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Pegasus World Cup Day Stars Exit Races In Good Order

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go came out of his brilliant victory in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in good order, reported trainer Brad Cox Sunday afternoon.

“The horse looked really good last night. This morning, he flew back to New Orleans. He just arrived at the Fair Grounds and all is well,” Cox stated in a text message.

Knicks Go, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Joel Rosario, took early command of the 1 1/8-mile race for older horses and crossed the finish line 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Jesus' Team. The son of Paynter ran the distance in 1:47.89 while earning an automatic berth in the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20.

Knicks Go, a Grade 1 winner at 2, had gone winless in 2019 before being transferred to Cox's stable in 2020. The Maryland-bred 5-year-old won all three of his races last year, including the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team spent Sunday morning frolicking in the round pen outside trainer Jose D'Angelo's barn at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“Jesus came out of the race very good,” D'Angelo said. “When I brought him back to Palm Meadows [Saturday] night, he was ready to go again. He was not tired.”

Jesus' Team, who had finished second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), made a wide sweep into the stretch under Irad Ortiz Jr. and closed steadily to finish second behind the Cox trainee again, edging Independence Hall for second money. The former $25,000 claimer became a millionaire Saturday with the $580,000 purse for his third Grade 1 stakes placing.

Although D'Angelo has driven Jesus' Team wherever he has traveled this year, the 30-year-old trainer won't be able to hit the road with the son of Tapiture for his next start. The owners of Jesus' Team are awaiting invitations for the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20 and the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) March 27.

“The owners will make the decision where he will race next,” D'Angelo said.

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner; Repole Stable's Always Shopping, who captured the La Prevoyante (G3), and the other Todd Pletcher-trained runners who competed on the Pegasus World Cup Day card were 'excellent' Sunday morning.

“Everybody seemed to be sound this morning and in good shape,” Pletcher said.

Colonel Liam, who was coming off a victory in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream, rallied from off the pace to capture his Grade 1 debut by neck over Pletcher-trained Largent in the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf. Pletcher's other Pegasus Turf starter, Social Paranoia finished fourth, a half-length behind third-place finisher Cross Border. Pletcher said there were no firm plans for his Pegasus Turf starters' next starts.

“The race I have in mind for Colonel Liam is the Woodford Reserve on Derby Day, so the question is kind of what we do between now and then,” Pletcher said. “The other two we've got some options with, so we'll give it a week and kind of survey the landscape and see what the right moves are.”

In addition to saddling Colonel Liam and Always Shopping for graded-stakes victories, Pletcher also visited the winner's circle with Microsecond following a sharp optional claiming allowance win.

“It was a great day. We were a couple of noses short of having a really terrific day but anytime you have all the horses show up and for the most part run their races, that's all you can hope for,” Pletcher said. “We were fortunate to win three of them, so it was a successful day.”

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Pletcher Runs 1-2 As Colonel Liam Bests Largent In Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, the least experienced contender in the richest grass race of the winter season, looked like a seasoned pro in his graded-stakes debut, powering through the stretch to edge Grade 2-winning stablemate Largent by a neck in Saturday's $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The third running of the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf and the fifth renewal of the $3-million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, both for 4-year-olds and up, comprised the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, headlining a blockbuster 12-race program that featured seven graded-stakes worth $4.725 million in purses.

Colonel Liam ($7) completed the distance in 1:53.09 over a firm course to lead a Todd Pletcher-trained exacta with Largent, winner of the Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 12 at Gulfstream in his previous start. Cross Border, trying to give trainer Mike Maker his second straight Pegasus Turf victory, was third followed by multiple graded-stakes winner Social Paranoia – the third of Pletcher's talented trio.

“I couldn't be more pleased with the way they all ran,” Pletcher said. “It was a heck of a race between Largent and Colonel Liam at the end. I thought Social Paranoia put in a huge effort from the 12 post. Just really, really happy with all three of them.”

It was the first Pegasus win for Pletcher and second in three editions of the Turf for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., also winning with eventual 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. Ortiz won the 2020 Pegasus World Cup with Mucho Gusto.

“This is just unreal. It's fantastic,” Robert Low said. “We just had a great combination. We had the horse, we had the trainer, we had the rider, and they got it done. We're just very, very thankful and very grateful. It's a wonderful feeling.”

Sent off as the 5-2 top choice, Colonial Liam was unhurried racing in mid-pack as Storm the Court, winless since being named the 2-year-old male champion of 2019, and multiple graded-stakes winner Anothertwistafate took the field through splits of 23.59 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 48.69 for a half and six furlongs in 1:12.85. Largent saved ground in fourth with Social Paranoia right behind after working his way over from outside Post 12.

Ortiz sat chilly on Colonial Liam while waiting for room around the turn, advancing to fourth just a half-length off the lead. Ortiz found an opening and tipped outside approaching the stretch, setting down for a drive once straightened for home. They were able to get by Social Paranoia, who briefly held a lead near the eighth pole, then outsprinted Largent, who snuck through a seam along the rail and dug in under Paco Lopez.

