The fourth edition of the Pegasus World Cup Turf co-headlines Gulfstream Park’s 12-race Saturday card. That card offers seven graded stakes and $5.2 million in purses.

It also offers Colonel Liam the opportunity to do what neither of his predecessors as Pegasus World Cup Turf champions did: defend. Neither inaugural 2019 winner Bricks and Mortar nor 2020 winner Zulu Alpha returned for a title defense.

To do so, however, requires navigating a 12-horse field featuring 11 stakes winners, nine of those graded. Unlike the Pegasus World Cup, which figures to be a two-horse race between Knicks Go and Life Is Good, the Pegasus World Cup Turf is a free-for-all, at least according to the odds.

Four single-digit odds entries

Stablemate Never Surprised (Post 12) checks in as the second favorite at 7/2. Not far behind are Sacred Life (Post 8-6/1) and Hit the Road (Post 5-8/1).

Making event history also requires Colonel Liam to find the form he opened 2021 with. The form that brought him to last year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf winner’s circle. Not the form that sent him reeling to an eighth-place finish in June’s Grade 1 Manhattan.

“I think over the years, we’ve done pretty well in layoff situations,” trainer Todd Pletcher told Gulfstream Park. “I think it was important that we got the works into him that we did and we were fortunate enough that everything went according to the way we mapped it out. So I feel good about that. You never know if they’re going to be quite as sharp off a layoff, but he’s certainly trained well enough and has run well fresh before. Hopefully, we can get the same type of effort. He’s given us every indication that he’s come up to it as good as ever.”

Don’t be surprised about Never Surprised

Colonel Liam’s stablemate, Never Surprised, could do just that. Only it wouldn’t be a surprise. The 4-year-old will attempt to follow his stablemate’s path to the winner’s circle, winning the Tropical Park Derby last month. Colonel Liam captured that race in 2020.

The front-running Never Surprised comes in with a two-race winning streak and never finishing outside the exacta in seven races (4-3-0).

“Never Surprised is a free-running horse and he’s got good natural speed. The key is just trying to get him to settle and relax,” Pletcher said. “I think he made a real step forward last time in the Tropical Derby. It was a very impressive performance. We’ll let him do his thing and hopefully, he won’t overachieve early on. If he’s able to just relax and settle in and get away with a decent pace, then I think he could be dangerous.”

Pegasus Turf rubber match for Field Pass, Sacred Life

Sacred Life could be very dangerous if he channels his winning form from last fall’s Grade 3 Knickerbocker at Belmont Park. There, he nipped Pegasus rival Field Pass by a half-length. Field Pass returned the favor six weeks later in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit at Del Mar. The 7-year-old French ridgling has hit the board 15 times in 22 starts.

Speaking of Field Pass (Post 9-10/1), he comes in with more stakes wins than any other horse in the field — seven. He also comes in as one of four Mike Maker entries in the field. Maker also sends out Cross Border (Post 11-15/1), Atone (Post 2, 20/1), and Flavius (Post 3-15/1).

The most experienced horse in the field, with 39 starts, Cross Border finished third to Colonel Liam and Largent last year. The 8-year-old son of standout turf sire English Channel, Cross Border has 11 wins and 24 in-the-money finishes. But he’s never managed better than a second and two thirds on Gulfstream Park’s turf course.

Hit the Road does just that

Hit the Road is seeking his first victory outside California and a better outcome than his fifth in the Maker’s Mark Mile last spring. He stretches out a furlong from his customary eight-furlong race routine. Eleven of his 12 career starts came at a mile.

Rounding out the field are Space Traveller (Post 1-12/1), March To The Arch (Post 4-20/1), Doswell (Post 7-10/1), and returner Channel Cat (Post 10, 12/1).

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The Pegasus World Cup Turf and its sister race, the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, headline a seven-graded-stakes card offering $5.2 million in purses. Both those races send their 4-and-up contestants 1 1/8 miles.

First among equals there is Colonel Liam, the 5-year-old Liam’s Map progeny who was North America’s most dominant older turf male in 2021. He won the Tropical Park Derby, the prep for this race, on Boxing Day 2020.

