanni Franco, who picked up the mount after Joel Rosario called in sick Saturday. With 62-1 shot Arms Runner showing the way for the 1 1/8-mile event through opening fractions of :24.09 and :48.36, Franco worked out an inside trip for his mount, and Next Shares still had plenty to do from eighth as three-quarters went in 1:12.46.

Tipped out to make his bid leaving the backstretch, the dark bay or brown gelding hit the final turn four wide and was set down for the rally. Cleopatra's Strike took over from Arms Runner through a 1:36.44 mile after pressing the pace and looked to have a chance at the score, but Next Shares got up in time. Liam the Charmer also put in a brave run from fifth to enter the photo between horses but ended up third.

The final time was 1:48.61 on firm turf. Favored at odds of 8-5, Next Shares returned $5.20, $3.60, and $2.80. The order of finish was completed by Chicago Style, Platinum Warrior, Flamboyant, Arms Runner, Oscar Dominguez, and Big Bend. Big Score was scratched.

"My horse was so good today," Franco said. "He broke out of there and we kind of got left a little bit, but Richard told me not to hurry, so I didn't. He told me that if we had to go wide, to go ahead and go wide because it wouldn't matter. He said the horse will run. Down the lane the other horses were very game, but I think Next Shares heard everyone screaming and pulling for him, and he got it done.

"I thought I won it because I thought my horse had his nose down at the wire, but I knew it was close. This is the biggest pickup mount I've ever had, for sure."

The San Gabriel was a test drive at a longer distance for Next Shares, who notched his first top-level score in the Oct. 6 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, in anticipation of the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf Cup.

"Yeah, he's going to the Pegasus (Turf Cup)," co-owner Michael Iavarone said. "It's all about the Pegasus right now. It's what we wanted and what we were hoping for. We tried to stretch him out with that in mind, and it worked out amazingly well. I told Geovanni to make sure to save a little for the Pegasus.

"When I first saw the race, I thought we won. Then, when I watched the replay seven times, I thought we got beat. Either way, I thought we ran well enough to show we could get the distance, so I was happy with it … but that nose was huge." 

"This is a very, very good horse," said Next Shares' trainer, Richard Baltas. "I said earlier that he likes a little more cut in the ground, but obviously he handled (the firm turf) well. 'Geo' rode a great race. He was a little far back, but this guy doesn't panic."

Bred in Kentucky by Buck Pond Farm out of the Evansville Slew mare Two Dot Slew, Next Shares improved his record to 6-4-2 from 22 starts, with earnings of $1,187,697. The San Gabriel marked his second graded stakes score.

Video: San Gabriel S. (G2T)