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Updated Pegasus Invitations Released

A half-dozen horses have been added to the second list of invitees for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. to be held Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Those joining the original list, headed by likely Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) are recent Tenacious S. winner Chess Chief (Into Mischief); Fearless (Ghostzapper), last-out winner of the GIII Harlan's Holiday S.; Law Professor (Constitution), who took the off-turf GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile S. Dec. 26; Olympiad (Speightstown), an impressive Gulfstream allowance scorer Jan. 15; SW & MGISP Stilleto Boy (Shackleford); and GSW Title Ready (More Than Ready).

Reserves on the second list include American Theorem (American Pharoah), Commandeer (Street Boss), Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), Forewarned (Flat Out) and Happy American (Runhappy).

Flavius (War Front) has been added to the field for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, headed by its defending champion Colonel Liam (Liam's Map). Formerly trained for Juddmonte Farms by Chad Brown, the 7-year-old, acquired for $230,000 at last year's Keeneland November Sale, is a three-time stakes winner, including last year's Fasig-Tipton Lure S. at Saratoga. Flavius takes the place of GI Arlington Million winner Two Emmys (English Channel) on the original list.

Reserves on the second list are Atone (Into Mischief), Bob and Jackie (Twirling Candy), English Bee (English Channel) and Law Professor (Constitution).

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KHRC Vacates Levamisole Rulings Against Sharp

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has vacated the sanctions it imposed on trainer Joe Sharp following five positive tests for levamisole in horses who ran at Churchill Downs in November 2019. A KHRC ruling issued Thursday and first reported by Blood-Horse, read, “Due to the de-classification of levamisole in August 2015 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, all penalties previously assessed to Owner/Trainer Joe Sharp in Stewards' Rulings #21-0006, #21-0008, #21-0010, #21-0011 and #21-0012 are hereby vacated.”

Sharp was suspended 30 days and fined $2,500 by the KHRC last January for the levamisole positives. The trainer also had eight horses test positive for the drug at Fair Grounds and was issued $1,000 fine for each horse, but not suspended for the Louisiana violations. He blamed the levamisole positives on an over-the-counter dewormer he had purchased and used to treat his horses.

While announcing his client was appealing the KHRC decision last January, attorney Clark Brewster told TDN, “The stewards sent out this notice saying [levamisole] is a class B drug. Not only is it not a class B, it's not listed at all. They held a hearing where I strongly urged them to dismiss this and they got real quiet. Then they returned a suspension of 30 days and fines. It was truly astonishing. We expect public servants to apply the law based on what is set forth.”

Brewster said that levamisole is only prohibited when it metabolizes into the drug aminorex, which he said did not happen in the case of Sharp's horses. He also pointed to a 2015 case in which the KHRC suspended trainer Daniel Werre for a full year after a levamisole positive. The suspension was reversed by the Franklin Circuit Court, which cited its finding that the KHRC had improperly classified the drug at the time. Werre was eventually given a seven-day suspension.

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Halladay Retired to Harris Farms

Halladay (War Front–Hightap, by Tapit), winner of the 2020 GI Fourstardave H., has been retired from racing and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Harris Farms in California as the property of a syndicate led by Adrian Gonzalez of Checkmate Thoroughbreds. He will stand for an introductory fee of $7,500, live foal stand and nurse guarantee, with shares available.

Racing for Harrell Ventures and trainer Todd Pletcher, Halladay also won the 2019 Tropical Park Derby and 2020 Sunshine Forever S. On the board in 12 of 17 starts, the 6-year-old won six times and earned $565,245.

“Halladay was a very talented colt,” Pletcher said. “He was precocious with elite cruising speed. He never had a bad day on the track and was a pleasure to train. He has the best qualities of his sire and broodmare sire and makes for an extremely exciting stallion prospect.”

Gonzalez said, “Halladay is a Grade I winner by War Front out of a graded stakes-winning Tapit mare. War Front is North America's leading sire by percentage of stakes winners and Grade I winners to foals. Tapit has led the general sire list three times and has been a top five sire for nine of the last 10

seasons. He is a gorgeous, well-balanced horse standing 16.1 hands. It is a rare opportunity to launch a stallion with this genetic makeup that is a Grade I winner in California, and we are thrilled to present him.”

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Sixth Straight Win For Wright

Trainer Michael Wright captured his sixth straight race at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday when More Chances (Hard Spun) won the third race at the Oldsmar oval. The streak also included a win with 15-1 outsider Nantucket Red (Get Stormy) in Saturday's Wayward Lass S.

“When you put them in the right race, that's all that matters,” Wright, who trained two-time Sovereign Award winner Scotzanna, said.

Wright will try for seven in a row in Wednesday's eighth race with the 6-year-old gelding Victor's Destiny (Souper Speedy).

In 1977, when the track was known as Florida Downs, trainer E.T. Clark won with a record-setting nine consecutive starters from Jan. 28-Feb. 4.

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