That kick-started a four-race winning streak that brought Colonel Liam the Pegasus World Cup Turf title (by a neck over stablemate Largent). That, in turn, sent Colonel Liam to victories in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds in March and the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Turf Classic sent a message for Colonel Liam’s backers

The Turf Classic also foreshadowed a changing of the guard. As the 1.40/1 favorite, Colonel Liam got caught at the wire for a dead heat by Domestic Spending. The two resumed their nascent rivalry a month later in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, whereupon Domestic Spending finished nearly 11 lengths and seven places ahead of Colonel Liam.

Placing a dull eighth of 10 at 3.80/1, Colonel Liam never got closer than third for the 1 1/2-mile trip. And with that, trainer Todd Pletcher flipped a switch. Pletcher worked him four times — twice at Belmont Park and twice at Saratoga — in July, then shut him down until Dec. 2. Colonel Liam has worked six times since that Dec. 2 outing, all at Palm Beach Downs.

All his works but one were on the dirt.

Colonel Liam training to Pegasus World Cup Turf

“We’ve kind of had in mind that our best approach for him to try and defend his Turf title is just to train up to it,” Pletcher told Gulfstream Park. “He had some time off and he’s a horse that we think will run well fresh. He’s put enough into his training that, hopefully, we can have him ready to run a good race off the layoff.”

Waiting for Colonel Liam on the invite list are Pletcher stablemates Largent and Never Surprised. Largent came out of his recent layoff into a fourth at last weekend’s Grade 3 Tropical Turf. Never Surprised won his third stakes race on Dec. 26 with his score in the Tropical Park Derby.

“We were happy with his race over the course. It’s kind of similar to what Colonel Liam did last year, going from the Tropical Derby to the Pegasus,” Pletcher said.

Five Grade 1 winners in the field

Also waiting for Pletcher’s trio are Grade 1 winners Channel Cat, Hit the Road, Point Me By, and Two Emmys. Channel Cat won the Grade 1 Man ‘o War at Belmont Park last year. Hit the Road did the same at Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile. Point Me By won the Grade 1 Bruce D Stakes, and Two Emmys captured the Grade 1 Mr D Stakes at Arlington Park last summer.

2022 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invite List

• Channel Cat
• Colonel Liam
• Cross Border
• Doswell
• Field Pass
• Hit the Road
• Largent
• March to the Arch
• Never Surprised
• Point Me By
• Sacred Life
• Two Emmys
• Atone (AE)
• Bob and Jackie (AE)
• English Bee (AE)
• Flavius (AE)
• Law Professor (AE)
• Space Traveller (AE)

* Also Eligible

Mike Maker, who won the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Turf with Zulu Alpha, brings four to the invite list: Cross Border, Field Pass, Atone, and Flavius. Cross Border and Field Pass are multiple graded-stakes winners. Atone was runner-up to fellow Pegasus invitee Doswell in last month’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale. Flavius owns stakes victories in both the US and Europe.

Other invitees include two-time Grade 2 winner March to the Arch and Sacred Life, a Grade 3 winner in the US and France. Atone, Space Traveller, Bob and Jackie, English Bee, Flavius, and Law Professor are on the also-eligible invite list. They would need a defection from one of the 12 main-list invitees to get into the field.

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Pletcher won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational last year with Colonel Liam, who will return to defend his title in the same race on the Jan. 29 card. His best finish in the dirt edition of the race is a third with Neolithic in 2017.

The Pegasus World Cup and Pegasus World Cup Turf headline Gulfstream Park’s seven-graded stakes card that day. They also give Pletcher, who owns 18 Gulfstream Championship Meet titles, a chance to burnish his Hall of Fame credentials.

The races give race fans a chance to see Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good tangle with Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Knicks Go in an early 2022 marquee matchup. Knicks Go will also return to defend his Pegasus title in what will likely be his farewell race before he heads off to stallion duty.

Life Is Good was very good in the Dirt Mile

Life Is Good comes into the Pegasus off one of the most dominant Breeders’ Cup outings of any winner. His 5 ¾-length romp as the 3/5 favorite in the Dirt Mile was the largest victory margin of any Breeders’ Cup winner. And it whetted the appetite to see what the son of Into Mischief can do in 2022.

