Stakes Tracker: Latest look at Pegasus World Cup 2018 field
The headliners have all assembled for the 2018 Pegasus World Cup with recent Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner Sharp Azteca now reportedly in the field.
On Sunday, Ron Paolucci told the Daily Racing Form he has come to an agreement with Sharp Azteca owner Ivan Rodriguez to enter the colt in the Jan. 27 race at Gulfstream Park.
"It's a big relief knowing Sharp Azteca is now likely to run in Pegasus so we can really start to focus on the race," trainer Jorge Navarro told DRF.
So, where does that leave us?
In addition to Sharp Azteca (1), those confirmed to be targeting the Pegasus include all the Breeders’ Cup Classic’s top finishers: Gun Runner (2), Collected (3), West Coast (4), Gunnevera (5) and War Story (6).
Recent $6 million Coolmore purchase Stellar Wind (7) will finish her career in the Pegasus, while Grade 1 Clark Handicap winner Seeking the Soul (8) will represent owner Charles Fipke. One-time Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Toast of New York (9) is a go. Also, off his Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes win, Giant Expectations (10) is Pegasus-bound.
With 10 seemingly confirmed, that leaves two spots, and more than a handful of others under consideration:
Paolucci and Navarro, already partnering on two other entries, seem likely to send graded stakes placed 4-year-old Game Over. Paolucci said last week the horse was “70-30” to go.
Over the weekend, trainer Mark Casse said Leavem in Malibu, a Gary Barber-Owned winner of Woodbine’s Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes, could take a step up in the Pegasus. The horse was due to breeze Monday.
Dale Romans-trained Singing Bullet has emerged as a potential entry for Stronach Stables and Frank Stronach, who owns a race slot. The 4-year-old by Hard Spun, however, ran fourth last out in allowance optional claiming company at Gulfstream. Stronach could run one of his own horses or lease another in that spot.
If any of those aforementioned three don’t go, others considered Pegasus possible are Fear The Cowboy and Giuseppe the Great, who both won their last starts at Gulfstream, as well as Destin and Prime Attraction, who were defeated last out.
The Derby Trail
• Look for more on a trio of 2018 Kentucky Derby preps coming up with the Grade 3 Lecomte, the Jerome and Smarty Jones Stakes all within the next week via HRN’s Derby Daily blog.
• We’ll learn more soon on graded stakes fields Saturday at Gulfstream Park. For now, we’ve got nominations, which include Heart to Heart in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale.
La Canada Stakes probables
Trainer Peter Eurton said Grade 1 winner Champagne Room will head to the Jan. 20 Sam Houston Ladies Classic, leaving the Grade 2, $200,000 La Canada Stakes wide open Saturday at Santa Anita.
Mick Ruis-trained Union Strike is expected to make her 4-year-old debut in Monday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes. As of now, it looks like a field of seven.