Handicapping Several New Champions on Pegasus Card

Unless you've been on Mars for the last little while or hiding under a rock as the holiday bills come due, you're aware the epicenter of the Thoroughbred racing universe Saturday, Jan. 26 is Gulfstream Park, where nine of 12 races on the card are stakes, including all six graded races to be run in North America.

The stakes smorgasbord culminates with the inaugural running of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) and the third edition of the ever-evolving $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).

The stakes action begins with the $150,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint featuring a rematch of the one-two finishers in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1), the newly crowned grass champion Stormy Liberal and the freakishly fast World of Trouble. Also on the undercard, champion filly sprinter Shamrock Rose makes her seasonal bow in the Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie (G3), while Aztec Sense, who went 8 for 8 last year, takes on Todd Pletcher's duo of Coal Front and Copper Town in the Fred W. Hooper (G3).

To further set the stage: late-afternoon rain Thursday washed two late races off the turf to a muddy main track, and an unsettled forecast through the weekend called for occasional showers Saturday and heavy rain Sunday. That ominous prediction prompted Gulfstream officials to rescind a previously announced mandatory Rainbow 6 payout Sunday. A $750,000 guarantee for a lone winning ticket on Saturday's Rainbow 6 remains in place, and there are pool guarantees on Saturday's late pick five ($750,000, races 8-12) and late pick four ($1 million, races 9-12).

The rundown in race order:

Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S. (GP, race 3, 12:30 ET): World of Trouble (4) led to the final stages before Stormy Liberal (3) ran him down at Churchill Downs for his second straight BC Turf Sprint score. The Jason Servis-trained World of Trouble followed with another huge performance to win a restricted stake by nearly 14 lengths in the slop at Tampa Bay Downs, but the Florida-bred colt may face a battle for the early lead with Pay Any Price (6), whose 15 wins include the local five-furlong course record of 53.61 seconds in 2017. Further complicating matters up front is Recruiting Ready (8), the speedy last-out winner of the Gravesend at Aqueduct Racetrack, who becomes the one to catch and beat in the event of a surface change.

Ladies Turf Sprint (GP, race 5, 1:31 ET): A contentious field of 10 filly-and-mare turf sprinters includes the Peter Miller-trained pair of Surrender Now (1) and Painting Corners (3), and the Jason Servis-trained duo of Just Talkin (6) and Blue Bahia (10). Their main threats are lukewarm favorite Morticia (5) and second-choice Smiling Causeway (8), who ran second and third in Abundantia Stakes over the same five-furlong layout four weeks ago.

South Beach (GP, race 6, 2:02 ET): A field of 14 fillies and mares (plus two also-eligibles) must negotiate this event scheduled for 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. The favorites are stuck outside, as Road to Victory (12) makes her first appearance since running second in the Mother Goose (G1), and Capla Temptress (13) tries to follow up on her score in the My Charmer (G3T) six weeks ago.

Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie (GP, race 7, 2:33 ET): None of the eight fillies and mares in this seven-furlong tilt have busted any stopwatches, notably Shamrock Rose (4), who cemented her Eclipse Award with four consecutive wins during the second half of 2018 capped by the Lexus Raven Run (G2) and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Back for another crack at the newly crowned champion is Raven Run runner-up Blamed (5), who subsequently wired the Comely (G3) and now tries older stakes mares for the first time. Dream Pauline (3) and Stormy Embrace (8) are obvious threats after running one-two in the Sugar Swirl (G3).

So here we go with A-B-C ranks for the late pick five/pick four sequence:

La Prevoyante (GP, race 8, 3:05 ET): Holy Helena (1) had nowhere to go turning for home and came up a neck short as the 7-5 favorite in the Via Borghese four weeks ago, and the Stronach Stables homebred will be reunited with Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard when she won The Very One (G3T) over the course last winter. Her main threat is Santa Monica (9), who never fired in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) on good-to-yielding ground many horses disliked. She traded decisions with Holy Helena in last year's Sheepshead Bay (G2T) and Dance Smartly (G2T).

The backups are English Affair (3), Tricky Escape (5) and Si Que Es Buena (7).

A - 1, 9

B - 3, 5, 7

Fred W. Hooper (GP, race 9, 3:38 ET): Todd Pletcher has Aztec Sense (6) surrounded with Mr. Prospector (G3) winner Coal Front (1) and Copper Town (8), who won impressively off a 371-day layoff before finishing off the board as the second choice in the Cigar Mile Handicap Presented By NYRA Bets (G1). The main dangers look like Storm Advisory (2), Breaking Lucky (4) and Unbridled Juan (9).

A - 1, 6, 8

B - 2, 4, 9

W.L. McKnight (GP, race 10, 4:14 ET): A full gate of 14 going three turns on turf is a recipe for chaos, which is why Zulu Alpha (4) and Soglio (2) are the most tepid of favorites at 4-1 and 9-2, with Canessar (7) very close behind at 5-1.

Nessy (10), a fast-closing second in last year's edition, and Village King (12), who won the Jockey Club (G1) on heavy going in his native Argentina, are in the mix, too.

A - 2, 4, 7

B - 10, 12

Pegasus World Cup Turf (GP, race 11, 4:51 ET): By most measures, precious little separates the top four contenders: Yoshida (2), Bricks and Mortar (7), Delta Prince (8) and Catapult (9).

This is Round 4 between Yoshida and Bricks and Mortar, and the margins between them in their three prior meetings back in 2017 were less than a length. Yoshida has since gone on to become a grade 1 winner on turf and dirt for Bill Mott, and the Hall of Fame trainer has been on a major run lately with his freshened runners readied at Payson Park. Bricks and Mortar had an ideal prep first time back from an extended absence for Chad Brown, who garnered his third straight Eclipse as champion trainer Thursday evening.

Delta Prince is the potential bust-out at 15-1 on the morning line after being compromised by a dawdling pace as the favorite in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T), and then appearing out of his element on dirt in the Bold Ruler Handicap (G3). The Stronach Stable homebred has trained up to this with a solid slate of works climaxed by six furlongs in 1:10 breezing over the turf at Palm Meadows last week. Never underestimate the intent of the "house horse" on marquee race days, and recall Jimmy Jerkens sent out longshot Shaman Ghost  to run second in the inaugural Pegasus for the same connections.

Magic Wand (1) was used early for position in the Maker's Mark Breeeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) and faded to fourth. She is better on firmer going, so evaluate her chances according to how much additional rain, if any, falls between now and post time.

Channel Maker (3) faltered early in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and was off the board, but bear in mind multiple graded stakes winner Glorious Empire also detested the going and finished last, but then rebounded to wire the Fort Lauderdale (G2T) here.

A - 2, 7, 8

B - 3, 9

C - 1

Pegasus World Cup (GP, race 12, 5:36 ET): It's plainly apparent 2018's champion older horse Accelerate  (5) and City of Light  (3) are a cut above their 10 challengers in the third running of this event. The Southern California invaders split their first two meetings in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) during the first half of last year, and closed out their respective 2018 campaigns by taking the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). Both hard-knockers have trained smartly for their final starts before going off to stud at Lane's End, and unless they both misfire it's hard to envision anyone improving sufficiently to pull off an upset.

There is no B team, but if we've stayed on the A train leading to the main event we'll come live to a backup C ticket using Bravazo (1), Tom's d'Etat (6), Gunnevera (8) and Patternrecognition (12).

A - 3, 5

B - none

C - 1, 6, 8, 12