“He’s an extremely impressive horse to watch train. What everybody saw in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in his training,�?Pletcher said.

This promises to be a clash of two front-runners. Knicks Go’s ability to seize the lead and take all the oxygen out of his competitors is well-documented. All you need to do is watch his 2 ¾-length front-running victory in the Classic.

One turn, two turns, neither faze him

As for Life Is Good, he’s set the pace in all six of his races. Unlike Knicks Go, who had trouble with one-turn races, Life Is Good found the winner’s circle in one-turn jaunts like the Kelso, which he won by 5 ½ lengths. He also won two-turn trips, such as the Grade 2 San Felipe, which he won by eight lengths, and the Dirt Mile.

The only race he hasn’t won in six events is the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga. Life Is Good held the lead into the stretch before Jackie’s Warrior nosed him out by a neck. That race came at seven furlongs and after a 5 ½-month layoff, none of which detracts from the fact Life Is Good won races at distances from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

“He’s got speed and the ability to carry it over a route of ground,�?Pletcher said. “He’s just a very, very talented, impressive horse. We’re optimistic that he’ll continue to stretch out. He certainly trains like a horse that wants to go further. We’re excited about getting him back for next year.�?/p>

Can Colonel Liam find his command again?

Colonel Liam, meanwhile, opened 2021 as the older male turf horse to beat. He won the Pegasus World Cup Turf, then grabbed the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial and the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. But, after a miserable eighth by nearly 11 lengths in the Grade 1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard, Pletcher put him on the shelf for the duration of the year.

Colonel Liam emerged with two, three-furlong workouts in December. Both came on dirt at Palm Beach Downs: a bullet 37.67-second work out Dec. 10, and a 38.26-second effort on Dec. 2. That latter workout was Colonel Liam’s first since a 48.05-second turf breeze at Saratoga on July 24.

“He’s at Palm Beach Downs now and training really well. We’re looking forward to having him defend his Pegasus World Cup Turf title,�?Pletcher said. “Hopefully, everything goes smoothly. He’s doing well at the moment.�?/p>

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He didn’t fly below bettor’s radars in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes, however, going off as the 8/5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses. Nor did he disappoint, weaving through traffic and putting on a fierce stretch drive, reeling in Somelikeithotbrown to win the $300,000 turf test.

Set Piece’s time of 1:40.50 for the 8 ½ furlongs was just .24 seconds off Kasaqui’s 4-year-old stakes record for the event. And the worst-to-first effort continued Set Piece’s upward trajectory as one of North America’s male turf horses to watch.

“He’s a very nice horse. No matter where he comes from, inside or outside, he always seems to rally late,�?jockey Florent Geroux told Churchill Downs after the race. “Turning for home, he gave me his best run. I’m very proud of this horse and I think this year is the best we’ve seen from him.�?/p>

Set Piece takes his first graded-stakes race

It’s certainly in the discussion. The Wise Dan gave Set Piece his third consecutive victory this year and third consecutive win at Churchill Downs. He won the Opening Verse and Douglas Park Overnight Stakes earlier in the meet.

“He’s run some of his best races here at Churchill,�?trainer Brad Cox said earlier in the week. “We think he’s rounding into top form this year.�?/p>

Four of Set Piece’s nine career victories came at Churchill Downs, so he obviously likes the Twin Spires. But it’s understandable how he flew below many radars coming into the Wise Dan. Those two 2021 stakes wins were Black-Type Stakes, the bottom tier of the stakes ladder. The Wise Dan gave Set Piece his first graded-stakes title.

Hidden below the radar until now

More importantly, the Wise Dan could put Set Piece into the next tier of older turf horses. Beating Somelikeithotbrown, third-place Ride a Comet, and fourth-place Field Pass �?all graded-stakes-placed horses �?means this 5-year-old gelding could be ready for bigger game.

That bigger game is a big ask, though. Making that next leap forward means Set Piece will tangle with the likes of Domestic Spending, Colonel Liam, Smooth Like Strait, Channel Maker, Arklow, and Raging Bull. That’s who awaits at the next level in this division.

