Accelerate, City of Light One Last Time in Pegasus

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Accelerate, City of Light One Last Time in Pegasus
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Photo: Zoe Metz
Accelerate

Say what you will about the overall quality of the fields for the first two editions of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), but the early season event has never been lacking for a big horse—or two.

The first Pegasus in 2017 may not have lived up to its hype as the rematch between Arrogate  and California Chrome , but the star power was there. A year later Gun Runner  put on his last magnificent performance.

The third running Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park also will not disappoint, as arguably the two best dirt horses in training—Accelerate  and City of Light —will have a rubber match in the 1 1/8-mile test, their last race before moving on to stallion duty at Lane's End.

Hronis Racing's Accelerate, the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and finalist for Horse of the Year, would have had an unblemished 2018 season if not for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light's effort in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 14, where he edged his rival by a neck. A start later Accelerate turned the tables with a dominating victory in the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) May 26, when City of Light finished 5 1/2 lengths behind in third. Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.'s City of Light didn't win again until the Dirt Mile, but put in one of the most impressive performances of the Breeders' Cup weekend.

"It's always fun to go against another really good horse," said Accelerate's trainer John Sadler. "I have a ton of respect for (City of Light). He's a really good horse, but I'm kinda glad we have another crack at him. I don't mind that a bit."

For Kosta Hronis, who owns Accelerate in partnership with his brother Pete Hronis, he has observed a very different chestnut in 2018. The son of Lookin At Lucky  showed flashes of brilliance in years prior, most notably his 8 1/2-length runaway victory in the 2017 TVG San Diego Handicap (G2) against heavily favored Arrogate, but couldn't string winning efforts together. That all changed in 2018, when he won five grade 1 races, including the "big three" in the Southern California handicap division—the Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1), Gold Cup, and $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic (G1).

"It's been a great, thrilling ride, and we've enjoyed it the whole way through," Hronis said. "If you think about where he started at the beginning of the year, it's incredible. ... You could just see it with him—you can see the maturity in how he acts. He's just more professional and very focused."

For the Michael McCarthy-trained City of Light, the Oaklawn Handicap was first test of distance, and he passed against top competition. Whether the mile and an eighth suits him better than Accelerate, however, remains to be seen, and McCarthy has been somewhat dismissive of a potential advantage.

"He's rightfully in the running for Horse of the Year, so he handles a mile and an eighth fine," McCarthy said of Accelerate, who has run his best races at 10 furlongs.

The rest of the field doesn't carry the same heft as the two headliners, but features quality, some curiosities, and no shortage of storylines.

Undefeated Kukulkan, the undefeated Mexican-bred and Mexican-trained runner, is the main curiosity. The Point Determined colt raced exclusively at Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City before his debut on U.S. soil, a 10 1/4-length romp in the Clásico del Caribe at Gulfstream.

Audible is one of five grade 1 winners in the 12-horse field, but has done his best work at Gulfstream. The New York-bred Into Mischief  colt won the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) and Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) before a third-place run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in 2018, but came in second as the heavy favorite last time out in Gulfstream's Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) Dec. 15. The other top-level winners are 2017 Clark Handicap presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) winner Seeking the Soul and last-out Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) victor Patternrecognition.

Another entrant for the $9 million race that has shown an affinity for Gulftsream is last year's third-place finisher Gunnevera, the 2017 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner who finished second to Accelerate last time out in the Breeders' Cup Classic.