“In the second and third quarter everybody slowed down and I got good position. I waited inside and got through a little late,” Lopez said. “If I was able to get through earlier, it might have been different.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stable's Largent, a two-time Virginia-bred stakes winner in addition to his Fort Lauderdale triumph, now has six wins and four seconds in 10 lifetime tries.

“He's run 10 times now and has never been worse than second,” Pletcher said. “He ran a hell of a race today and just was on the tough side of a stretch duel there.”

Tyler Gaffalione had to navigate through traffic to get up for third with Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border, promoted winner of the Bowling Green (G2) and second as the favorite in the Sword Dancer (G1) last summer at Saratoga. They were two lengths behind Largent.

“It wasn't an ideal trip. He didn't get away the smoothest and there was a lot of traffic around the first turn and down the backside,” Gaffalione said. “We were just trying to wait for a spot but nothing really developed until we came into the stretch and then a spot opened up. He really finished up well. It's a shame. I felt like I had more horse and I could have finished better but definitely a very encouraging race moving forward.”

The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia was only a half-length behind Cross Border in fourth. He won the Appleton (G3) over the Gulfstream course last winter and was coming in off back-to-back victories five months apart – the Poker (G3) at Belmont Park last July and an optional claiming allowance Dec. 16 at Gulfstream.

“He still dug in and put his head in front at one point. He made everyone run and it was a great effort from him,” Pletcher said. “I think with a little better draw he would have been a little closer.”

Following Social Paranoia under the wire were Pixelate, Next Shares, Storm the Court, Aquaphobia, Breaking the Rules, North Dakota, Say the Word and Anothertwistafate.

Colonel Liam, a 4-year-old colt from the first crop of Liam's Map, was purchased for $1.2 million as a 2-year-old in training in April 2019 and began his career on dirt, with one win via disqualification and a third in two tries, both last spring at Gulfstream. He has since won three of four on the grass, including a 3 ¼-length triumph in the Dec. 26 Tropical Park Derby to punch his Pegasus ticket. The lone loss came by less than a length in the Saratoga Derby (G1).

“We really were [confident]. He showed us a lot of ability in his couple of starts on the grass. We felt like he was getting better and better,” Pletcher said. “We loved the way he handled the turf in the Tropical Derby and he had trained great. We were very optimistic, He's a little less experienced than some of the other horses, but I think this proves his quality.”

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Colonel Liam Marches To Pegasus Turf Tally

The 2020 campaign of Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) picked up steam as it rolled along and the athletic gray colt picked up where he left off Saturday, as he found his way out of a jackpot and into the clear with time ticking away in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf and outfinished stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) to win the $1-million event. Cross Border (English Channel) rounded out the trifecta, while the outposted Social Paranoia (Street Boss) completed a 1-2-4 finish for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Off as the 5-2 chalk while making his 4-year-old debut, the $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1.2-million OBS April breezer (:20 4/5) took up a ground-saving position from midfield, three back on the fence, as Eclipse Award-winning juvenile Storm the Court (Court Vision) set a moderate pace in advance of Southern California raider Anothertwistafate (Scat Daddy). Largent was able to secure the box seat from his low draw and Colonel Liam raced on that stablemate's back turning into the backstretch before settling into the two path for the run past the half-mile pole. Still traveling well approaching the stretch as he raced in the slipstream of 52-1 Pixelate (City Zip), he was boldly swung out by Irad Ortiz, Jr. five deep and around Social Paranoia in upper stretch, looked to perhaps brush with that rival nearing the eighth pole and outfought Largent to the wire.

Colonel Liam was something other than an abject failure on the dirt, finishing second and third, respectively, in his first two career starts over this main track, but looked a different proposition altogether when racing away to a 2 3/4-length allowance win trying the grass for the first time at Saratoga July 22. Fourth, beaten 3/4 of a length to the far more experienced Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Gufo (Declaration of War) in the Saratoga Derby Invitational at the Spa in mid-August, Colonel Liam resumed from a four-month freshening to dominate this track's Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26.

“We really were [confident],” Pletcher commented. “He showed us a lot of ability in his couple of starts on the grass. We felt like he was getting better and better. We loved the way he handled the turf in the Tropical Derby and he had trained great. We were very optimistic, He's a little less experienced than some of the other horses, but I think this proves his quality.”