A British-bred son of Dansili, Set Piece opened his 2021 campaign finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes. That came with a 105 Equibase, one of eight consecutive triple-digit Equibases on his resume. Since his victory in a December Turfway Park allowance optional claiming race, Set Piece owns five victories in his last seven races. He’s 9-1-1 in his 16-race career.

“We think he’s rounding into top form this year,�?Cox said. “We got him from Juddmonte (Farm) last year and thought a lot of him. And he keeps improving.�?/p>

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That came at the Grade 1 Turf Classic, on the Kentucky Derby undercard. There, Domestic Spending made the most of his 4-year-old debut, rallying furiously in deep stretch to catch leader Colonel Liam at the wire. The final lunge got Domestic Spending a share of the first dead-heat in the 35-year old history of the Turf Classic.

So, the pair moved to Belmont Park for last Saturday’s Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes. Domestic Spending came in with a three-race winning streak, including two Grade 1s. Colonel Liam came in with a four-race winning streak, including that Turf Classic. He also won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds. He came in 6-for-8 and with the legitimate mantle of best male turf router in North America.

For now, however, Colonel Liam no longer holds that title. Not after his head-scratching eighth-place finish. And not after Domestic Spending captured a decisive 2 ¾-length victory in the Manhattan, one of the seven Grade 1 races on Belmont Park’s Belmont Stakes undercard.

Brown putting away quite a few Manhattans

At this pace, the New York Racing Association may eventually change the name of this race to the Brown Stakes. Domestic Spending’s victory gave trainer Chad Brown his third consecutive Manhattan title and sixth in the last eight events. Brown won three consecutive Manhattans from 2014-2016 and just downed his second Manhattan triple.

“This has been an important race for us,�?Brown told the NYRA after the race last week. “It is one of the premier turf races for males at a classic distance in the country and I hold it in high regard. We point for it every year, and I’ve been so lucky, me and my team, to have some good horses through the years to work with.�?/p>

Domestic Spending stopped the clock in a scintillating 1:59.08 for that classic 1 ¼-mile distance. To do that, he had to catch his stablemate, Tribhuvan, who was in danger of wiring the field. Flavien Prat had Domestic Spending in seventh through the opening three-quarters of a mile. He was sixth at the mile mark — more than 11 lengths back — before Prat took him outside into the five-path.

Domestic Spending responds to Prat’s urgings

That gave Prat the opening he needed. He was second at the top of the stretch and relentlessly reeled in Tribhuvan down Belmont’s endless turf stretch. After catching and passing Tribhuvan with a furlong to go, Prat was amazed at what he had left.

“He showed a good turn-of-foot last time and today, with the strong pace, it’s hard to show the same turn of foot and he did,�?Prat said after the race. “I think I had more in reserve. He was floating a little bit down the lane, but I felt that I had more horse.�?/p>

This had to be music to Brown’s ears because Domestic Spending was the proverbial handful. The son of standout English sire Kingman, Domestic Spending won’t be carrying on his particular genes after his racing career.

Not as much horse in a matter of speaking

“We had to geld him after his 2-year-old year, even with that breeding, because he wouldn’t train,�?Brown said. “We had several different people on our team working with this horse, down at Stonestreet (in Kentucky) and down in Ocala (Florida). So many people have touched this horse and really worked with him and got his natural ability out of him. The latest is Flavien, who is now getting along just terrific with this horse. �?There was a point in time when he was a baby that I didn’t think we’d ever get him to the races.�?/p>

Now that he’s here, Domestic Spending is getting along well enough to bank $1.3 million in his seven starts. He’s 6-for-7 and the Manhattan win gave him five in a row. It also gave Brown and other observers visions of Bricks and Mortar, the 2019 Horse of the Year.

That Brown mainstay won the Turf Classic, the Manhattan, the Arlington Million, and finally, the Breeders’ Cup Turf �?four of America’s top turf routes. Brown refused to get ahead of himself, saying that he didn’t think Bricks and Mortar was a three-turn horse, hence he wasn’t going to run him in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf, but instead, the Mile.

“These horses, as they get older and get some seasoning under them, you’re starting to see them have more range. Anything is possible, let’s see, but his next start �?all going well �?is Arlington,�?Brown said.

