Woodbine rivals CAITLINHERGRTNESS and READY FOR SHIRL are part of a 12-horse field entered for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2), the most competitive of three Pegasus races on January 24 at Gulfstream Park. Both mares are contenders for Sovereign Awards following their 2025 campaigns.
The headline race on the card is the $3 million PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL (G1) at 1 1/8 miles and Juddmonte’s unbeaten DISCO TIME is the heavy 8-to-5 morning line favourite . The four-year-old son of Not This Time, who drew Post #1 for the 10th anniversary running of the stakes for four-year-olds and up, will seek to run his career record to 6-for-6 while facing 11 rivals in the ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the Classic, including C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable LLC’s White Abarrio.
Trainer Brad Cox, who saddled Knicks Go for a 2 ¼-length victory in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup, named Flavien Prat to ride Disco Time, who came off an eight-month layoff following his triumph in the Le Comte (G3) at Fair Grounds last March to romp to victory in the Sept.19 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park and the Nov. 8 Dwyer at Aqueduct.
Cox will also be represented in the Pegasus World Cup by WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc., Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing’s Tappan Street, who drew Post #7. The son of Into Mischief, who is rated at 8-1 on the morning line, captured the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) last March at Gulfstream and recently returned from a long layoff to win an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Dec. 19. Luis Saez has the mount.
White Abarrio, who scored a 6 ¼-length victory in last year’s Pegasus World Cup, is rated second on the morning-line at 4-1 for his first start since finishing off the board in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 31. The 7-year-old son of Race Day is slated to break from an outside Post #11 with Irad Ortiz Jr. up.
Gulfstream’s perennial leading trainer will also be represented by Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking, who finished third behind White Abarrio in last year’s Pegasus World Cup. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator, who captured the Dec. 20 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), drew Post #5 before being rated at 15-1 on the morning line. Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount.
Godolphin LLC’s Poster, who fell a neck short of holding off Skippylongstocking in the Harlan’s Holiday, was rated at 20-1 on the morning line after drawing Post #8. Trainer Eoin Harty has awarded the mount to Junior Alvarado.
St. Elias Stable’s Captain Cook will break from Post 9 for a bid to give Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a second Pegasus World Cup success, joining Life Is Good (2022). The four-year-old son of Practical Joke, who finished second in the Perryville (G3) at Keeneland and H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga in his last two starts, is rated at 15-1 on the morning line. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Captain Cook for the first time Saturday.
SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and partners’ Madaket Road drew Post #6 for his bid to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a fourth Pegasus World Cup victory, joining Arrogate (2017), Mucho Gusto (2020) and National Treasure (2024). Hall of Famer Mike Smith has the mount aboard the four-year-old son of Quality Road, who is rated at 10-1 on the morning line.
Hronis Racing LLC’s Full Serrano, the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner, will break from Post #3 for the Pegasus World Cup. The John Sadler-trained seven-year-old Argentina-bred, who is rated at 12-1 on the morning line, will make his return from a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Dirt Mile with Joel Rosario aboard.
Banishing, Mika, British Isles, Brotha Kenny and also-eligible Lightning Tones complete the field.
Canadian champion Caitlinhergrtness comes off wins in the Bessarabian Stakes (G3) and Turfway’s My Charmer Stakes on Dec. 21. Owned by WinStar Farm LLC and bred by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness is 1-for-5 on the grass in her career. John Velazquez is her new rider.
Ready for Shirl, trained by two-time Hall of Famer Roger Atttfield, is a Charles Fipke homebred, and she won the Canadian Stakes (G2) at Woodbine in July 2025. Florent Geroux will ride.
There are seven graded stakes winners in the 1 1/16 mile Filly & Mare Turf, which is race 10. The Pegasus World Cup Turf is race 12 and the World Cup is race 13.
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