Pedigree Notes:

Colonel Liam is the fourth graded winner and third Grade I winner for Liam's Map and is bred on the same cross as 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper. He is the 11th Grade I winner out of a daughter of top broodmare sire Bernardini. Colonel Liam is one of two winners from four to the races for his dam, an unraced daughter of the Phillipses MGISW turf distaffer Wonder Again, whose full-brother Grass Wonder was the champion 2-year-old of his generation in Japan and later won the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 meters (11 furlongs) and the 2500-meter (12.5-furlong) Arima Kinen on two occasions before embarking on a stud career. This is also the same female family responsible for GSW Hopeful Growth (Tapiture). Amazement is the dam of Colonel Liam's 3-year-old half-sister Lovely Dee (Shackleford), a juvenile colt by Tapiture and a yearling colt by the late Arrogate, like Liam's Map a son of Unbridled's Song. She most recently visited Copper Bullet (More Than Ready).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $981,700, Gulfstream, 1-23, 4yo/up, 1 3/16mT, 1:53.09, fm.
1–COLONEL LIAM, 123, c, 4, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Amazement, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Wonder Again, by Silver Hawk
3rd Dam: Ameriflora, by Danzig
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '18
KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Lawana L. & Robert E.
Low; B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $549,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-1, $690,965.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Largent, 123, g, 5, Into Mischief–Life in Seattle, by Unbridled.
($460,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC
& Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Lazy Lane Farms, LLC.
(VA); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $183,000.
3–Cross Border, 123, r, 7, English Channel–Empress Josephine,
by Empire Maker. ($180,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $10,000 2yo '16
OBSOPN; $100,000 4yo '18 FTKHRA). O-Three Diamonds Farm;
B-Berkshire Stud & B. D. Gibbs (NY); T-Michael J. Maker.
$91,500.
Margins: NK, 2, HF. Odds: 2.50, 4.20, 14.00.
Also Ran: Social Paranoia, Pixelate, Next Shares, Storm the Court, Aquaphobia, Breaking the Rules, North Dakota, Say the Word, Anothertwistafate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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‘Very Feisty’ Sadler’s Joy Ready For Saturday’s W. L. McKnight Stakes

Woodslane Farm's homebred Sadler's Joy made his career graded-stakes debut in the 2017 W. L. McKnight at Gulfstream Park, and 27 graded-stakes starts later, the Tom Albertrani turf warrior is still going strong.

The resilient 8-year-old son of Kitten's Joy is scheduled to make his 2021 return to Gulfstream Park for the $125,000 W. L. McKnight (G3) on Saturday's 12-race program that will be co-headlined by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

“He's training great. He's been very feisty lately, like he always is,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “He's not showing any signs of wear and tear, that's for sure.”

Sadler's Joy finished second by a quickly diminishing margin of a head in the 2017 McKnight and came right back to capture his first graded-stakes victory in the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream before going on to capture the Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga later that year.

In 27 graded-stakes races, Sadler's Joy has finished in the money 18 times and finished fourth six more times.

“He's a tough horse to place because of his running style. He likes to come from out the back. It's always a matter of getting a good trip and getting the right pace,” Albertrani said. “Sometimes all that doesn't work out, but he always comes with a late run and has been always right there in all his races.”

Sadler's Joy started in last year's Pegasus World Cup Turf, only to have his chances at victory wiped out while being bumped back to last after breaking from the gate. He battled back to finish sixth, beaten two heads for fourth.

“That was only a mile and three-sixteenths, so the distance was against him overcoming the bad start at the break,” Albertrani said. “He still came with a run, like he always does.”

The 1 ½-mile distance of the McKnight should be far more suitable for Sadler's Joy, who has amassed earnings of more than $2.6 million.

Albertrani, who is also scheduled to saddle German-bred Tintoretto for the McKnight, has named Jose Ortiz to ride Sadler's Joy.

Stronach Stables' Sir Sahib, who closed with a rush to finish second in the 1 ½-mile Northern Dancer (G1) at Woodbine; Joseph Allen LL's Doswell, who finished a fast-closing second behind Largent in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale (G2) over the Gulfstream Park turf; and Calumet Farm's Channel Cat, a veteran graded-stakes performer who finished off the board in last year's Pegasus Turf, are among the top contenders in the 11-horse McKnight field.

The McKnight, carded as Race 10, will be preceded by two other turf stakes on the card with seven graded stakes – the $125,000 Marshua's River (G3), a mile turf race for older fillies and mares in Race 7; and the $125,000 La Prevoyante (G3), a 1 ½-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares in Race 8..

Sackatoga Stable's Niko's Dream and Al Shaqab Racing's Tuned, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Dec. 12 My Charmer at Gulfstream, and Heider Family Stable LLC's Zofelle, a Brendan Walsh-trained Irish-bred who raced against Grade 1 company last time out; are among the more prominent entries for the Marshua's River, which is carded as Race 7.

Repole Stable's Always Shopping, who captured the Dec. 19 Via Borghese by three lengths at Gulfstream; Ivan Dalos' Court Return, a close second in the E. P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine before disappointing in the Via Borghese; and Gary Barber and John Oxley's Heavenly Curlin, winner of the Nov. 7 Maple Leaf (G3) on Woodbine's synthetic surface; are prominent contenders in a field of 12 for the La Prevoyante.

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