Formerly known as the Arlington Million, that would be the Aug. 14 Mister D Stakes, named in honor of longtime Arlington Park owner Dick Duchossois. But whatever you name the Grade 1 race, Domestic Spending will come in as the No. 1 male turf router in America. Of that, there is no doubt.

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It’s easy to get a case of Kentucky Derby fever come the first Saturday in May. But don’t let that fever suck you into Derby tunnel-vision. Not with a loaded Oaks undercard and Derby undercard of graded stakes races offering five graded stakes races Friday and six Saturday. That’s in addition to Friday’s Oaks and Saturday’s Run for the Roses.

The Oaks and Derby undercards come replete with familiar names. A few of the races, most notably Friday’s Grade 1 La Troienne and Saturday’s Grade 1 Turf Classic, would headline most race days anywhere in the country. The La Troienne is one of two Grade 1s on Friday. The Turf Classic is one of four on Saturday.

Entries for Friday’s races are due Monday. Entries for Saturday’s Derby undercard are due Tuesday. OG News takes a preliminary look at the projected fields, according to Churchill Downs assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork.

Friday

Grade 2 $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint

This 5 ½-furlong sprint features defending champion Diamond Oops, who won this race last September. After winning the Phoenix Stakes a month later, he finished sixth and ninth in his next two races. Coming at him is Peter Miller’s Sombeyay, who is 1-for-3 with a second this year. Others expected are American Butterfly, Carotari, Firecrow, Classy John, and Just Might.

Grade 2 $300,000 Edgewood

Brad Cox’s Irish-bred Aunt Pearl is the jewel of this field. The 3-year-old is 3-for-3, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. In this 1 1/16-mile turf race, she gets Kenny McPeek’s Oliviaofthedesert, who already has 10 races and three victories â€�?none in a graded stakes — under her 3-year-old tack. Get It, Postnup, and Queen of the Green await. Todd Pletcher may bring in Jouster and Zaajel.

Grade 2 $300,000 Eight Belles

This seven-furlong race for one-time Oaks hopefuls gives us Dayoutoftheoffice, who has yet to miss the exacta in four races (3-1-0). That includes a Grade 1 victory in the Frizette and a runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to Vequist. Steve Asmussen’s Abrogate is 3-for-4 with a third, but none come in graded stakes. Joyful Cadence, Sun Path, Euphoric, Slumber Party, and Windmill await.

Grade 2 $400,000 Alysheba

Say hello again to Maxfield, last seen losing his first race in March’s Santa Anita Handicap. Reacquaint yourself with Max Player, last seen finishing 11^th in the Saudi Cup. And welcome back Roadster, last seen finishing fourth in the New Orleans Classic — his first race outside Bob Baffert’s barn. Attachment Rate, Chess Chief, Sonneman, and Visitant are all expected in this 1 1/16-mile event.

Grade 1 $500,0000 La Troienne

The field for this 1 1/16-mile event is loaded. Shedaresthedevil returns to the scene of her record Kentucky Oaks victory last September. Her sixth victory in 12 races came at Oaklawn Park’s Azeri Stakes in March. Chilean mare Sanenus hit the board in four of her five US starts (1-1-2). Envoutante’s two-race winning streak ended with a fourth in that Azeri. Keep an eye on Paris Lights and Dunbar Road.

Saturday

Grade 2 $500,000 American Turf

We welcome back Fire At Will to his natural grassy habitat. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner took a Derby trail fling with the Fountain of Youth in late February. It didn’t end well â€�?a miserable sixth. He returned to turf for a third at the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland last month. Lucky Law’s sixth in the Sam F. Davis took him off the trail. Holy Vow has two wins and a second in three 2021 races, none in a graded stakes. Other probables are Palazzi and Winfromwithin.

Grade 2 $500,000 Pat Day Mile

Here’s the race for one-time Derby prospects who flunked the two-turn test. That’s why we see one-time Derby futures odds favorite Jackie’s Warrior, Gretzky the Great, and Prevalence. All three disappointed in their Derby trail escapades. Dream Shake dropping out of the Derby and into this race adds further intrigue, setting up a Jackie’s Warrior-Dream Shake duel. Whiskey Double and Excellent Timing also figure.

Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile

Mark Casse’s Got Stormy defines “crafty veteran.â€�?The 6-year-old mare claims 11 victories and 19 in-the-money finishes in her 27 career races. She’s hit the board in three of her last four outings, including a victory in February’s Grade 3 Honey Fox Stakes at Oaklawn. Chad Brown’s Blowout hasn’t missed the board in 11 races, but suffers from second-itis. She owns seven runner-up finishes, including in each of her last four starts.

Grade 1 Derby City Distaff

Gamine going seven furlongs. What could possibly go wrong for the rest of this field? The Champion Female Sprinter of 2020 won her six-furlong, 2021 opener by five lengths on April 4 at Santa Anita. She’s won her two seven-furlong races by 6 ¾ and seven lengths. Tangling with this buzzsaw is Bell’s the One, who won this race last year before finishing third to Gamine in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Then there’s Sconsin, who finished fourth in that Breeders’ Cup race and seventh in the Grade 1 Madison earlier this month.

Grade 1 $500,000 Churchill Downs

This seven-furlong sprint for the boys brings in an eclectic field. There’s Lexitonian, who hit the board once in his last four starts. Hog Creek Hustle owns a Grade 1 win from 2019. He’s 1-for-14 since. Mind Control finished second to Mischevious Alex in the Grade 1 Carter last month. He’s 0-for-7 in his most recent runs, but has hit the board in four graded stakes. Tap It To Win won his 2021 debut, the Black-Type Sprint Stakes. He’s hit the board in his last three (1-1-1). Phat Man joins the fray.

Grade 1 $1 million Turf Classic

Colonel Liam takes on Smooth Like Strait, Ivar, Masteroffoxhounds, and Ride a Comet over 1 1/8 miles in one of the best older male turf races of the year. Colonel Liam is 5-for-7, riding a three-race win streak into this fray. Smooth Like Strait has two first and two seconds in his last four. Brazilian-bred Ivar won last October’s Shadwell Turf Mile with a 122 Equibase Speed Figure. Masteroffoxhounds hit the board in two of his last three outings and ran a career-best 110 Equibase in his third at the Grade 3 San Luis Rey last month. Ride a Comet came off his seventh in the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile into a second at the Maker’s Mark Mile.

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That division needs a standout, a go-to, must-watch horse who can grab eyes every time he enters a gate. And with his neck victory over stablemate Largent in Saturday’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf, Colonel Liam illustrated he may be that horse.

The 4-year-old Colonel Liam won his first graded stakes, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his first Pegasus win. Largent completed the exacta, with the third Pletcher horse in the field, Social Paranoia, finishing fourth. Mike Maker’s Cross Border spoiled the Pletcher trifecta bid. He finished third in his bid to give Maker his second consecutive Pegasus Turf.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the way they all ran,�?Pletcher told Gulfstream Park. “It was a heck of a race between Largent and Colonel Liam at the end. I thought Social Paranoia put in a huge effort from the 12 post. (I’m) Just really, really happy with all three of them.�?/p>

Bricks and Mortar Left a Hole Needing Filling

Colonel Liam put the biggest smile on Pletcher’s face. In the big picture, he could put smiles on many faces. The lightest raced horse in the field, with only five starts on his resume coming in, Colonel Liam proved he may be the older male turf standout American racing needs. That division hit a dry spell after 2019 Horse of the Year and Pegasus Turf winner Bricks and Mortar retired at the end of that year.

On Saturday, Colonel Liam took strides to fill that gap. He and Irad Ortiz Jr. hit the stretch in fourth, but without any gaps to escape the rail. Then Ortiz �?proving why he is America’s top jockey �?found a gap. He took Colonel Liam outside through a small seam and turned him loose. First, he reeled in fading leader Storm the Court and Anothertwistafate, then Social Paranoia.

Then, Colonel Liam caught and passed Largent right before the wire, finishing off a 1:53.09 trek for the 1-3/16 miles. Colonel Liam earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. As the 5/2 favorite, he paid $7.

Colonel Liam Mows Them Down on Grass

Ortiz, meanwhile, won his second Pegasus Turf in three years. He rode Bricks and Mortar to the 2019 title. Last year, Ortiz piloted Mucho Gusto to the Pegasus World Cup title. He was second aboard Jesus’ Team this year.

