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| Staff Writer |
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Warm Heart, a multiple Group One winner, will be departing Ireland on Sunday for Gulfstream Park. This could potentially be the last race of her career as she competes in the US$1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 27th. Warm Heart has already accomplished a second-place finish in the prestigious Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The Pegasus Turf is gearing up to be an exciting event, with Warm Heart considered to be one of the top contenders. This talented mare is trained by Aidan O’Brien and co-owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg Limited. In her career thus far, she has triumphed in five out of ten starts, amassing US$1.663 million in winnings.
Warm Heart's string of successes includes impressive victories in the Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks at York and the Gr.1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. Her achievements were further highlighted by her narrow second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. She wrapped up her 2023 season with a respectable third-place finish in the Gr.1 Longines Hong Kong Vase.
“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 of 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.”
The Pegasus Turf event will witness some impressive contenders, with Atone, the defending champion, Webslinger, the Gr.2 American Turf winner, Integration, the undefeated Gr.2 Hill Prince winner, and Adhamo, the Gr.1 United Nations winner all set to compete alongside Warm Heart.