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Uruguayan Star Ajuste Fiscal Seeking Dubai World Cup Invite, Tops Thursday’s Al Maktoum Challenge

Uruguayan star Ajuste Fiscal tops a seemingly strong contingent brought by Dubai World Cup Carnival-winning conditioner Antonio Cintra when he starts in Thursday's Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 at Meydan Racecourse.

Owned by Stud La Pomme, the apple of the Cintra operation enters off a Listed victory over this distance on grass in September, but is proven at the G1 level in the past on dirt, including resounding victories in the Gran Premio Pedro Ramirez over 12 furlongs, Gran Premio Jockey Club over 10 furlongs and Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos over one mile.

Ajuste Fiscal is sired by the Illinois-bred multiple Grade 3 winner Ioya Bigtime (Dynaformer).

It would, of course, not be a surprise to see a Uruguayan horse succeed in Dubai, thanks to the exploits of the great Invasor.

“It's a pleasure to be a part of this event again and I'm really happy to be back here,” said Cintra, who won the 2006 Al Shindagha Sprint with Heart Alone. “Ajuste Fiscal is the best horse that I brought. He's a very good horse on dirt and the distance (one mile) is a little bit short for him, but it's a good (place) to start. The plan is the second and third rounds of the Maktoum (Challenge). He is the top horse, but he will get very tough races–but I believe he can get an invitation for the World Cup.”

Cintra will be busy on opening night of the Carnival, also saddling Stud Crespi's 14-time winner Almoradi, a G1-placed multiple G3 winner, in the Al Fahidi Fort (G2) over seven furlongs on turf, as well as Stud Guara del Sur's exciting 4-for-4 sprinter Upper Class in the Dubawi (G3). A Listed winner, the latter must step up considerably, but has done little wrong thus far and appears a strong finisher who will enjoy a step back up to six furlongs.

Cintra: “(Almoradi) is a good horse on dirt and turf and we planned to run him on dirt, but he wasn't looking good on this kind of dirt. It was a little soft for him, so we're trying to turf. Upper Class is unbeaten and is a very good sprinter. He's three years old and gets two kilos. Hopefully he'll run very well. He runs just on dirt, but the pedigree is a turf horse. We'll start on dirt with him.”

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True Timber ‘Slightly Off,’ Ruled Out Of Pegasus World Cup

Trainer Jack Sisterson revealed via Twitter on Wednesday that Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner True Timber will be forced to miss this Saturday's G1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old son of Mineshaft came up “slightly off” after training on Wednesday, Sisterson wrote, and the trainer “elected to defer to caution and not compete in the Pegasus.”

Sisterson added: “Although it would have been a life changing experience having a runner in the Pegasus, True Timber gave us the excitement leading up towards the Pegasus. Best of luck to all the runners in the Pegasus. We and True Timber will be rooting for you!”

Owned by Calumet Farm, True Timber's record includes five wins, five seconds, and nine thirds from 29 starts for earnings of $1,215,150.

The remaining Pegasus field includes: Knicks Go, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Harpers First Ride, Code of Honor, Jesus' Team, Tax, Math Wizard, Mr Freeze, Independence Hall, Kiss Today Goodbye, and Coastal Defense.

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Can Improving Midnight Bourbon Make Major Impact on Derby Trail?

Making the Grade, which will run through the 2021 Triple Crown races, focuses on the winners or top performers of the key races, usually from the previous weekend, who could make an impact on the Triple Crown. We’ll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey), and pedigree.

Pletcher’s Pegasus Turf Trio ‘All Have Very Good Records’ At Gulfstream Park

He's won the Florida Derby (G1) more times than any trainer in its history and led Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet standings a record 16 times, including a staggering 15 in a row from 2004-18. Now, Todd Pletcher is looking to add the Pegasus World Cup to a crowded Hall of Fame caliber resume that already boasts multiple Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup race victories as well as a record seven Eclipse Awards.

Pletcher, 53, has three contenders for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 23 in graded-stakes winners Largent and Social Paranoia and recent Tropical Park Derby winner Colonel Liam. All three are coming off victories over Gulfstream's grass course.

“The good thing for us is they all seem to like this turf course. They all have very good records here,” Pletcher said. “We're pretty pleased with their final races over this course and the way they've been training, and the fact that their records are all good here gives us added optimism.”

Though he won't have a starter in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), Pletcher has enjoyed success in the event in past years, respectively running third and fourth with Neolithic and Keen Ice in the inaugural 2017 edition and fifth with Audible in 2019.

Pletcher is a five-time winner of the Pegasus' predecessor, the Donn Handicap (G1), with Harlan's Holiday (2003), Quality Road (2010), Graydar (2013), Constitution (2015) and Mshawish (2016).

“I'm a great fan of the Donn Handicap. It was a race that was very good to us over the years, but the Pegasus kind of brings it up a notch and makes it a must-see race,” Pletcher said. “It's always exciting to have horses running in big races.

“I think it's great that Gulfstream's done this with the two Pegasus races,” he added. “It gives us kind of marquee event at the meet where, maybe outside of the Florida Derby, we were missing that kind of marquee day.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stable's 5-year-old gelding Largent, winner of the Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 12; The Elkstone Group's 5-year-old Social Paranoia, winner of the Appleton (G3) on the 2020 Florida Derby undercard; and Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old colt Colonel Liam are a combined eight-for-10 on the Gulfstream turf, with one second and one third.

Pletcher has won the Florida Derby five times between 2007 and 2018, with 2017 victor Always Dreaming going on to capture the Kentucky Derby. While better known for his prolific dirt horses, he has enjoyed success on the grass with horses such as 2007 turf champion English Channel and Grade 1 winners Honey Ryder and Wait a While, and he won the Pegasus Turf's predecessor, the Gulfstream Park Turf (G1), with Mshawish in 2015.

Other notable milestones Pletcher has reached at Gulfstream include career wins No. 1 (Feb. 25, 1996) with Majestic Number, No. 3,000 (Feb. 11, 2012) with Spring Hill Farm and No. 4,000 (March 18, 2016) with Eagle Scout.

While he figures in the mix for two of the five graded-stakes on the Pegasus undercard – the $125,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) with Haikal and $125,000 La Prevoyante (G3) on turf with Always Shopping and Cap de Creus – Pletcher would like to add a Pegasus Turf win to his long list of Gulfstream accomplishments.

“I'd like to hope that it shows our versatility, that were able to be successful on turf and dirt, and with younger horses and older horses,” he said. “It'd be a fun win for any of the three that hopefully could do it.”

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