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Additional Invitees Listed For Pegasus World Cup, World Cup Turf

Gulfstream Park officials announced Sunday additional invitations to the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), to be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

Independence Hall, a 12 ¼-length winner of the Nashua (G2) at two and runner-up in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at three, and Coastal Defense, fourth Nov. 27 in the Clark (G1), have received invitations for the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup and have been added to the also-eligible list.

Moving into the main body of the Pegasus World Cup from the also-eligible list are Grade 1 winner Math Wizard and Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner King Guillermo.

Ride a Comet, an impressive winner Saturday of the Tropical Turf (G3), has been invited to the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus World Cup Turf and was placed on the also-eligible list. Moving into the main body of the Pegasus Turf is Next Shares and Field Pass.

Limited seating is available and tickets can be purchased at Pegasusworldcup.com.

Fans can watch and wager on the Pegasus World Cup at 1stbet.com and xpressbet.com.

Independence Hall, a 4-year-old son of Constitution, returned from an eight-month layoff to win under allowance conditions in November at Del Mar before finishing fifth Dec. 26 behind Charlatan in the Malibu (G1). Independence Hall is trained by Michael McCarthy, who trained 2019 Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light.

Dale Romans, who saddled Mr Freeze to a second-place finish last year behind Mucho Gusto in the Pegasus World Cup, trains Coastal Defense. A 5-year-old son of Curlin, Coastal Defense was fourth in the Clark as well as the Oct. 10 Fayette (G2).

John Oxley and My Meadowview Farm LLC's Ride a Comet is undefeated in four starts since returning from a two-year layoff. The 6-year-old son of Candy Ride, trained by Mark Casse, also won the Kennedy Road (G2) in November at Woodbine.

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Charlatan Returns With Dominating Performance In Malibu

Charlatan, sidelined since June with an ankle injury, returned to the races with a smashing performance in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., chasing speedster Nashville through the opening half-mile, putting that rival away on the turn for home, then drawing off to win by 4 1/2 lengths under Mike Smith.

Express Train rallied from last to finish second, with Collusion Illusion a half-length back in third, previously unbeaten 6-5 favorite Nashville another 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth, Independence Hall fifth and Thousand Words trailing the field of six 3-year-olds.

Charlatan traveled seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.50 after Nashville blitzed through fractions of :21.81 and :43.95. Charlatan was well in front at the furlong pole, stopping the timer in 1:08.54 for six furlongs.

Charlatan paid $5.20 to win as the second choice in the betting.

“That was an incredible performance off the layoff,” said Baffert.

Charlatan, a chestnut colt by Speightstown out of Authenticity, by Quiet American, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC and sold for $700,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He races for a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stone Stable, Frederick Hertrich III, John D. FIelding and Golconda Stable.

No one has come close to defeating Charlatan in his four career races, though he was disqualified from his six length victory in a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby May 2 at Oaklawn Park after a post-race drug test showed the presence of lidocaine. The horse's connections have appealed the disqualification.

Charlatan broke his maiden at first asking at Santa Anita on Feb. 16, winning by 5 3/4 lengths going six furlongs. He then won a one-mile allowance race at Santa Anita on March 14, drawing off by 10 1/4 lengths. He was the 2-5 favorite in the Arkansas Derby from which he was disqualified.

Nashville, who came into the Malibu unbeaten and untested in three starts, was favored based on his track-record performance going six furlongs in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard on Nov. 7. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., the Speightstown colt came to Santa Anita off a series of fast workouts at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

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Nashville and Charlatan Face Off in Malibu

Unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Nashville (Speightstown) has been nothing, but sensational in his three racetrack appearances thus far and he looks to take his career to the next level in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Romping by 11 1/2 lengths in the slop in his Saratoga unveiling Sept. 2, the $460,000 KEESEP purchase demolished a Keeneland allowance by 9 3/4 lengths next out Oct. 10. His Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen decided to take a more sensible route with his pupil and bypassed the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint in favor of the Perryville S. on the undercard at Keeneland Nov. 7. Nashville ran the field off their hooves right from the get-go, completing the six-furlong event in a new track record time of 1:07.89. That time was almost a full second faster than the BC Sprint, which Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) finished in 1:08.61.

