15 invited to inaugural Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf
Grade 1 winners Abscond, Lady Speightspeare, Mucho Unusual and Regal Glory top 15 horses invited to the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf.
Abscond in 2019 and Lady Speightspeare in 2020 captured the Natalma at Woodbine; Mucho Unusual won the 2020 Rodeo Drive and Regal Glory won the Matriarch Nov. 28 at Santa Anita to cap her 2021 campaign.
A total of seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses will be offered on Pegasus Day, including the return of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf and the debut of the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3).
Also on the invite list is Robert and Lawana Low’s Sweet Melania, who earned her third career graded-stakes triumph in the Dec. 18 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream. She shares the shedrow for Pletcher, who joins Richard Baltas (Ginobili, Bob and Jackie, Bodhicitta) as the only trainers with invitees in all three races.
“We plan to run Sweet Melania in there. She ran good in her last start and it’s good timing for her to come back. She’s really come out of that race in sharp form, so that’s what we’re thinking there,” Pletcher said. “Fingers crossed, (20) days out, we’ve got some chances. We’ll hope everything goes smoothly.”
Rounding out the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf invitees are two-time Grade 3 winner Alms; 2020 Yellow Ribbon (G2) winner Bodhicitta; 2021 Edgewood (G2) winner Gift List; 2021 American Oaks (G1) runner-up Nicest; multiple graded-stakes winner Princess Grace; 2021 Noble Damsel (G3) winner Shifty She; 2021 Dowger (G3) winner Summer in Saratoga; and In a Hurry, third to Sweet Melania in the Suwannee River.
The also-eligible list includes Abscond, Bipartisanship and Burgoo Alley.