Pegasus World Cup: See invitation lists for 2 turf races

Master of the Seas, Ireland-bred winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Mile, and fellow millionaire Atone, the defending champion, top 12 horses and nine reserves on the initial list of invitations to the Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus Turf for 4-year-olds and up is part of a program that includes $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2, see below).

Master of the Seas, based in Europe with trainer Charlie Appleby, made a dramatic late run from 11th of 13 to catch Mawj on the line and win the Breeders’ Cup Mile by a nose Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. It was the third straight U.S. start for the 6-year-old son of Dubawi after a win in the Woodbine Mile (G1) and a second in Keeneland’s Turf Mile (G1) by a nose to Up to the Mark. Master of the Seas owns five combined group-stakes wins in England and Dubai.

Also invited from Europe is Ireland-bred 4-year-old filly Warm Heart, whose lone North American start came when second by a neck to favored Inspiral in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf . She won the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) at York and Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) at Longchamp and was third in the Hong Kong Vase (G1) last month.

Atone has run in the Pegasus Turf each of the last two years, capturing the 2023 edition by three-quarters of a length as the third choice in a full field of 12. The 7-year-old gelding owns seven wins and $1.3 million in earnings from 29 career starts and has placed in four other graded-stakes including seconds in the 2021 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream, and 2022 Forbidden Apple (G3) and Mint Million (G3). He will try to become the second back-to-back winner of the Pegasus Turf after Colonel Liam in 2021 and 2022.

Trainer Mike Maker, who won his first Pegasus Turf with Zulu Alpha in 2020, has Atone’s stablemate Therapist on the invitation list. Therapist is a 14-time winner with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings andnine stakes victories, earning Grade 1 credentials in the July 22 United Nations and scoring in the 2018 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream.

Adhamo is an Ireland-bred 6-year-old trained by Chad Brown, winner of the inaugural Pegasus Turf in 2019 with eventual horse of the year Bricks and Mortar. A Group 3 winner in France, Adhamo has made nine North American starts, the last eight in Grade 1 races, with a victory in the 2022 United Nations. Brown also is represented by Program Trading, winner of the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) and Hollywood Derby (G1) in 2023, the latter Dec. 2.

Catnip put together three consecutive wins last spring and summer capped by the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth (G3) at Monmouth Park, where the 5-year-old gelding also ran second to Therapist in the United Nations.

Four-year-old Integration is undefeated in three career starts, breaking his maiden and winning the Virginia Derby (G3) over Program Trading at Colonial Downs before taking the Hill Prince (G2) in mid-November for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

Main Event is a three-time winner over the Gulfstream turf, topped by stakes wins in the 2022 Cutler Bay and the Dec. 30 Fort Lauderdale (G2), local prep for the Pegasus Turf. It was the second straight win for the 5-year-old son of champion Bernardini and second in a graded-stakes following the 2022 Kent (G3) at Delaware Park.

Kingmax earned his way onto the invitation list with his dramatic runner-up finish by a head in the Fort Lauderdale. Group 3-placed in England in 2022, the 5-year-old won each of his first two North American starts last summer at Monmouth before finishing fifth in the Seagram Cup (G2) over Woodbine’s all-weather surface in July, his last start before the Fort Lauderdale.

Chile-bred Master Piece was a Group 2 winner in his native country before coming to the U.S., where he owns graded-stakes wins in the 2022 Eddie Read (G2) at Del Mar and Nov. 11 Red Smith (G2) at Aqueduct, his most recent start. Seventh in last year’s Pegasus Turf, Master Piece went on to be third in both the Mac Diarmida (G2) and Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream.

Shirl’s Speight won the 2020 Marine (G3) in his second career start and added graded triumphs in the 2022 Tampa Bay (G3) and Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). Trained by Hall of Famer Roger Attfield, the 6-year-old is winless in five starts this year with his best finish being a second in the Woodbine Mile (G1).

Webslinger is a three-time stakes winner topped by the American Turf (G2) at Churchill Downs last May. An optional claiming allowance winner last winter at Gulfstream that also ran second in its Colonel Liam, the 4-year-old exits a runner-up finish in the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar.

Leading the reserve list are Jerry the Nipper and Grand Sonata, separated by a head when respectively third and fourth in the Fort Lauderdale for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who also trained Colonel Liam to his successive Pegasus Turf wins. Jerry the Nipper has six wins and has placed in six other stakes, all against New York-breds, and Grand Sonata won the Dania Beach and Kitten’s Joy (G3) in the winter of 2022 at Gulfstream.

Other reserves are 2023 Dueling Grounds Derby (G3) winner Anglophile; 2021 Louisville (G3) winner Cellist; two-time Grade 2-placed I’m Very Busy; 2023 Tokyo City Handicap (G3) winner Missed the Cut; 2022 Bowling Green (G2) winner Rockemperor; 2023 Bryan Station (G3) winner Runaway Storm and Watsonville, winner of the Dec. 26 Mathis Mile (G2) at Santa Anita.

Pegasus World Cup Turf

Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf

Defending champion Queen Goddess leads 12 invitees to the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf. The 6-year-old mare went on to run third in the Jenny Wiley (G1) and second in the Goldikova (G2) last year, separated by 1 1/2 lengths combined.

Other graded-stakes winners on the primary invitation list are Accomplished Girl, runner-up in the Dec. 30 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream; Closing Remarks, who beat Queen Goddess in the Goldikova; Consumer Spending, Didia, Fluffy Socks, Suwannee River winner Full Count Felicia, Mission of Joy, Ruby Nell, Star Fortress and Surprisingly.

The reserve list includes Be My Sunshine, winner of the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 23 at Gulfstream, graded-stakes winners Cairo Consort and Sparkle Blue, and multiple stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl, nominated to the Jan. 13 Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf for Florida-breds at Gulfstream.

Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf