pegasus world cup turf | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pegasus Turf Contender? Social Paranoia Scores Off The Layoff For Pletcher

The Elkstone Group LLC's Social Paranoia distinguished himself as a serious candidate for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), scheduled for Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, with a gutsy triumph in Wednesday's feature race at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.

The 4-year-old son of Street Boss, sent to post at the even-money favorite in a field of nine, came off a five-month layoff to score a hard-fought half-length victory in the 7 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf.

“It's always nice to have a win off a layoff like that. He came back and we got a quality win out of him. We were hoping for a good effort,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We'll see how he comes out of it and maybe keep an eye on the Pegasus Turf.”

Social Paranoia joined Pletcher trained Largent, the winner of last Saturday's Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream, on the list of Pegasus Turf candidates. He ran 7 ½ furlongs over a firm course in 1:27.48.

Social Paranoia rated off the early pace before making a five-wide sweep on the turn into the homestretch, outkicking Olympic Runner to the wire while galloping out strongly under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Wednesday's victory was Social Paranoia's third in four starts over the Gulfstream turf. He broke his maiden by eight lengths in May 2019 and won the Appleton (G3) last March over the grass course.

“It feels great. Todd did a great job getting him ready, but he's won on the layoff before, so I was very confident in Todd,” said The Elkstone Group's Stuart Grant. “We're very excited. As you know we have our eye on late January back here and I think he showed that he deserved a spot there. This is his third win out of four [on Gulfstream turf].”

The post Pegasus Turf Contender? Social Paranoia Scores Off The Layoff For Pletcher appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Largent Helps Pletcher Bag Fourth Win Of Day In Ft. Lauderdale

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent put an exclamation point on a four-win afternoon for trainer Todd Pletcher, punching his ticket to next month's $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) with a come-from-behind victory in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 64th running of the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up on the grass was the headliner on an 11-race program featuring five stakes, four graded, worth $575,000 in purses including the $100,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), a prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 23, won by Tax.

With Paco Lopez aboard for the first time, Largent ($35.80) swept to the lead on the far outside approaching the stretch and outran fellow longshots Breaking the Rules and Doswell late to win by two lengths in 1:46.16 over turf course rated good.

Since the Pegasus Turf was inaugurated in 2019, the Fort Lauderdale was moved from early January to mid-December to serve as the local stepping-stone to the Pegasus Day event. Eight of the 10 horses in Saturday's field were stakes winners, six of them in graded company led by millionaire favorite Factor This.

“Very salty field, indeed, and very fast fractions,” Pletcher said. “[Largent] is a horse that's generally laying up close. I just told Paco, 'It looks like there's a lot of pace, just try to sit in the pocket,' and he delivered a very good ride.”

“One thing is, he's always loved Gulfstream. He's always run very well here and we just felt like it was the right time to step up,” he added. “He'd been training great and it was the right time to see if he could step up into a big spot.”

It was the third career stakes win and first in graded company for Largent, who captured a pair of Virginia-bred stakes earlier this year at Colonial Downs and Laurel Park. The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding has now won four of his five starts at Gulfstream, with one second.

“He's always run well here and he's a horse that has shown some talent. This was definitely his toughest task to date but he showed that he likes it here and delivered a big performance,” Pletcher said. “I think he certainly ran well enough today to earn a spot into the Pegasus, which we'd love to do.”

Lopez settled Largent in mid-pack as his Pletcher-trained stablemate, Grade 1 winner Halladay, and Factor This battled dueled on the front end through fractions of 23.22 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.34 for the half, going six furlongs in 1:09.62. Lopez tipped outside after saving ground early and powered through the stretch to cruise past the tiring leaders.

“[Pletcher] said, 'Paco, there's a lot of speed, four or five horses. Just go behind them and relax. Figure out where you are and ride your race,'” Lopez said. “He broke well, he came back and he was very comfortable. We came around horses at the top of the stretch and went on.”

Doswell, a winner of his previous two races, came up the rail to edge Breaking the Rules for second. They were followed by graded winners Spooky Channel and Channel Cat, Tide of the Sea, Halladay, Factor This, multiple graded-stakes winner Somelikeithotbrown and French Group 3 winner Delaware.

“There was a little bit of cut [in the ground] and they were certainly going fast enough. The key was that [Largent] was able to settle and relax early on and that allowed him to deliver a big closing kick,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately for Halladay there was so much pace in today's race. We didn't want to take away his weapon, but at the same time he was probably doing a little too much early on.”

Pletcher was the trainer of Channel Cat when he ran 10th of 12 in the most recent edition of the Pegasus Turf, won in an upset by Zulu Alpha.

“With Largent, I think he certainly earned his way in and with Halladay, we'll assess how he comes out of it,” Pletcher said. “We'll get them home and evaluate both of them but we'll just kind of play it by ear with Halladay.”

The post Largent Helps Pletcher Bag Fourth Win Of Day In Ft. Lauderdale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ft. Lauderdale: Maker Hoping Pair Earn Chance At Pegasus Turf, Channel Cat Returns From Layoff

Upset winner of the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in January with Zulu Alpha, trainer Mike Maker will find out whether he has a candidate or two to defend his title next month when he sends out Somelikeithotbrown and Tide of the Sea in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass is the hometown prep for the 1 3 /16-mile Pegasus Turf, among seven graded-stakes worth $4.8 million in purses on Saturday, Jan. 23 led by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) for 4-year-olds and up on dirt.

Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown is a two-time graded-stakes winner of $689,338 in purse earnings that drew the rail in a field of 10 for the Fort Lauderdale that includes eight stakes winners, six of them graded.

In his most recent effort, Somelikeithotbrown led all the way to beat fellow New York-breds in the Oct. 24 Mohawk at Belmont Park after finishing second to Fort Lauderdale rival Factor This in the Dinner Party (G2) at Pimlico Race Course. Both races came at 1 1/16 miles.

Somelikeithotbrown beat another Fort Lauderdale combatant, Halladay, to win the Bernard Baruch (G2) July 26 at Saratoga; Halladay came back to win the Fourstardave (G1) in his next start. Somelikeithotbrown was third by less than a length in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at 2 and won the John Battaglia and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) to open his 3-year-old season before being sidelined after a fourth in the Blue Grass (G2).

“He's a very attractive horse. He always showed talent as a 2-year-old. He followed it up with a great Breeders' Cup run,” Maker said. “He got a minor injury in the Blue Grass and we had to stop on him but he came back this year and had a heck of a year.

“He continues to do well,” he added. “Hopefully, if he can run his race on Saturday, we can move on to the Pegasus.”

Tyler Gaffalione, who won last year's Pegasus Turf for Maker, has the call on the typically front-running Somelikeithotbrown.

“That's his running style, and we're going to live and die by it,” Maker said.

Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea will be making his stakes debut in his ninth overall start and fifth since joining Maker's string after being purchased for $80,000 at Keeneland's November 2019 breeding stock sale.

“He's a late-maturing horse,” Maker said. “They purchased him out of the sale and he's had a good year. I think he's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the marathon division this year.”

Tide of the Sea takes a two-race win streak into the Fort Lauderdale, going 1 5/16 miles Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs and 1 ½ miles Oct. 7 at Keeneland. Joe Bravo rides from Post 7.

“I'd prefer to go a bit longer but we don't have that opportunity now so we figured we'd give him a shot going the mile and an eighth,” Maker said. “He's on top of his game right now so I think he deserves a chance. He's another one to get a good read on if we move on to the Pegasus or the McKnight.”

The $150,000 W.L. McKnight (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles on the turf is part of the Pegasus day undercard.

Michael Hui's Zulu Alpha upset the 2020 Pegasus Turf at odds of nearly 12-1, then went on to win the Mac Diarmida (G2) and run second by a neck to stablemate Bemma's Boy in the Pan American (G2) during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet. He was forced to miss the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) with slight swelling in his left front leg.

“He's doing fine. He's on the farm,” Maker said. “Hopefully here in the next two or three weeks we'll see if we get to bring him back in or not.”

