Kukulkan racing on at Gulfstream after Pegasus World Cup

Kukulkan, Mexico’s Triple Crown winner who reeled off 14 consecutive victories before finishing 11th Saturday in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), will remain at Gulfstream Park, trainer Fausto Gutierrez said Wednesday morning.

Gutierrez said 2018 Clasico del Caribe winner Kukulkan will be joined by stablemate and 2017 Clasico del Caribe winner Jala Jala, who will also run at Gulfstream.

“We don’t know right now when they’ll run or where,” Gutierrez said. “Kukulkan returned to the track this morning. We will look at all our options. Maybe we’ll run in an allowance race.

"We need to try again. Whether it’s the same level of competition….this we will see. We know it’s a challenge, but we need to know the true potential of our horses.”

Gutierrez said international champion jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode Kukulkan in the Pegasus, told him the 4-year-old colt did not like the off track.

“He jumped good, but didn’t have the speed to keep up with the pace and we started to get the kick back and it was all over," Dettori said after Saturday's race.

Jala Jala is a possibility for the Royal Delta (G3) Feb. 16, but “we need to check on the group [entered] and maybe take a look at another [race],” Gutierrez said.