This makes Colonel Liam 3-for-4 on the grass. The $1.2 million Liam’s Map progeny began his career with a win via disqualification, and a third in two other races. Pletcher moved him to the turf and watched Colonel Liam find the winner’s circle in all but last summer’s Saratoga Derby. There, despite a troubled trip, he finished fourth by less than a length to Domestic Spending.

Last month, Colonel Liam won the ungraded Tropical Park Derby by 3-¼ lengths. That made him a tepid favorite in the Pegasus Turf, largely due to this event’s field quality. There wasn’t a standout turf runner that captured the public’s fancy.

Largent Catches Himself Another Strong Effort

“He showed us a lot of ability in his couple of starts on the grass,�?Pletcher said. “We felt like he was getting better and better. We loved the way he handled the turf in the Tropical Derby and he had trained great. We were very optimistic. He’s a little less experienced than some of the other horses, but I think this proves his quality.�?/p>

Largent, meanwhile, hit the board for the 10^th time in 10 races. He’s never finished worse than second, winning six of the 10. That all-Pletcher $2 exacta paid $28.20. Cross Border brought home $192.10 for a $1 trifecta.

Where Colonel Liam goes next is up in the air. He earned a spot in the Feb. 20, $1 million Middle Distance Turf Handicap at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But, Pletcher told Gulfstream on Sunday that the Woodford Reserve on the Kentucky Derby undercard is tentatively next on the horizon.

“The question is kind of what we do between now and then,�?Pletcher said on Sunday. “The other two (Largent and Social Paranoia) we’ve got some options with, so we’ll give it a week and kind of survey the landscape and see what the right moves are.�?/p>

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Before we meet Pletcher’s trio, and the rest of a balanced field, we need a Pegasus primer. The Grade 1 Pegasus Turf is the sister event to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup. The two Grade 1s headline a 12-race, seven-stakes Gulfstream Park program offering $4.725 million in purses.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Especially for the winner, who gets a spot in the Feb. 20, $1 million Middle Distance Turf Handicap at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That’s one of eight stakes on the Saudi Cup undercard.

The Pegasus Turf’s third edition sends its 12-horse field 1-3/16 miles around Gulfstream’s turf course. There isn’t a horse in this year’s field like Brown’s 2019 winner, Bricks & Mortar, or last year’s Zulu Alpha. Bricks & Mortar kicked off his eventual Horse of the Year season with this race. The Mike Maker-trained Zulu Alpha used the Pegasus as the first of his three graded stakes victories in 2020.

Pegasus Turf Field is Respectable, Not Dynamic

That said, even with a B to B-minus field, the Pegasus Turf turns loose 12 stakes winners â€�?10 of those graded stakes winners. Four horses — Say the Word (6/1), Storm the Court (12/1), Next Shares (20/1), and Aquaphobia (20/1) — own Grade 1 wins.

The two Grade 1 winners in this field are 20/1, with good reason. Next Shares finished last in this event last year. The 8-year-old gelding is 0-for-his-last-8, with his last win coming at Del Mar in November 2019. Aquaphobia, meanwhile, stole the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park last summer. Since then, he’s gone third-seventh-sixth, losing by a combined 18-¾ lengths.

Playing the role of favorite, albeit a tepid one at 7/2, is the first among equals in Pletcher’s three-headed contingent �?Colonel Liam. The $1.2 million son of two-time Grade 1 winner Liam’s Map defines “lightly raced.�?He’s 3-for-5 in his career �?the slimmest resume in the field. That resume got thicker his last time out, when Colonel Liam won the Tropical Park Derby by 3-¼ lengths.

Speed-figure wise, that 103 Equibase effort wasn’t Colonel Liam’s best race. That would be his 106 Equibase fourth in the Saratoga Derby last August.

The ‘Second Pletcher’ May Be the Better Pletcher

Behind Colonel Liam is the “second Pletcher,�?Largent (9/2). This 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding also comes in off a stellar race. He transitioned from beating up fellow Virginia-breds at Colonial Downs and Laurel Park to winning the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale at 16/1 last month at Gulfstream. Largent got the perfect trip, saving ground before pouncing in deep stretch and stealing a two-length win.

