Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is planning to go straight to the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park off a series of workouts with Grade 1 winner White Abarrio.
“He runs well fresh. He's proven he runs well fresh,” Joseph said. “He's 4-for-4 at Gulfstream, so that's a good thing. It's his home track.”
White Abarrio captured the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull (G3) prior to winning the Florida Derby (G1) at the Pegasus distance of 1 1/8 miles.
C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's 3-year-old Race Day colt, who is scheduled to return to the Gulfstream work tab next Saturday, is coming off a third-place finish in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct, where he finished less than a length behind victorious Mind Control.
Joseph has two other candidates for the Pegasus World Cup.
Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking and Fernando Vine Ode's O'Connor breezed at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Saturday morning in preparation for scheduled starts in the $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), 1 1/16-mile Pegasus World Cup prep at Gulfstream Dec. 31.
Skippylongstocking, who finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and won the West Virginia Derby (G3), was timed in 1:00.35, the fourth fastest clocking of 18 at the distance.
“Skippy, he had a good work this morning. He worked well for the Harlan's Holiday,” Joseph said.
O'Connor, a Chilean import who dazzled in his Oct. 16 at Gulfstream while winning a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance by six lengths, was timed in 1:03.20.
“He had a quick breeze last week. He's plenty fit so we're just keeping him ready for the race,” Joseph said.
Simplification Tunes Up For Pegasus World Cup Prep
Tami Bobo and Tristan De Meric's Simplification took another positive step toward Pegasus World Cup Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park with a five-furlong workout.
The Antonio Sano trainee was timed in 1:00.23 for his fourth solid five-furlong breeze since finishing a troubled seventh in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.
“He went very well. He galloped out [six furlongs}in 1:13,” said Sano, whose hard-trying 3-year-old was ridden Saturday morning by jockey Junior Alvarado.
Simplification is being pointed to the Harlan's Holiday, which Sano hopes will be a steppingstone to the Pegasus World Cup.
Simplification captured the Fountain of Youth (G2) and finished third in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream prior to a late-closing fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The son of Not This Time finished third in the West Virginia Derby (G3) and fourth in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) prior to the Dirt Mile.
Sano celebrated his 900th victory in the U.S. in the Gulfstream Park winner's circle Saturday following Major Pryce's impressive win in Race 2.
“This is important for me and my family. I work hard every day for my owners and my family. I have nothing but gratitude for the people of the United States for opening their arms for me,” said Sano, who saddled 3,300 winners in Venezuela before venturing to South Florida.
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