Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

FOR the second time at a big US meeting in recent months, Ryan Moore showed the locals how to ride a US turf track and gained all the plaudits when he guided the Aidan O’Brien-trained Galileo filly Warm Heart to victory in the $1 million Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park. They set a course record in the process.

Aidan O’Brien is the first European trainer to capture the race in its six years. It was good placing to take this big win against males before retiring.

Charlie O’Connor, of Coolmore America, speaking on behalf of owners Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Westerberg said to media afterwards: “She will be retired, retired at the top of her game. Maybe a little date with Justify or something.”

From the off, Jerry The Nipper raced to the lead but Main Event overtook him and set smart fractions to six furlongs in 1m 09.55, and a mile in 1m 32.88secs. Warm Heart, dropping back in distance, was settled in third.

I’m Very Busy and Catnip overtook Main Event on the leader’s outside, but Moore was waiting for the gap on the rails. “I was happy to wait. The leader, he was always laying out, and he was weakening and I knew I had plenty of horse,” he said in interviews afterwards.

Moore found room along the inside near the mile pole to squeeze through and she held the lead all the way to victory. At the line, Warm Heart finished a half-length ahead of 14/1 shot I’m Very Busy and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., to post a winning time of 1m 44.45secs on firm turf, breaking English Channel’s 17-year-old course record for nine furlongs.

Catnip, who started at 45/1 from the outside post position under Frankie Dettori, finished a neck behind to take third.

Warm Heart was coming off a third-place finish in the Hong Kong Vase in December and a second by a neck behind Eclipse Award winner Inspiral in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

She won top-level victories in three different countries also winning last year’s Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp and the Yorkshire Oaks at York.

O’Brien said: “I don’t think you can ask for anything more from a filly. She’s strong, she handles all types of ground, she’s tactical and she’s tough.”

Pegasus World Cup (Grade 1)

THE Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup also went to the favourite with the 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure battling to hold off Senor Buscador to take the eighth running of the $3 million contest.

The four-year-old son of Quality Road had gone down to a nose defeat to Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last time. National Treasure took the early advantage and was soon joined by front-running Hoist The Gold.

Flavien Prat let National Treasure wait in second and they joined Hoist The Gold midway through the turn, took over, and held Senor Buscador’s challenge by a neck.

He clocked 1m 50.51secs for the nine furlongs, earning his second Grade 1 victory and putting his earnings over the $3 million mark.

Bob Baffert’s assistant, Jimmy Barnes, told reporters after the race: “We knew it was going to be a hot pace but he stepped up.

“He had been running against good horses. We knew how good he was.”

Baffert was winning his third Pegasus following Arrogate in 2017 and Mucho Gusto in 2020.

Senor Buscador ran one of his finest career performances in defeat for second, four and a half lengths ahead of 34/1 shot Crupi with Dettori on board.

In the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly And Mare Turf Invitational Stakes, the first prize of $282,000 went to the Argentine-bred favourite Didia for trainer Ignacio Correas IV.

The Orpen mare won by a neck from the Oisin Murphy-ridden Surprisingly, with Frankie Dettori partnering the third, Ruby Nell.

The Irish-bred Dubawi filly, Francesco Clemente, bred and owned by Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, was an impressive winner of the Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes on the Gulfstream Park card.

Irad Ortiz partnered her to a two and a quarter length win over Starting Over, ridden by Oisin Murphy, in the 12-furlong contest.

Ortiz also won the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes over seven furlongs on Olivia Darling, this time in the Amo Racing colours, trained by Jose Delgado.

Santa Anita

Away from the Pegasus World Cup meeting, the Philip D’Amato-trained Newgrange successfully defended his title with his second Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita. It was his second Grade 2 win of the winter and became US racing’s newest millionaire.

A trip to Dubai for the World Cup is next on the cards for the five-year-old son of Violence after beating the Bob Baffert-trained Newgate by three quarters of a length.