Gulfstream: O'Connor rides rail late to capture Harlan's Holiday

O’Connor slipped through a tight opening along the rail and launched a determined stretch bid in the Grade 3, $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday on  Saturday at Gulfstream Park, virtually clinching an invitation to the Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 27.

The Harlan’s Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus (G1) at Gulfstream, co-headlined Saturday’s program with the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes that served as a prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) on the same day.

Owned by Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode, O’Connor ($9.20) earned his second consecutive graded-stakes victory in the Harlan’s Holiday.

The 6-year-old Chilean-bred raced in midpack while running one path off the rail around the first turn and along the backstretch as Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemate Ny Traffic set the pace, pressed by Grand Aspen while setting fractions of 23.73 and 47.12 seconds for the first half mile. Tyler Gaffalione and O’Connor advanced to third while dropping down to the rail leaving the backstretch, as Ny Traffic and Grand Aspen picked up the pace. Leaving the turn into the stretch, Gaffalione sent O’Connor through a tight opening inside Ny Traffic as Grand Aspen took over the lead.

“I know he’s an older horse and he’s run a bunch of times, but it seems like he’s figuring things out right now,” Gaffalione said.

Joseph tried to sort out the series of events in the Harlan’s Holiday.

“A lot of different emotions. Ny Traffic was going good in front, and I don’t know what he did. Javier said he kind of looked at something. Then it looked like O’Connor was going to get (stuck on) the rail and all of a sudden it looked like were going to run second and fourth,” Joseph said. “Then it looked like Ny Traffic was going to win and finally O’Connor came and got the job done at the end. That’s racing. So many different emotions during a short race and thankfully we got the job done. Both horses ran well. Tyler gave (O’Connor) a great ride.”

O’Connor, a multiple-group winner in Chile, finished fourth as the favorite in last season’s Harlan’s Holiday following an impressive U.S. debut.

“Last year I didn’t think he could get beat. I’ve learned the least I know the better I do,” Joseph said. “Fast forward one year and we got the job done. We’re proud of him, obviously. He’s a horse that’s won two in a row now and he’s doing what we thought he could do,” said Joseph, who saddled O’Connor for a victory in the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland in his prior start.

Joseph, who is also pointing Skippylongstocking to the Pegasus, said the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Pegasus should suit O’Connor.

“Distance will be better for him,” Joseph said. “He’s probably best at a 1 1/4 mile.”