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Gulfstream Park Releases Second List Of Invitees For Pegasus World Cup, Turf

Defending champion Knicks Go continues to headline the list of invitees for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, the odds-on favorite to be named 2021 Horse of the Year next month, is most prominent among the 12 names on the second invitational list for the 1 1/8-mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, which will headline a blockbuster card that will also feature the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G3).

Knicks Go, who registered a dominating 2 ½-length front-running victory in last year's Pegasus World Cup and concluded his 2021 season with a dazzling victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, also headlined the initial invitation list on Jan. 9. Others on both the first and second invitation lists include Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good, Ginobili, Happy Saver, Sir Winston and Super Stock. Chess Chief, Fearless, Law Professor, Olympiad, Stiletto Boy and Title Ready were added to the second list of 12 invitees.

The reserves on the second list of invitations are American Theorem, Commandeer, Endorsed, Forewarned and Happy American.

Michael Iavarone's Flavius, a Juddmonte homebred who was purchased at the Keeneland November sale, has been added to the list of invitees for the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up. The multiple-stakes winner formerly trained by Chad Brown replaces Two Emmys on the second invitation list, which is once again headed by defending champion Colonel Liam, who captured last season's Pegasus Turf by a head over stablemate Largent. Other horses on both the first and second invitation lists include Channel Cat, Cross Border, Doswell, Field Pass, Hit The Road, March to the Arch, Never Surprised, Point Me By, Sacred Life and Space Traveller.

The reserve invitees on the second list for the Pegasus Turf are Atone, Bob and Jackie, English Bee, and Law Professor.

Bipartisanship, who rallied from off the pace to capture the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream last time out for trainer Graham Motion, and Stunning Princess, who finished a close second the Tropical Park Oaks for trainer Danny Gargan, are new additions to the second invitation list for the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Others on both the first and second invitation lists for 1 1/16-mile turf race for older fillies and mares include Alms, Bodhicitta, Gift List, In a Hurry, Lady Speightspeare, Nicest, Regal Glory, Shifty She, Summer in Saratoga and Sweet Melania.

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaSNHW.cfm?trk=GP

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Hit The Road, Bodhicitta Prep At Santa Anita For Pegasus World Cup Day Races

Trainer Dan Blacker's Grade 1 stakes winning Hit the Road and the Richard Baltas-conditioned Bodhicitta, a Grade 2 winner, both worked over the Santa Anita turf late Sunday morning in preparation for major stakes engagements at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Pegasus World Cup Invitational Day, Jan. 29.

Hit the Road, a 5-year-old horse by More Than Ready, and Bodhicitta, a 6-year-old English-bred mare, came on Santa Anita's main track via the quarter mile chute at 11:42 and back-tracked around to the finish line, where they then came onto the turf and proceeded to the clubhouse turn.

Hit the Road, with Umberto Rispoli up, was a winner of the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) at Santa Anita on March 6, 2021, and was most recently a close third in the G2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 2. A winner of six races from 12 starts and $563,751, Hit the Road is prepping for the G1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at 1 1/8 miles.

With Bodhicitta taking the lead, Hit the Road came onto the turf course about an eighth of a mile behind her and cantered with his pony near the outside fence to the 5 ½-furlong pole, where he shifted down to the rail and in an aggressive move, was in full stride at the five-furlong marker. Clocked by Santa Anita track timer Dane Nelson going three furlongs in 36.14, he finished up five eighths of a mile in 58.42.

Owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road has two graded stakes wins and five overall added money victories on grass included among a lifetime mark of 12-6-0-2.

Bodhicitta, who was ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. and prepping for the G3, $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational at 1 1/16 miles, remained well in front of Hit the Road and hit the half-mile pole running in an equally aggressive move. Clocked the first quarter mile in 24.17, she finished up her half mile drill in 47.11.

A winner of the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar Aug. 8, 2020, Bodhicitta, made her first seven starts in Ireland and all four of her wins from 22 overall starts have come with Baltas in Southern California. Owned by Calvin Nguyen, Bodhicitta has banked $364,808.

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Hit the Road Works for Pegasus

Hit the Road (More Than Ready), aiming for the Jan. 29 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park, worked five furlongs in :58.40 (1/1) over the Santa Anita turf Sunday. The 5-year-old, trained by Dan Blacker, capped a four-race win streak with a win in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. last March. He has been off since a third-place effort in the GII City of Hope Mile S. last October. The nine-furlong Turf Invitational will be Hit The Road's first start beyond a mile.

Also working over the Santa Anita turf Sunday in preparation for an engagement on the World Cup card in Hallandale, Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) went four furlongs in :47.00 (1/1). The 6-year-old mare trained by Richard Baltas for owner Calvin Nguyen, is expected to start next in the GIII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational. Winner of the 2020 GII Yellow Ribbon H., Bodhicitta was second in the 2020 GI Gamely S. and third in that race in 2021. She was most recently second in the Jan. 1 GIII Robert J. Frankel S.

Working for the Pegasus Turf in Florida Sunday, Joseph Allen's Doswell (Giant's Causeway) went seven furlongs over the Palm Meadows turf in 1:22.95 (1/2). The Barclay Tagg trainee is coming off a front-running victory in the Dec. 18 GII Ft. Lauderdale S.

Three Diamond Farm's Atone (Into Mischief) and Calumet Farm's English Bee (English Channel), Pegasus Turf reserve invitees who finished second and third, respectively, in the Ft. Lauderdale, also breezed Sunday.

The Mike Maker-trained Atone breezed five furlongs in 1:01.14 (16/34) on dirt at Gulfstream, where Maker-trained Pegasus Turf invitee Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) also breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.91 (14/34). The Graham Motion-trained English Bee breezed six furlongs in 1:12.05 (1/2) on turf at Palm Meadows.

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Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Could Lure Summer In Saratoga To Florida In Winter

Trainer Joe Sharp said he would like to run multiple stakes-winner Summer in Saratoga in the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Jan. 29. He and co-owner Anderson Farms just want to make sure she fits.

“We're going to make a decision as it gets a little closer, but it's definitely under strong consideration,” Sharp said. “From what I'm gathering, it looks like her (handicapping) numbers will be pretty competitive in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf. As long as we're both comfortable taking a shot, that might be what we do.”

Summer in Saratoga was fresh off a victory for then-owner Highlander Training Center in Keeneland's Grade 3 Dowager Stakes when the mare was sold for $630,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November sale. Sharp figured that probably was the last time he'd see the daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun. However, Anderson Farms owner David Anderson sent her back to Sharp. In her first and so far only start for her new owners, Summer in Saratoga won the $75,000 Blushing KD Stakes at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

“Obviously you hope it would work out the way it did,” Sharp said of being able to keep Summer in Saratoga in his barn. “At that price range where she was expected to sell, most people would be purchasing her as a broodmare prospect. There was no guarantee you were going to get somebody who would want to continue to race her, let alone trust us to have her again. It really all came together nicely.”

Sharp had never before met David Anderson, who campaigns the now 6-year-old mare in the name of his farm in Ontario, Canada, and with Narola LLC. Success would come quickly, but not before facing a speed bump.

“We actually sent her up to New York,” Sharp said. “She got scratched in the paddock; she kind of sat down behind. So we brought her down to the Fair Grounds. She got herself back together and ran huge the other day. Corey (Lanerie, her regular jockey) happened to be in town. He knows her so well. It all worked out, basically first start for the new connections to get a win.”

Whether Summer in Saratoga races a full season or races a time or two before being bred would appear up to the 6-year-old mare.

“It's on a start-by-start basis, Sharp said. “From what I understood from Dave, as long as she's performing at a level that can add to her resume, then I think he's content to move forward with racing.”

Sharp has had Summer in Saratoga for all but her first two races. That span encompasses her seven victories, four coming in stakes – including in three of her last four starts.

“Honestly, this moment right now is probably my favorite version of Summer in Saratoga that I've been around,” he said. “There are probably a lot of different factors contributing to that, but mainly maturity. She has that being about her of a good horse that's very alpha and very confident. She makes my job easy.”

While Sharp's main winter base of the Fair Grounds has a series of turf stakes for fillies and mares, those purses don't come close to Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf's $500,000.

“The Fair Grounds series has been good to us over the years,” Sharp said. “But we get spoiled in the spring, summer and fall with the purse structure in Kentucky. So it's nice to have some big purse money to run for in January if you can be competitive. So we're grateful to Gulfstream for putting that on.”

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