By Ben Massam
The inaugural running of the $7-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational adds to the luster of a stakes-laden card at Gulfstream Park Saturday, having attracted a contentious field of 10, headlined by dual Grade I-winner and 5-2 morning line favorite Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). The Bill Mott-trained 'TDN Rising Star' will meet a diverse group in the starting gate, including fellow Japanese-bred Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune)–who makes her first appearance outside of her homeland off a November layoff–and Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who returns to the States and cuts back in distance off an honest fourth-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 3.
Yoshida proved his versatility in 2018, capturing nine-furlong Grade I events on both turf (May 5 GI Old Forester Turf Classic S.) and dirt (Sept. 1 GI Woodward S.) before ultimately closing out his campaign with a rallying fourth-place finish behind GI Pegasus World Cup favorite Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) in the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The newly turned 5-year-old has trained steadily at Payson Park in recent weeks and could use the Pegasus as a stepping stone towards a return to dirt in the Mar. 30 G1 Dubai World Cup, according to Mott, who also saddles GISW Channel Maker (English Channel) in the Turf Cup.
With showers in the forecast for Hallandale Beach Saturday, a perfectly firm turf course seems like far from a given, but the local ground could provide a boost for rail-drawn Magic Wand, who notched a pair of close runner-up finishes over firm going at Longchamp in the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille and the G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines last year. Aerolithe, too, has put forth her best efforts over firm turf in Japan, including a close second-place finish behind Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen last June.
As is the case in nearly every major North American turf race, three-time reigning Eclipse Award champion trainer Chad Brown appears to have a live runner in the form of GSW Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway). The Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence colorbearer was hard to separate from Yoshida when the pair met three times in New York as sophomores, finishing within a length of each other in each event. Bricks and Mortar was subsequently sent to the sidelines for over 14 months, but returned to action with a confident allowance score going a mile over the local turf course Dec. 22.
“He's a horse that always showed a lot of promise as a 3-year-old and unfortunately had some injuries and needed a long time away from racing,” Brown told the Gulfstream notes team. “We were able to get him back in time to have a real productive allowance race, and he seems ready to move forward.”
Bricks and Mortar will meet his former stablemate Catapult (Kitten's Joy), who notched a pair of Grade II wins in Southern California for new trainer John Sadler before finishing a narrowly beaten second behind Expert Eye (Acclamation {GB}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 3.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