Calumet Farm's homebred Grade 2 winner Channel Cat, closing in on $1 million in career earnings, will launch his comeback off a nine-month break between starts in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2).

The 5-year-old son of turf champion English Channel came within a length of winning last year's Fort Lauderdale, beaten a neck for second by Admission Office. After running a troubled 10th in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), Channel Cat was fourth by 1 ½ lengths in the Pan American (G2) March 28, his most recent race.

Channel Cat will be making his first start for Calumet's private trainer, Jack Sisterson, after winning five of 22 races and $948,592 in purse earnings for Todd Pletcher. Channel Cat will go up against a pair of Pletcher trainees, Grade 1 winner Halladay and multiple stakes winner Largent, in the Fort Lauderdale.

“No real major issues, just a little let down. With Calumet in Lexington and me being stabled at Keeneland, we've got paddocks to turn them out and things. It wasn't anything else,” Sisterson said. “Todd did a great job with him and they just wanted to keep in that routine of turning him out in the paddocks and things like that. He's done well since we shipped him down here and we look forward to seeing him run on Saturday.”

Corey Lanerie has the assignment from Post 5 of 10 in the Fort Lauderdale. A three-time stakes winner including the 2018 Bald Eagle Derby at Laurel Park and 2019 Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga, Channel Cat has breezed twice over the turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“I've had him for a couple of months now and he's just a typical English Channel. He's very workmanlike on the dirt, but when you put him on the grass he puts his best footsteps forward,” Sisterson said. “We don't [typically] win off a layoff but we'll expect him to improve a lot off the Fort Lauderdale and fingers crossed we can regain some of the form he had when Todd did so well with him. It might be hard to regain some of that, but he's doing well at the moment.”

A return trip to the Pegasus Turf would be in store, Sisterson said, should Channel Cat run well. Instilled Regard, last year's Fort Lauderdale winner, finished third in the 2020 Pegasus Turf.

“Absolutely, that's the goal,” Sisterson said. “Sometimes they slow down with age so we'll see if that's the case with him. Training-wise he doesn't show that he has, but you don't know until you bring them over there in the afternoon. That's the main thing.”

The post Ft. Lauderdale: Maker Hoping Pair Earn Chance At Pegasus Turf, Channel Cat Returns From Layoff appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pletcher Pair To Prep For Pegasus Turf In Saturday’s Fort Lauderdale

Grade 1 winner Halladay and multiple stakes-winning stablemate Largent will test their affinity for the racetrack with designs on the richest prize of the winter turf season next month in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 64th running of the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up on the grass is the headliner on an 11-race program featuring five stakes, four graded, worth $575,000 in purses. First race post time is 12:05 p.m.

Also on the card are the $100,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3) for 3-year-olds and up, hometown prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 23; and $100,000 Rampart (G3) at one mile, $100,000 Sugar Swirl (G3) going six furlongs and $75,000 My Rampart at 1 1/16 miles on turf, all for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Since the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) was inaugurated in 2019, the Fort Lauderdale was moved from early January to mid-December to serve as the local stepping-stone to the Pegasus Day event. Eight of the 10 horses in Saturday's field are stakes winners, six of them in graded company.

“This is going to be a tough race. This is a prep with some real teeth to it,” said Todd Pletcher, a two-time Fort Lauderdale winner who trains both Halladay and Largent. “I think if either one of them were able to perform well in here it would certainly tell us that they belong in the Pegasus.”

Harrell Ventures' Halladay is undefeated in three races at Gulfstream, winning the 2019 Tropical Park Derby at last winter's Championship Meet and both an April 4 optional claiming allowance and the 1 1/16-mile Sunshine Forever May 9 during the spring-summer stand. The 4-year-old War Front colt has never raced beyond 1 1/16 miles in his 15-race career.

“We're interested in trying to stretch him out. We know that he's fond of the Gulfstream course so we felt like this was sort of a good opportunity to see how he would handle a little more distance,” Pletcher said. “If this were to go really well it would put the Pegasus Turf in play, so that's what we're trying to find out.”

