The very valuable Pegasus meeting at Gulfstream Park at the end of the month is the first major occasion on the US calendar, and here we examine the credentials of the invitees for the million-dollar Pegasus World Cup Turf, which are headed by two-time winner Colonel Liam and recent G2 course-and-distance winner City Man. Here our Pegasus World Cup Turf Future Book Odds & Prediction
Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational
G1, $1,000,000, 1m 1f turf, 4yo+, Gulfstream Park, January 28
The central strand to the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park revolves around Colonel Liam, winner of the race in the last two years and bidding for a three-peat in what doesn’t look like the strongest G1 on the stakes schedule.
Without any European participation, there isn’t a great deal of strength in depth, but three-time G1 winner Colonel Liam, four-for-six at the oceanside circuit, is certainly the one to beat – or he would be if he hadn’t thrown in a clunker on his most recent start, his first after a nine-month layoff.
He was only sixth in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale over course and distance on New Year’s Eve – a race that will be discussed shortly – and flattened out in the stretch like a horse short on sparkle. The race will have brought him on but there’s clearly a query over his credentials now.
The Ft. Lauderdale was a personal triumph for trainer Christophe Clement, who pouched the exacta with City Man and Decorated Invader, separated by a length and a half after City Man had rallied strongly past his barnmate. City Man is peaking right now – that was his fourth win from his last five starts – and he’d be expected to maintain his superiority over the runner-up, who was returning to somewhere near his best after a blank 2021 and an undistinguished 2022.
Another bell-wether for the World Cup Turf is the mile-eighth G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last month, won by Speaking Scout, who did all his best work late to gain a narrow victory. He came home a length ahead of third-placed Wit, who rallied to be nearest at the line, and another length and three-quarters in front of Cabo Spirit, who never got competitive, in fifth.
That was by some way the biggest success of Speaking Scout’s career and he is progressive, but this represents a much tougher test.
You could call this class relief for Shirl’s Speight, who outran 55-1 odds to take second place in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland, with Ivar a nose and a neck away in fourth. Both horses have run their best races at a mile and the extra yardage here may not be what they’re looking for.
Dicey Mo Chara snapped a seven-race losing streak when grinding out victory in the G2 San Gabriel over a mile-eighth at Santa Anita last month, a length and a half clear of disappointing favourite Masteroffoxhounds in third, but it wasn’t a particularly strong contest – the turf scene in California is a little like that – and this pair will need career-bests to get into the mix. That also applies to Woodbine specialist Who’s The Star, on a four-timer now but well beaten on his last three starts below the border.
Pegasus World Cup Turf Future Book Early Prediction
California turf races are not usually the strongest and it’s best to side with recent course and distance winner CITY MAN, who is in the form of his life.
| HORSE | PEGASUS TURF ODDS BY JAZZSPORTS |
| Ivar | +350 |
| City Man | +450 |
| Colonel Liam | +600 |
| Shirl’s Speight | +600 |
| Cabo Spirit | +800 |
| Decorated Invader | +1000 |
| Master Piece | +1000 |
| Dicey Mo Chara | +1200 |
| Speaking Scout | +1400 |
| Wit | +1400 |
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