What better way to ring in the New Year than a three-day weekend with eight stakes, highlighted by preps for Gulfstream Park's three most prestigious events – the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).
The $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), a key prep for the Jan. 27 Pegasus, and the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a steppingstone to the Pegasus Turf, will headline a program with four stakes on Saturday, Dec. 30, while the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man will be the first stop on the Road to the (March 30) Florida Derby on New Year's Day, Monday, Jan. 1.
The Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up, received 17 nominations, including four Pegasus hopefuls trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. The defending two-time Championship Meet training titlist has nominated Michael Iavarone and partners' O'Connor, who captured the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland in his most recent start, John Fanelli and partners' Ny Traffic, a Grade 1 stakes-placed multiple stakes winner, Gentry Farms' West Coast Cowboy, a multiple graded stakes-placed son of West Coast, and Ken Copenhaver's County Final, who finished third in the $100,000 Sabal Palm last time out.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has nominated three for the Harlan's Holiday, including Harrell Ventures LLC and CHC Inc's Gasoline, PRO Thoroughbred Enterprises LLC's Grand Aspen and Repole Stable and partners' Dynamic One.
Trainer Kenny McPeek nominated Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy, a multiple Grade 2 winner, while trainer Danny Gargan and West Paces Racing LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC are represented by Grade 2 winner Dubyuhnell.
The Fort Lauderdale, a 1 ½-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up, drew 19 nominations, including Three Diamonds Farm's Atone, who captured the Pegasus World Cup Turf last year. Trainer Michael Maker, who saddled Atone for his career achievement, is also represented on the nominations list by Three Diamonds Farm's Beuys and Dynadrive, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Henley's Joy, Jordan Wycoff's Red Run and Michael Hui's Street Ready.
Trainer Chad Brown has nominated a quartet of horses for the Ft. Lauderdale, Jeff Drown and Don Rachel's Exact Estimate, Team Hanley and partners' I'm Very Busy, Calumet Farm's Running Bee, and Peter Brant and partners' Stone Age.
Pletcher, who saddled Colonel Liam for back-to-back Pegasus Turf wins in 2021 and 2022, has nominated three for the Ft. Lauderdale, Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Grand Sonata and Repole Stable's Jerry the Nipper, as well as Grand Aspen.
The Harlan's Holiday and the Fort Lauderdale will be joined on the Saturday, Dec. 30 card by the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) and $125,000 Rampart.
The Suwannee River, a mile turf race for fillies and mares on turf, is a prep for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G2). The 74th running of the tradition-rich stakes drew 20 nominations, including Gentry Farm's Accomplished Girl, who won the Presque Isle Masters (G2) last time out, and six Brown trainees.
The Rampart, a mile stakes for fillies and mares on the main track, drew 11 nominations, including Rodney Lundock's defending champion Maryquitecontrary, who went on to win the Inside Information (G2).
The Mucho Macho Man, a mile stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds, will be accompanied on the New Year's Day program by the $150,000 Cash Run, a mile race for 3-year-old fillies.
The Mucho Macho Man received 12 nominations, including Leon King Stable Corp.'s Bentornato, a three-time stakes winner who sustained his first loss while finishing third in the $300,000 FSS In Reality for trainer Jose D'Angelo. Brad Grady and David Grund's Seminole Chief, who was saddled for a victory in the In Reality by Jack Sisterson, is also among the nominees. Undefeated Boy Magic, a Jorge Delgado-trained son of Good Magic owned by AMO Racing USA, and a Brendan Walsh-trained duo of Qatar Racing LLC and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War and Trade Winds Farm's Raguel are also prominent nominees.
The Cash Run drew nine nominations, including Ernest C. Frohboese's Chi Chi, a multiple-stakes winner trained by Herman Wilensky; Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Leslie's Rose, a recent impressive debut winner trained by Pletcher, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen's Martini, who graduated with style in her Saratoga debut for trainer Christophe Clement. AMO Racing USA's Omaha Girl, who finished off the board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) after winning the Hallandale Beach, has also been nominated for the Cash Run by Delgado.
The New Year's Eve Dec. 31 program will co-feature the $100,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and the $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong dash on turf for fillies and mares, each attracting 15 nominations.
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