Tom's d'Etat, Something Awesome Log Final Pegasus Works

Six days before making his graded-stakes debut at age 6 in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), GMB Racing's Tom's d'Etat had his final timed workout Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The son of Smart Strike worked an easy half-mile in :48 2/5 under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.

The work, which came after the mid-morning track renovation break, was the eighth-fastest of 80 horses at the distance. In his previous breeze Jan. 12, Tom's d'Etat worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00—fastest of 77 horses.

"His last work was the work that focused on getting him ready for the race," trainer Al Stall Jr. said. "This work was just part of the schedule, kind of did enough to get a day off tomorrow. Looked like he always does, like he was just galloping, going around there with the greatest of ease. So we were really happy with it. Shaun was happy."

Stall said the horse will train Tuesday morning at Fair Grounds before flying out later in the day to South Florida. He'll be on the same flight as Pegasus favorite Accelerate , the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and finalist for 2018 Horse of the Year.

Tom's d'Etat's promising career has been hindered by ankle issues. He won his first stakes in Fair Grounds' Tenacious Stakes Dec. 22, giving him six wins in nine starts. Stall said he's looking forward to how Tom's d'Etat stacks up against the likes of Accelerate and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light .

"The big two favorites will be from California, deserving favorites and both Breeders' Cup winners," Stall said. "We knew what the field was going to look like a few weeks ago, and everybody looks like they're coming into the race the right way. It will be exciting, and hopefully a really good race for us.

"He just deserves a chance," Stall added. "He's always deserved a chance. Things just didn't materialize early in his career. He's in top shape right now, so we're going to take a shot."

Stronach Stables' multiple graded-stakes winning homebred Something Awesome put in his final work for the Pegasus Sunday at Gulfstream Park, going five furlongs in 1:00.20 over a muddy main track. It was his third local breeze since leaving Laurel Park in Maryland on Christmas Day.

Something Awesome won the Charles Town Classic (G2) and Harrison E. Johnson Memorial last year going the Pegasus distance of 1 1/8 miles, both under Hall of Famer Edgar Prado who will again have the call in the Pegasus. The 8-year-old gelding also captured the seven-furlong General George (G3).

"The horse has settled very good so far. I'm glad ... the team decided to bring him over here earlier, because it looks like he needed it coming out of the cold," trainer Jose Corrales said. "It's like when they run on the sand and they come back tired, but he's settled pretty good and I'm happy with the progress."

Japanese group 1 winner Aerolithe and grade 2-winning millionaire Bravazo each acquainted themselves with the Gulfstream surface on a rainy, but busy, Sunday morning. 

Calumet Farm's Bravazo was first on the track at 5:45 a.m., less than 24 hours after being driven by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas from their winter base at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. Bravazo will make his 4-year-old debut in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

"The first morning out there you just want to see how he handles everything, and we went real light because it was a 22-hour van ride yesterday," Lukas said. "It was an easy little gallop just to let him see things."

Bravazo ran 11 times in 2018 and notched three wins, led by the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2). Winless in his last nine starts, the son of Awesome Again finished second in the Preakness Stakes (G1), betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), and Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1)—his final start of 2018. He also ran third in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile behind City of Light.

"I wouldn't worry about him. We put him in the trailer and he's used to it. He eats well on the trip, we give him plenty of room, and he handles that very well," Lukas said. "I keep thinking we should take a break maybe and miss a race or two and the next thing I know he's feeling so good and jumping around. He's actually trained really well coming into this one. This two months, two and a half months, is probably the longest break he's had."

Luis Saez has the mount on Bravazo in the Pegasus.

Trainer Takanori Kikuzawa was aboard Sunday Racing's Aerolithe for similarly light exercise over the Gulfstream main track. The 5-year-old Kurofune mare has been in quarantine since arriving in South Florida Jan. 16. She will make her North American debut in the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T).

"This was the first time for her to be around horses for quite a while after being in quarantine, so she was a bit perked up and looking around," Kikuzawa said through interpreter Kate Hunter, Pegasus World Cup field representative for the Japan Racing Association. "She got kind of startled at the grandstand a little bit, but she settled down and she cantered really smoothly, an easy-going canter, so I'm very happy with her condition."

First or second in nine of 13 career starts, Aerolithe has beaten males before in the 2017 NHK Mile Cup (G1) as a 3-year-old and the Mainichi Okan (G2) Oct. 7 at 1 1/8 miles. Florent Geroux will have the call for the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf.

"Japan has so many good horses," Kikuzawa said, "but I think we have a very good chance and will represent Japan very well."