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| Sumita Pawar |
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First Mission, the newly turned 4YO horse from Godolphin, is getting ready for the US$3 million Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on 27th Jan. He had another impressive five-eighths of a mile workout at the Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, with exercise rider Kelvin Perez aboard. His time of 1:00 was the co-fastest among 50 works at the distance on Saturday.
Brad Cox, First Mission's trainer, said that he is thrilled with the horse's preparation for the Pegasus and believes that he is set up for a big run to start his 4YO season.
First Mission has only had five career starts and will be racing for the first time since he was second by a nose to Trademark in Gr.2 Churchill Downs' Clark on the day after Thanksgiving. He was scratched from the Preakness Stakes last year with a minor ankle issue but returned to win an allowance race at Keeneland off a six-month layoff.
Cox, who won the Pegasus World Cup last year with Knicks Go, is hoping that First Mission can make the jump from three to four years old. He believes that with only a few starts under his belt, First Mission has a lot of room for improvement both physically and mentally. Cox's other horse, Gr.1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Saudi Crown, is also a Pegasus invitee and worked out well on Saturday. Saudi Crown is entered in the Louisiana Stakes as a prep for the Saudi Cup in Riyadh on 24th Feb.
Warm Heart, a multiple Group One winner and second place finisher in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, is all set to leave Ireland on Sunday for Gulfstream Park to participate in the US$1 million Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 27. This could be the final start of her career. Warm Heart is expected to be one of the favorites in the Pegasus Turf, which is contested at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The 4YO horse trained by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg Limited has won five of 10 starts and $1.663 million.
Warm Heart won the Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks at York and Gr.1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp before finishing second by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. She ended her 2023 season on a positive note with a third-place finish in the Gr.1 Longines Hong Kong Vase.
Chris Armstrong, racing secretary to O’Brien, said, “She’s been training well, and she’s in good form. She will leave Sunday afternoon, go through quarantine, and be at Gulfstream Wednesday morning. We’re excited about running in the Pegasus. 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.”
Warm Heart will compete against defending winner Atone, American Turf winner Webslinger, undefeated Gr.2 Hill Prince winner Integration, and Gr.1 United Nations winner Adhamo in the Pegasus World Cup Turf. When asked about the future plans for Warm Heart, O'Brien's team 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.”
The Pegasus World Cup Invitational has quickly gained a reputation as a stallion-making event in its short seven-year history. The connections of National Treasure are hoping for a win in the US$3 million race, following the colt's nose defeat to Cody's Wish in November's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The race has attracted some world-class colts and is very important to partners with a colt like National Treasure. National Treasure starts as the 9-5 morning line choice in a measured field of 12 contenders, including one on the also-eligibles list. National Treasure displayed an electrifying series of works ahead of the Pegasus Cup, rattling off three straight bullet breezes in Southern California for trainer Bob Baffert. There will be several contenders in the Pegasus field hoping the raw speed of National Treasure and gate-to-wire Cigar Mile Handicap winner Hoist the Gold will open the door for a late-running type of horse to steal the victory.
Senor Buscador, the 6YO son of Mineshaft and multiple graded stakes winner, has been preparing for the US$3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on 27th January. The horse, bred by Joe Peacock Jr., clocked 1:01.08 on the main track at Gulfstream Park in his recent workout with Junior Alvarado aboard. The horse has been training at Gulfstream since his runner-up finish in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Trainer Todd Fincher expressed his satisfaction with the workout and said that Alvarado was very happy with the horse's performance. Senor Buscador will be competing against 11 other contenders, including National Treasure, O'Connor, Ny Traffic, and Hoist the Gold, in the Pegasus World Cup.
Gold Square's Full Count Felicia, a multiple-stakes winner, also completed her final work ahead of her scheduled start in the US$500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf on 27th January. The 5YO War Front mare went four furlongs in 48.50 seconds over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility. Trainer Brittany Russell expressed her confidence in Full Count Felicia, saying that she is a good-training filly who has been training well and has earned her way into the race. Full Count Felicia won the Suwannee River in December under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and is set to compete against reigning champion Queen Goddess in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf.
The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Pegasus World Cup Turf, and Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf are among the seven graded-stakes races worth US$5.2 million on January 27 at Gulfstream Park. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn between Sunday’s races in Gulfstream’s Carousel Club for all three Pegasus races. Alexandres' Il Miracolo, the Group 3 winner, is one of the contenders in the Pegasus World Cup. He was named champion 3YO of 2023 by the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and is set to open his 4YO season in the race.