Pegasus World Cup Turf in Plans for Channel Maker
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Channel Maker trains for the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs
Grade 1 winner Channel Maker has joined the field for the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park.
The Bill Mott-trained 5-year-old gelding, owned by Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, is on course to make his ninth grade 1 start in his past 10 races in the world's richest turf race on the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Championship Series program.
The Ontario-bred achieved grade 1 status in the Sept. 29 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, winning by 4 1/2 lengths. He will seek to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs.
Dean and Patti Reeves' Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R.A. Hill, who were represented in the first two editions of the Pegasus World Cup, joined the ownership group of Channel Maker last fall.
"He has put up some really great numbers. We looked at him as a horse that, for a number of years, we could run in the top turf races—not only in the United States, but we could take this horse to England or Dubai, wherever we wanted to go," Dean Reeves said. "Certainly, we had the Pegasus as a race we were going to point to when we talked about partnering in the horse."
The son of English Channel broke his maiden in a stakes race at Woodbine in the second start of his juvenile season. His sophomore campaign was highlighted by a victory in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
"English Channel horses seem to get better the older they get. He being a gelding, the bottom line is that he is a horse we'll continue to race. Hopefully, he'll continue to improve," Reeves said. "He's very sound. He gives us the opportunity to get into some really solid races."