Pegasus World Cup Invitational

Coming off a highly successful Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream, which handled $47.3 million, $3.4 million more than last year, the 1/ST Racing team will now set its sights on creating a similar afternoon of racing at Santa Anita. 1/ST Racing CEO Belinda Stronach announced on NBC's broadcast of the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. that a day similar to the Pegasus is being created for Santa Anita and will be held Sept. 28. The event will be called the California Crown and the premier race on the...

I wasn't a National Treasure (Quality Road) fan. He got one of the easiest trips you'll ever see in a Triple Crown race when he was allowed to walk on the lead in the GI Preakness S., winning by a head over soft group of challengers. Which is why it came as no surprise that he couldn't so much as finish in the money in any of his next three starts, the GI Belmont S., the GI Travers S. and the GI Awesome Again S. He looked like a horse...

Godolphin's First Mission (Street Sense) continued preparations for the Jan. 27 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with a bullet five-furlong work in 1:00.00 (1/51) at Fair Grounds Saturday. "He's a great work horse," trainer Brad Cox said Sunday. "He's continued to do the same here at the Fair Grounds in preparing for the Pegasus. He looked fantastic this morning. We actually took him to the track today [jogging a mile Sunday] because we're due some cold weather in the next few days and we may miss a day of training....

Grammy award-winning producer, DJ and songwriter Calvin Harris will headline festivities at the 2024 Pegasus World Cup Presented by Baccarat. To be held Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, the event, held around the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational, will create a unique Miami experience curated by Palm Tree Crew and Groot Hospitality. "The Pegasus World Cup continues to redefine the experience of Thoroughbred horse racing by collaborating with partners who exemplify innovation and excellence," said Belinda Stronach, Chairwoman, Chief Executive Officer and President, 1/ST. "Baccarat, Palm Tree Crew...

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) exited his win in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in fine shape, according to trainer Bill Mott. "He's happy. He was bright and alert and seemed to be feeling pretty good about himself," Mott reported from Payson Park Sunday morning. Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S., had been a solid stakes performer before his emphatic 4 1/2-length victory in the Pegasus Saturday. "It's strange. I knew he was doing well going into the race. I felt like he was training well,...

According to an Associated Press report, 1/ST Racing, which owns Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, intends to bring the Pegasus format to the California in 2024. "I'd really love to see that we bring it to the West Coast," 1/ST President and CEO Belinda Stronach told the AP. "That will probably happen in 2024. What we did this year for 2023 was said, 'OK, we have a number of great race days, let's coordinate those better and call it the 1/ST Racing Tour and recognize great achievements within our own...

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) tuned up for the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with a five-furlong drill in 1:01.60 (1/5) at Payson Park Sunday. "He went very well this morning," said trainer Bill Mott. "I was happy with him. He galloped out well and cooled out. It's looking like he's coming into the race well." Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S. and two-time winner of the GII Charles Town Classic, has been off since finishing fifth in the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic. He...

Gulfstream Park's upcoming Championship Meet will offer 60 stakes--35 graded--worth $13.6 million. The stakes line up is headlined by the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, which will be run Jan. 28, and the $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby, to be run Apr. 1. Gulfstream's Jan. 28 card will also include the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and the $500,000 GIII Pegasus World Cup F/M Turf Invitational, as well as four other graded events. The Florida Derby is the culmination of Gulfstream's series of Triple Crown preps. The series...

Unbeaten Flightline (Tapit) tuned up for his expected 4-year-old debut in the Mar. 5 GII San Carlos S. with a four-furlong work in :47.80 (6/86) at Santa Anita Sunday. "I had him in :48 and one on my watch, but more important is the way he went," said trainer John Sadler. "He looked very comfortable and it was just a start on the road back. He'll return in the San Carlos, but the big goal is the [June 11 GI] Met Mile." Flightline, unchallenged in three lifetime starts, was tabbed...

It's not too early to lump Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in with some of the best horses of the modern era. That's how good he was Saturday at Gulfstream when he dominated over a field that included the soon-to-be-named 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. in what was nothing less than a sensational performance. But is he even the best horse in training? It's a rare and special time for horse racing, which has been blessed with not just...

1/ST, owners of the Pegasus World Cup, will partner with Irish technology company Equine MediRecord to digitize veterinary records for this year's event, to be held this Saturday, Jan. 29, at Gulfstream Park. The Equine MediRecord platform that will be used allows for the full veterinary history of the horse to be collected digitally and recorded securely. Use of this platform will be mandatory and will provide all entrants, trainers and veterinarians with a user-friendly system to comply with the strict medication protocols for this year's event. Once the records...

A half-dozen horses have been added to the second list of invitees for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. to be held Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park. Those joining the original list, headed by likely Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) are recent Tenacious S. winner Chess Chief (Into Mischief); Fearless (Ghostzapper), last-out winner of the GIII Harlan's Holiday S.; Law Professor (Constitution), who took the off-turf GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile...