They’ll be fighting on and off the track at Pegasus World Cup
The fighting won’t be confined to the Gulfstream Park racetrack when the Pegasus World Cup — the richest race in North America with a purse of $9 million — is run for the third time on Saturday.
That’s because The Stronach Group, the family owned business that is the biggest racetrack operator in the U.S., is embroiled in an ugly family legal battle that will be hanging over the marquee day of racing in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
Family patriarch Frank Stronach, who made billions as the founder of the Magna auto parts manufacturing company, and his daughter, Belinda, a former member of Canada’s Parliament who took the reins at The Stronach Group in 2013, are locked in a court battle over how those billions are being spent. Bloomberg News published an update on the feud on Wednesday, which is worth reading if you want the gory details or have concerns that this might ultimately affect some of the company’s properties, including Santa Anita, Gulfstream and Golden Gate Fields.
But I mention the familial fracas purely for reasons of titillation. What horseplayers care about is the stellar 12-race card, including seven graded stakes, at Gulfstream on Saturday. The card will be capped by the Pegasus World Cup and a new addition with nearly as much cash attached – the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.
The #RJhorseracing handicapping corps will weigh in on both races momentarily — as will I — but let me first set the stage for the main event.
Accelerate, the Breeders’ Cup Classic champ who is making the final start of his career, is the 9-5 morning line favorite in the 1⅛-mile Pegasus World Cup, but Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light, Cigar Mile winner Patternrecognition and Triple Crown participants Audible and Bravazo are among those with chances to upset the apple cart.
Favorites have done well in the brief history of the Pegasus World Cup, with Arrogate and Gun Runner both following up their wins in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with even bigger paydays at Gulfstream. But the 1⅛-mile distance was a smart choice for the race, as it invites top milers like City of Light and Patternrecognition to try to stretch their speed for another 220 yards.
#RJhorseracing featured races
The #RJhorseracing handicappers were nearly evenly divided in the Pegasus World Cup and the Turf Invitational, a 1 3/16th-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up.
Bricks and Mortar (5-1), held the narrowest of leads at deadline over Yoshida, the 5-2 morning line favorite, and Catapult (7-2).
I, too, think Yoshida is a heck of a horse, but his late-running style makes him vulnerable. I’ll use Catapult on top, with Yoshida and the Japanese mare Aerolithe (8-1) filling out my top three.
In the World Cup, the crowd ’cappers are expressing strong confidence that Accelerate will go out a winner as he heads off to the breeding shed. They like City of Light (5-2), winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and Gunnevera (8-1) filling out the minor placings.
“Sometimes you have to stop yourselves from out-dumbing them,” handicapper Howie Reed said of the heavy favorite. “This is one of those times. Hard to pick anyone else.”
Good point, Howie, but I’m going to disagree in this case (despite the fact that Accelerate burned me when I went against him in the Classic).
I think City of Light’s race in the Dirt Mile was just as impressive as Accelerate’s and he gets credit for having beaten Accelerate at this distance last spring in the Oaklawn Handicap. The only question I have here is whether Patternrecognition (10-1) will soften him up on the front end enough for Accelerate to catch them both.
I’ll take my chances and use City of Light on top, with Accelerate and True Timber (30-1) in the minor placings.
Last week’s picks
The crowd ’cappers correctly called LeComte Stakes winner War of Will ($5.20) and had the winner of the Col. E.R Bradley Stakes, First Premio ($7.20), picked second.
I, too, had First Premio in the second slot but my LeComte pick, Manny Wah, only managed to run third.
You can always check to see how we’re doing at http://bit.ly/2HxxwwB.
Mike Brunker’s horse racing column appears Friday. He can be reached at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.
Ellis Starr’s Pegasus World Cup analysis
I think three horses can win this year’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational.
Of the three, Tom’s d’Etat (20-1) interests me the most. Tossing out his debut in May 2016 on turf, Tom’s d’Etat has done little wrong, winning six of eight races. He won three of four in 2017, culminating with a nine length win at the 9-furlong Pegasus trip in the summer of 2017, earning a then career-best 117 Equibase Speed Figure in the process. Away from the races for 15 months, last November Tom’s d’Etat picked up where he had left off with a seven length win and 112 figure, improving to a 119 figure last month when easily winning the Tenacious Stakes. The pattern for improvement in his third start off the layoff is unmistakable and as he has a two-for-two record at the distance.
City of Light (5-2) is the only reason Accelerate did not have an unblemished seven-for-seven record last year. City of Light had won the Malibu Stakes and Triple Bend Stakes prior to beating Accelerate by a neck in the Oaklawn Handicap last April. Then after two defeats, he finished off his four year old campaign with a powerful two and three-quarter length win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, earning a career-best 126 figure. That figure is not only the best last race figure in the field but also the best figure earned by any horse in the field, ever. Pointing for this race since resuming training in December, City of Light was working phenomenally at trainer McCarthy’s home base at Santa Anita and then shipped into Gulfstream for an extraordinary workout on Jan. 19 — a half-mile in 47.2, which was the best of 104 workouts at the distance on the day.
Accelerate held top form last year from February through November, which is no easy task. He has three wins at this distance and his only defeat was when second to City of Light. Although Accelerate only earned a 115 figure winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he earned a 120 figure in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May and followed that up with a 122 figure effort winning the Pacific Classic in August by a stunning 12 lengths. As such, there can be little doubt Accelerate has the ability to run well enough to win this year’s Pegasus.
For consideration on exacta tickets: Bravazo, Seeking the Gold, True Timber and Gunnevera fit the bill.
Ellis Starr is the national racing analyst for Equibase. Visit the Equibase website for more on the race or to purchase handicapping products.
Pegasus World Cup Invitational field
Post position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1), Bravazo, Luis Saez, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1
2), Something Awesome, Edgar Prado, Jose Corrales, 20-1
3), City of Light, Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy, 5-2
4), Seeking the Soul, John Velazquez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 12-1
5), Accelerate, Joel Rosario, John Sadler, 9-5
6), Tom’s d’Etat, Shaun Bridgmohan, Albert Stall Jr., 20-1
7), True Timber, Joe Bravo, Kieran McLaughlin, 30-1
8), Gunnevera, Irad Ortiz Jr., Antonio Sano, 8-1
9), Kukulkan, Lanfranco Dettori, Fausto Gutierrez, 30-1
10), Audible, Flavien Pratt, Todd Pletcher, 10-1
11), Imperative, Tyler Gaffalione, Anthony Gartarolo, 30-1
12), Patternrecognition, Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown, 10-1
