Bricks and Mortar flies late, wins Pegasus World Cup Turf

Card North America’s richest turf race ever, and guess who you can’t overlook? 

Trainer Chad Brown, known for his prowess on the green and fresh off an Eclipse Award for top trainer, saw his Bricks and Mortar fly late to take the Grade 1, $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf on Saturday at Gulfstream Park in what was just his second race in more than a year.

The 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway returned from injury to tune up for this spot with a Dec. 22 allowance optional claiming score over this course.

Brown said it took "a lot of time and patience" to get the Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence runner back to form. But expectations have always been high for a runner who won his first four starts in 2017.

“Ian Brennan at Stonestreet Farm did a terrific job rehabbing this horse,” Brown said. “Dr. Larry Bramlage (at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital) worked on this horse about 16 months ago when it looked like he might have a career-ending injury. He fixed him. There was a lot of teamwork, a lot of patience. When you go into a race this big take a big gamble – it paid off today.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who also just won an Eclipse Award, credited Brown for getting Bricks and Mortar ready for the Pegasus off one race.

“That’s a lot of work. Not too many trainers can do that,” Ortiz Jr. said. “He’s got good horses, but he knows what he’s doing, and he’s really good, too.”

In the Pegasus, West Coast-based mare Fahan Mura jumped to the lead over the Japanese mare Aerolithe. Fahan Mura set opening quarter-mile fractions in 22.94 and 47.93 with Dubby Dubbie close to the pace in third. Coolmore’s filly, Magic Wand, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and based in Ireland, was in fourth ahead of Bricks and Mortar.

Next Shares, Delta Prince, Channel Maker hung back while the favorite Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt, took up the rear. Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Catapult rushed up from mid-pack to take the lead and tick off three-quarters in 1:11.60.

Delta Prince moved into second turning for home with Bricks and Mortar on his heels. Yoshida turned wide, but only had a mild rally. Magic Wand was behind horses and squeezed in between Catapult and Delta Prince, but Bricks and Mortar had a clear run on the outside. He pulled clear under Ortiz Jr. and finished off the 1 3/16 miles over yielding turf in 1:54.59. He won by 2 1/2 lengths.

Magic Wand ran second over Delta Prince, Catapult, Channel Maker, Yoshida, Next Shares, Dubby Dubbie, Aerolithe and Fahan Mura.

Yoshida opened last season by winning the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) on a rainy Kentucky Derby day on the turf, then won the Woodward Stakes (G1) over Saratoga’s dirt in September. The Bill Mott trainee last ran fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“The bottom line is (Yoshida) wasn’t making up much ground on them from the eighth pole to the wire. I’m not going to give him a huge excuse,” Mott said. “As it turns out, maybe Yoshida is going to be better on the dirt.”

The Pegasus World Cup Turf was the sixth win in eight starts for Bricks and Mortar, whose two losses were thirds in graded stakes company. While he had won at the Grade 2 level, the Pegasus was his first time against Grade 1 company. His share of the purse pushed his earnings over the $3 million mark.

“For a little while there, I didn’t think I’d have a horse for the race. I had been resting a lot of them,” Brown said. “Bricks and Mortar came in fresh when I was resting other ones. Thanks to Seth (Klarman) and Bill (Lawrence), they were game enough to put up a big entry fee and give it a shot. The horse just performed beautifully.”