Fourth behind Fort Lauderdale rival Somelikeithotbrown in the Bernard Baruch (G2) in July, Halladay rebounded to win the one-mile Fourstardave (G1) Aug. 22, also at Saratoga. The front-running Halladay was sixth after setting the pace in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) last out Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“He ran well. We unfortunately had to miss a prep race for it and the ground might have been a touch softer than he really likes it,” Pletcher said. “The way he finished and galloped out that day in the Fourstardave was encouraging. We're interested to see how he does with the added distance.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent owns three wins and a second in four lifetime tries at Gulfstream, breaking his maiden last March and winning a pair of allowances during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet.

The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding became a stakes winner in the Edward P. Evans in July at Colonial Downs, and returns off a neck triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Bert Allen Oct. 9 at Laurel Park, both coming against fellow Virginia-breds.

Like Halladay, Largent has never raced beyond 1 1/16 miles. He will carry 120 pounds including jockey Paco Lopez from Post 6 while Luis Saez has the assignment on Halladay from outside Post 10 at co-topweight of 125 pounds.

“He's super consistent, always shows up and runs well. He, too, has always liked Gulfstream. He's definitely one that is capable on the day,” Pletcher said of Largent. “I think as he's matured he's settled a little better, as has Halladay, I think that gives them both the chance of handling the added distance.”

A former Pletcher trainee, Calumet Farm's Channel Cat is also part of the Fort Lauderdale mix with designs on the Pegasus. Channel Cat ran third by less than a length, beaten a neck for second, in last year's race, then finished 10th in the Pegasus Turf and fourth in the Pan American (G2) before going to the sidelines.

The 5-year-old son of turf champion English Channel is now under the care of Calumet's private trainer Jack Sisterson and set to make his first start since March 28. Winner of the 2019 Bowling Green (G2), Channel Cat is less than $52,000 shy of the $1 million mark in lifetime earnings.

“I think the pressure's on to sort of try and follow in Todd's footsteps, but we'll give it a shot,” Sisterson said. “We'll see how he performs and where we go after that. If he was to run well, we'll bring him back for the Pegasus.”

Corey Lanerie rides Channel Cat from Post 5 at 120 pounds.

Somelikeithotbrown and Tide of the Sea will represent trainer Mike Maker, upset winner of the 2020 Pegasus Turf with Zulu Alpha and winner of the 2018 Fort Lauderdale with Shining Copper. Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea has two seconds and back-to-back wins since being purchased for $80,000 out of Keeneland's November 2019 Breeding Stock Sale.

Skychai Racing and David Koenig's Somelikeithotbrown won the Bernard Baruch and Oct. 24 Mohawk against fellow New York-breds in front-running fashion. Though he shares a similar running style as Halladay, the 4-year-old Big Brown colt has experience at 1 1/8 miles with two wins, a second and a third in six tries.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Somelikeithotbrown from the rail. Tide of the Sea will be ridden by Joe Bravo from Post 7.

“We're going to give both of them a shot,” Maker said. “It would be great to get back to the Pegasus.”

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This is a 12-time career winner of more than $1.2 million in purse earnings trained by Brad Cox, who has a string in South Florida for the first time this winter. Factor This won four straight races and three graded-stakes between Feb. 15 and Aug. 2, a period interrupted by a pause in racing amid the coronavirus pandemic, was a front-running winner of the Dinner Party (G2) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course and finished eighth following a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Spooky Channel, the 2020 W.L. McKnight (G3) winner at Gulfstream; Phipps Stable's Grade 3-placed homebred Breaking the Rules, two-for-three lifetime at Gulfstream including a win in the 2018 Tropical Park Derby; Juddmonte Farms French Group 3 winner Delaware, third by a neck in the Artie Schiller last out Nov. 14 at Aqueduct; and Allen Stable homebred Doswell, a winner of two straight for trainer Barclay Tagg round out the field.

The post Pletcher Pair To Prep For Pegasus Turf In Saturday’s Fort Lauderdale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post