The PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL (G1) headlines a big day of racing at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida on January 29 and the 1 1/8 mile dirt race is set as a showdown between brilliant speedsters KNICKS GO, the probable 2021 Horse of the Year, and LIFE IS GOOD, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner.
Woodbine stakes winner SIR WINSTON, who won the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes on the final day of racing in Toronto in December, is entered in the World Cup by Woodbine’s leading trainer Mark Casse. Sir Winston, upset winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1) in 2019, is a stretch runner who will be trying to pick up the pieces in the late stages.
Sir Winston was out of action for just shy of a year following his 2019 season but returned to the races a happier and healthier horse for a four-race campaign at Woodbine. The Kentucky homebred won an Aug. 19 allowance impressively, before finishing a close second in both the Durham Cup (G3) and the Autumn (G2). He capped off his very successful season with a victory in the 1 ½-mile Valedictory (G3) Dec. 5.
“He got a little unlucky in a couple spots. For him to win at a mile and a sixteenth, he needs to have a pretty good pace. He needs things to go his way,” Casse said. “He could have easily won a couple more last year.”
Sir Winston, who has produced a solid series of five workouts at Palm Meadows Training Center in preparation for the Pegasus World Cup, has impressed Casse with his enthusiasm during his comeback.
“It’s funny, but I think he enjoys his job now more than before,” Casse said. “He’s very professional. He always has been, but he trains better, acts better. This is going to be a heck of a race. Hopefully, we can get a piece of the pie.”
There are plenty of names familiar to Canadian racing in the World Cup and supporting races on the day and two Canadian-owned gals will square off in the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & mare Turf (G3).
David Anderson’s recent purchase SUMMER IN SARATOGA and Charles Fipke’s LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE, trained by Roger Attfield, are contenders in the Grade 3 race.
Lady Speightspeare, Canada’s Champion 2-year-old filly in 2020, won the first four starts of her career, all at Woodbine, before finishing third as the 6-5 favourite after a troubled trip in the Tropical Park Oaks on Dec. 26. The daughter of Speightstown out of the Theatrical mare Lady Shakespeare will have a new rider with Junior Alvarado. She drew Post No. 3 and is 8-1 on the morning line.
Summer in Saratoga, trained by Joe Sharp, closed out the 2021 season with three wins in four starts. In her most recent race, she won the Blushing KD by a neck at Fair Grounds on Dec. 26. Anderson co-owns Summer in Saratoga with Peter Berglar.
Saturday, Gulfstream #12, post time: 5:34 p.m. EST
PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY 1/ST BET-GI, $3,000,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Knicks Go Paynter Korea Racing Authority Cox Rosario 123
2 Chess Chief Into Mischief Estate of James J. Coleman, Jr. Stewart Gutierrez 123
3 Stilleto Boy Shackleford Steve Moger Moger, Jr. Desormeaux 123
4 Life Is Good Into Mischief CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC Pletcher Ortiz, Jr. 123
5 Empty Tomb Speightstown John Grossi’s Racing Corp. Falcone, Jr. Lopez 123
6 Sir Winston Awesome Again Tracy Farmer Casse Gonzalez 123
7 Title Ready More Than Ready Charles E. Fipke Stewart Gaffalione 123
8 Endorsed Medaglia d’Oro Mark D. Breen Maker Rispoli 123
9 Commandeer Street Boss AJ Suited Racing Stable, LLC Toner Leparoux 123
Breeders: 1-Angie Moore, 2-Morgan’s Ford Farm, 3-John Kerber & Iveta Kerber, 4-Gary and Mary West Stable, Inc., 5-WinStar Farm, LLC, 6-Tracy Farmer,7-Charles Fipke, 8-Godolphin, 9-Godolphin
Saturday, Gulfstream #9, post time: 3:36 p.m. EST
TAA PEGASUS WORLD CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY PEPSI-GIII, $500,000, 4yo/up, f/m,1 1/16mT
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Sweet Melania American Pharoah Low, Lawana L. and Robert E. Pletcher Saez 121
2 Wakanaka (Ire) Power (GB) Team Valor International and Barber, Gary Mott Rispoli 121
3 Lady Speightspeare Speightstown Charles E. Fipke Attfield Alvarado 119
4 Regal Glory Animal Kingdom Peter M. Brant Brown Ortiz 123
5 Gift List (GB) Bated Breath (GB) Amerman Racing LLC Lynch Leparoux 121
6 Alms City Zip Godolphin, LLC Stidham Rosario 119
7 Nicest (Ire) American Pharoah Katsumi Yoshida McCarthy Gaffalione 119
8 Summer in Saratoga Hard Spun Anderson Farms Ontario, Inc. and Berglar, Peter A. ,Sharp Lanerie 121
9 Shifty She Gone Astray Pedigree Partners LLC Joseph, Jr. Gonzalez 121
10 In a Hurry Blame Stuart S. Janney, III McGaughey III Castellano 119
11 Bipartisanship (GB) Bated Breath (GB) Fortune Racing LLC Motion Lopez 119
Breeders: 1-St. Elias Stables, LLC, 2-Mrs Jean Brennan, 3-Charles Fipke, 4-Paul P Pompa, 5-James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd, 6-Godolphin, 7-Coolmore,8-My Meadowview LLC, 9-Chris Pallas & George Klein, 10-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC., 11-Ebonos Limited
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