Pegasus World Cup notes: Seeking the Soul posts A-rated breeze

Charles Fipke’s Seeking the Soul worked five-eighths of a mile in 59 4/5 seconds Saturday morning at the Fair Grounds in his final major training move for the Grade 1, $9 million Pegasus World Cup. The work over a fast track was the second-fastest of 42 moves at five furlongs. The clockers caught the Dallas Stewart-trained 6-year-old horse galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13 right after the track opened at 5:45 a.m.

Told that clocker Don Winfree, a long-time trainer of note, summed up the performance as an “A work,” Stewart said with a laugh, “Let’s go with that. I agree…The horse worked great. He’s doing great.”

Seeking the Soul finished fifth in last year’s Pegasus. The son of Fipke’s stallion Perfect Soul has a 6-5-6 mark in 23 starts for earnings of $1.7 million, including victory in Churchill Downs’ Grade 1 Clark Handicap in 2017. He concluded his 2018 season with victory in Churchill’s Ack Ack (G3), second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile won by Pegasus contender City of Light and most recently third in defense of his Clark title.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has the Pegasus mount on Seeking the Soul.

The other Fair Grounds-based horse, GMB Racing’s Tenacious Stakes winner Tom’s d’Etat, is to have his final work Sunday for trainer Al Stall. Both horses are to fly to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.

Bravazo & Lukas Arrive at Gulfstream

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas drove through the Gulfstream stable gate Saturday morning at approximately 9 a.m. with his Preakness (G1) runner-up Bravazo. Lukas, who vanned the 4-year-old from Oaklawn Park, comes into the Pegasus World Cup off a second-place finish Nov. 23 in the Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs. The son of Awesome Again previously finished third Nov. 3 in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Bravazo, like Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) entry Aerolithe, is expected to go to the track for the first time Sunday morning.

Other works of note

Also working for the Pegasus Saturday were Gunnevera, third in last year’s race and an earner of more than $4 million in purses, six furlongs in 1:13.20 at Gulfstream Park West; 2018 Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible, four furlongs in 48.42 seconds at Palm Beach Downs, fastest of 21 horses; and Cigar Mile (G1) winner Patternrecognition working four furlongs at Palm Meadows in 49.45.

Working Saturday for the Pegasus Turf were Accelerate’s Grade 2-winning stablemate Catapult, five furlongs in 1:00 at Santa Anita; 2017 Hall of Fame (G2) winner Bricks and Mortar, five furlongs in 59.50 seconds at Palm Meadows; and Dubby Dubbie, five furlongs in 1:02.80 on the grass at Gulfstream.