Nashville faces another speedy son of Speightstown who has yet to be beaten to the finish line in Charlatan. A dazzling debut winner in Arcadia Feb. 16, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ made a mockery of a one-mile allowance at Santa Anita Mar. 14, coasting home to a 10 1/4-length victory. The $700,000 KEESEP acquisition crossed the line six lengths clear when taking his division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2, but was later disqualified for a lidocaine positive. Pointed towards the GI Belmont S. in June, Charlatan was knocked off the Triple Crown trail by an ankle chip that required surgery, but displays a speedy series of drills since returning to the Bob Baffert barn.

Baffert also sends out Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in this event. Runner-up in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby July 4, the $1 million KEESEP buy captured the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar Aug 1. A late scratch from the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5 after rearing up and flipping over in the paddock, the bay could only manage eighth when seeking redemption in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3.

GSW Independence Hall (Constitution) makes his second start for trainer Mike McCarthy after winning a Del Mar optional claimer Nov. 8. Rounding out the field is GI Bing Crosby S. victor Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) and Express Train (Union Rags), who was last seen finishing eighth when trying turf in the GII Twilight Derby Oct. 18.

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Malibu: McCarthy Remains Faithful In Underdog Independence Hall

While bettors ponder whether Charlatan or Nashville will win the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita Saturday, they can be sure of this: one of them will be the odds-on betting favorite.

Charlatan has been odds-on in the last two of his three career races; Nashville has been odds-on in all three, and each has earned a Beyer figure over 100 in five of their six outings.

All that publicity hubbub aside, that didn't deter Michael McCarthy from entering Independence Hall in the seven furlong race for 3-year-olds as Santa Anita begins its 84th season of world-class racing with six added-money events, two others also ordained with G1 status, the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs and the American Oaks, also for 3-year-old fillies but at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Independence Hall, winner of four races including the G3 Nashua by 12 ¼ lengths going a mile at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old on Nov. 3, 2019, was ridden to victory by Mike Smith last out at Del Mar on Nov. 8, but Joel Rosario returns to ride for the Malibu.

The future Hall of Famer has ridden the son of Constitution twice previously, winning his debut race at Parx on Sept. 21, 2019, and finishing an eventful fifth in the G1 Florida Derby on March 28 of this year.

“We have Rosario back, he's excited to ride him and we're happy to have him,” said McCarthy, scheduled to have a busy opening weekend with stakes performers.

McCarthy's multiple graded stakes winner Smooth Like Strait is set for Saturday's G2 Mathis Brothers Mile, cutting back from the 1 1/8 miles of the G1 Hollywood Derby in which he was second by a head under Umberto Rispoli, who retains the mount on Saturday.

On Sunday, Altea and Rideforthecause make their Southern California debuts for McCarthy in the G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf. “They're both training like nice fillies,” McCarthy said. “I've had them since early November.”

Altea is a well-traveled 5-year-old French-bred daughter of Siyouni, a leading sire of two-year-olds in Europe, who has raced at nine different tracks in her last nine races: Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Tampa, Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Saratoga, Monmouth and Belmont Park.

Rideforthecause is a 4-year-old Candy Ride filly with four wins in 11 career starts, nearly all of them at Woodbine where she captured the G2 Canadian on Sept. 12. Rideforthecause worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:01.60, while Smooth Like Strait went four furlongs in 50 flat.

Meanwhile, McCarthy expects his two G1-winning fillies, Ce Ce and Speech, back at Santa Anita from Kentucky “in the middle of January,” along with Pat Day Mile winner Rushie.

Santa Anita's traditional opening day is saturated with stakes, six in all, three of them G1's: the $300,000 Runhappy Malibu; the $300,000 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs; and the $300,000 American Oaks for three-year-old fillies at 1 ¼ miles on turf.

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