Working for the third time since his runner-up effort to Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 3, Margoth's Gunnevera (Dialed In) was clocked five furlongs in 1:01.40 (see below) at Gulfstream Park West Saturday morning as he continues to prepare for a rematch with the Horse of the Year candidate in the $9-million G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulstream Park Jan. 29. Irad Ortiz, Jr. was in the boot.
“He's working really good,” Ortiz Jr. submitted. “He's been doing everything the right way. He's getting better and better. Today, he worked better than the last couple times. He's doing everything comfortable. I put my hands down and he does whatever he wants. We're just keeping him happy.”
A distant third to Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in last year's Pegasus, the overachieving 4-year-old used a facile local allowance success as a springboard to a runner-up effort to 'TDN Rising Star' Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the GI Woodward S. at Saratoga in September. Trained up to the Classic, the chestnut was roughed up at the break and raced well back early on, but came with his reliable late run to finish a length behind Accelerate.
In other Pegasus-related news, Accelerate drilled five-eighths of a mile in 1:01.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning (video), while GI Cigar Mile H. hero Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie) went a half-mile in :48 4/5 (video) at Palm Meadows Saturday morning.
WATCH: Gunnevera works five furlongs for the GI Pegasus World Cup
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