Pegasus Report: Shaman Ghost Sharpens on Pegasus Eve

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The week leading up to Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park has followed a similar pattern every morning with the key contenders coming to the track on a predictable schedule, and Friday was no exception. 6-5 morning line favorite California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) was out in the early morning, 7-5 second choice Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) exercised toward the end of training hours at 9 a.m., and the other 10 entrants hit the track during the intervening hours.

Stronach Stables' Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper) had one of the more interesting pieces of work Friday, concluding his gallop with a three-furlong blowout down the backside. The 5-year-old has looked well all week and seemed to be full of energy as he was greeted by an outrider on the far turn. Shaman Ghost, who is stabled in the former barn of trainer Jimmy Jerkens' father and Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, figures to settle off the pace and make one run Saturday.

California Chrome had an uneventful final morning of training, galloping a circuit of the track under the cover of darkness with an assortment of admirers and media lining the rail once again. The chestnut has been kept under a firm hold all week and appears to be coming into the race in fine condition.

Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate was out on the track after the second renovation break once again and jogged the opposite way down the backstretch before turning around to gallop one easy circuit of the track. Trainer Bob Baffert was joined by his wife, Jill, and son, Bode–who blended in well with the local crowd, sporting a Miami Dolphins jersey. Having completed a noticeably lighter workload than in previous mornings, Arrogate made the short walk back to Barn 15 through a large group of spectators waiting at the gap. Among those on hand to observe Arrogate was Brian Beach, jockey agent for California Chrome's regular rider Victor Espinoza. While 'Chrome' drawing post 12 was understandably a concern for Beach, the agent said he is hopeful that the nine-furlong trip of the Pegasus plays to their favor.

Ruis Racing's War Envoy (War Front) schooled in the gate, while Reddam Racing's Semper Fortis (Distorted Humor) and John Oxley's Noble Bird (Birdstone) had up-tempo gallops. Perennial leading Gulfstream conditioner Todd Pletcher's pair of Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday) and Keen Ice (Curlin) also capped off solid weeks of training with controlled gallops.

Pletcher Pair Eyes Seaside Riches in Poseidon

While the GI Pegasus World Cup is undoubtedly the centerpiece of Saturday's card at Gulfstream Park, the undercard offers an intriguing mix of stakes action and competitive maiden races. The $400,000 Poseidon H., carded as the fifth race of the day, features a pair of Todd Pletcher trainees also entered as alternates in the Pegasus. Stonestreet Stables and Coolmore Partners' Stanford (Malibu Moon) looms as a heavy favorite and figures to assume his typical forwardly placed running style in the mile-and-an-eighth event. The bay recently captured the 1 1/16-mile GIII Harlan's Holiday S. in wire-to-wire fashion Dec. 17, and will be joined in the starting gate once again by Madefromlucky (Lookin At Lucky), who is arguably positioned to take a major step forward off a fourth-place finish in that race. Madefromlucky–a two-time graded stakes winner over nine furlongs–found himself stymied without clear running room behind a decidedly slow pace in the Harlan's Holiday. Both Pletcher entrants made a favorable impression since arriving to Gulfstream this week.

Loooch Racing Stables and Imaginary Stables acquired 7-year-old GSW Imperative (Bernardini) following a sixth-place finish in the Nov. 27 GIII Native Diver S. at Del Mar, and the gelding has been in training with Bob Hess, Jr. at Gulfstream in recent weeks. Imperative is one of a handful of runners who figure to need a contested pace to fire their best shots, along with 2016 GI Preakness S. runner-up Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado) and recent restricted Sunshine Millions Classic S. winner Hy Riverside (Macho Uno).

Curlin's Approval the One to Catch in Hurricane Bertie

Happy Alter's Curlin's Approval (Curlin) has shown considerable talent in her six-start career, but endured a pair of tough beats in her most recent two starts in graded stakes company. A gritty fourth after dueling with highly regarded Lucy N Ethel (During) in Keeneland's GII Raven Run S. Oct. 22, she recently put away third place-finishing Genre (Bernardini) on the front end before being tagged late by Eskenformoney (Eskendereya) in the one-mile GIII Rampart S. here Dec. 17. Both Curlin's Approval and Genre–who has never raced at a distance shorter than a mile–cut back to seven furlongs in Saturday's GIII Hurricane Bertie S. If the aforementioned duo falters, You Bought Her (Graeme Hall) brings sharp recent form into the race as a seven-furlong specialist.

The Long and the Short of It

Pegasus Day also features four stakes races scheduled on the turf course–two at five furlongs, and two at 12 furlongs.

If Arrogate proves successful in the day's main event, Juddmonte Farms can add some icing to the cake with 3-1 morning line favorite Suffused (GB) (Champs Elysses {GB}) in the mile-and-a-half GIII La Prevoyante H. Drawn widest in a field of 12 in her first start since finishing second in the Oct. 16 GI E.P. Taylor S. at Woodbine, the Bill Mott trainee must outfinish a number of talented rivals, including Arles (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), who finished within a length of Suffused in Saratoga's GIII Glens Falls S. in September. Try Your Luck (Lookin At Lucky) could be poised to take another step forward stretching out in distance in her second start off a three-plus month layoff for trainer Mike Maker.

The GIII W.L. McKnight H. features a pair of previous winners in last year's victor Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and 8-year-old Twilight Eclipse (Purim), who won when the race when it was held at Calder in 2012 and 2013. Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer) is a two-time winner over the McKnight's 12-furlong trip, while Mr Maybe (Ghostzapper) returns from an autumn layoff for the ever-dangerous Chad Brown barn.

The Ladies' Turf Sprint S. goes as the seventh race on the Saturday card, and includes a rematch between Triple Chelsea (Hat Trick {Jpn}) and speedy Nite Delite (War Chant), a close first and second, respectively, in Tampa Bay's Lightning City S. Dec. 17. The race appears to contain an ample amount of runners with early speed–a scenario which could play into the hands of Triple Chelsea, who closed from ninth to capture the Lightning City.

The Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S. for males is one of the more intriguing races on the Pegasus undercard, mainly due to the presence of division stalwarts Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) and Power Alert (Alert {Arg}). Power Alert captured Tampa's Turf Dash S. on New Year's Eve and owns a flawless four-for-four record over the Gulfstream turf course. Manhattan Dan (Big Brown) is also unbeaten in two starts over the local lawn and makes his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher here.