Shirl's Speight Aiming for Pegasus World Cup Turf

SHIRL’S SPEIGHT, the well-traveled Canadian-owned and trained Grade 1 winner, is on the short list of invited horses for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf on January 27. The 1 1/8 mile turf race at Gulfstream Park is one of three Pegasus races on the card, highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup.

Entries will be taken for the three Pegasus races on Sunday, between races at Gulfstream.

Shirl’s Speight has had three recent workouts at Payson Park with trainer Roger Attfield, with his latest move being a six furlong breeze on Jan. 12 in 1:15. Charles Fipke’s seven-year-old horse by Speightstown was second in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last September and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. Earlier in 2023 he was fourth in the Dubai Turf (G1). Shirl’s Speight had one of his best career races in November 2022 when second by three-quarters of a length in the Breeders’ Cup Mile to Modern Games. He seeks his first win since the spring of 2022.

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Multiple Group 1 winner WARM HEART, second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), is scheduled to leave Ireland Sunday for Gulfstream Park for what could be the final start of her career in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg Limited, Warm Heart has won five of 10 starts and $1.663 million. The four-year-old daughter of Galileo won the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) at York and Prix Vermeille (G1) at Longchamp before finishing second by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. She ended her 2023 season with a third-place finish in the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1).

“She’s been training well and she’s in good form,” said Chris Armstrong, racing secretary to O’Brien. “She will leave Sunday afternoon, go through quarantine, and be at Gulfstream Wednesday morning.

“We’re excited about running in the Pegasus,” he added. “We had Magic Wand a couple years ago there. It’s a race we’ve always watched. It comes at a time that’s our off season, so it’s about finding the right horse at the right time.”

When asked about future plans for Warm Heart, he said; “We’re looking forward to the race. We’ll see what happens. There’s a chance this will be her last race before she’s retired.”

PEGASUS WORLD CUP UPDATE:

Joe Peacock Jr.’s SENOR BUSCADOR breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Thursday in preparation for a start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27.

The multiple graded stakes-winning six-year-old son of Mineshaft, who is coming off a late-closing runner-up finish in the Dec. 2 Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct, was clocked in 1:01.08 on the main track at Gulfstream Park. Junior Alvarado was aboard for the homebred veteran stakes campaigner’s fourth workout since arriving at Gulfstream shortly after his strong effort in the Cigar Mile.

“Junior was very happy with him. He said he galloped out strong. He said, ‘We went way past the wire and let him gallop out,’” trainer Todd Fincher said from his training base at Sunland Park in New Mexico. “He said he wanted to keep going. He was very happy with him.”

Senor Buscador, who was beaten by 5 ¼ lengths while finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) before returning in the Cigar Mile, captured the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar in July.

The Fincher trainee is on the final invitation list for the Pegasus World Cup which includes National Treasure, First Mission, Skippylongstocking, O’Connor, Ny Traffic, Dynamic One, Grand Aspen, Hoist the Gold, Il Miracolo, Saudi Crown, and Trademark.

The 1 1/16 mile TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) and four other graded stakes races make up the Jan. 27 card at Gulfstream.