“That was his breakthrough performance,�?Pletcher said about a gelding who owns six wins and three seconds in nine races. “He’s always been very consistent. He’s run against some really nice horses. We took advantage of his Virginia-bred status because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you have those kinds of options. It wasn’t so much that we felt like he didn’t belong at Saratoga or some bigger races. We had the opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it.�?/p>

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational/Gulfstream Park

Morning Line (Jockey/Trainer)

1. Next Shares, 20/1 (Drayden Van Dyke/Richard Baltas)
2. Breaking the Rules, 10/1 (John Velazquez/Shug McGaughey)
3. Storm the Court, 12/1 (Julien Leparoux/Peter Eurton)
4. North Dakota, 10/1 (Jose Ortiz/Shug McGaughey)
5. Colonel Liam, 7/2 (Irad Ortiz Jr./Todd Pletcher)
6. Largent, 9/2 (Paco Lopez/Todd Pletcher)
7. Aquaphobia, 20/1 (Joe Bravo/Mike Maker)
8. Anothertwistafate, 5/1 (Joel Rosario/Peter Miller)
9. Cross Border, 15/1 (Tyler Gaffalione/Mike Maker)
10. Pixelate, 9/2 (Edgard Zayas/Mike Stidham)
11. Say the Word, 6/1 (Flavien Prat/Phil D’Amato)
12. Social Paranoia, 8/1 (Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher)

The “third Pletcher�?is Social Paranoia (8/1). He’s 3-for-4 at Gulfstream and 4-for-his-last-6. But, none of the 5-year-old Street Boss offspring’s wins came above the Grade 3 level.

“Social Paranoia has won as far as a mile and five-sixteenths, and Colonel Liam was a little bit unlucky in the Saratoga Derby at a mile and a quarter,�?Pletcher said. “I think (the distance) should work for all three.�?/p>

Anothertwistafate Already on the Board in 2021

If you want to beat the Pletchers, where do you look? Start with Anothertwistafate (5/1). You won’t have to look too hard to find this California shipper, because in a race without much front-end speed, Anothertwistafate will provide it.

The 5-year-old Scat Daddy product comes in with the hot tandem of Joel Rosario in the irons and Peter Miller calling the conditioning shots. They brought you his last win, the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 2.

Those with strong memories may remember that Anothertwistafate finished 10^th in the 2019 Preakness. The only plot twist concerning Anothertwistafate comes with what happened afterward: a puzzling, 16-month layoff. Yet, he’s rolled up two wins and a fourth since moving to Miller’s barn.

Sleeper North Dakota Could State His Case Here

Two other runners bear attention for your exotics, Say the Word (6/1) and North Dakota (10/1). The Florida-bred Say the Word won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine last October, and finished a good third in the 1-½-mile Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar a month later. The 6-year-old gelding gets standout California turf rider Flavien Prat back, who understands this deep closer needs some pace for his late kick to have some kick.

North Dakota is one of two Shug McGaughey options here. He needed seven tries to break his maiden, but knew what to do once he did. Since then, North Dakota won four of his last six races, including the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct in November. That Grade 3 race featured a better field than this Pegasus.

“He’s a true distance horse, probably even a little more than a mile and three-sixteenths,�?McGaughey said. “The way he’s doing and the way he’s been coming around, all year really (is great), and his races have been spaced. He’s fresh and we’re willing to give it a try.�?/p>

The pick: Anothertwistafate. He’s won stakes races on three surfaces: synthetic at Golden Gate Fields, dirt at the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs, and turf at the San Gabriel. His speed numbers, connections, and form should be enough in this field.

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The $3 million, Grade 1 Pegasus is the richest non-Breeders’ Cup race for older horses in North America. The 1-1/8-mile race will seize the continent’s racing attention on Saturday. It shares billing on the 12-race Gulfstream Park program with the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

The post-position draw and odds for that Grade 1, 1-3/16 mile race also went off Wednesday. Colonel Liam, one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s turf trio, grabbed tepid 7/2 favorite status over stablemate Largent (9/2).

As for Knicks Go, he comes in off a record-breaking victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and falls into a good post. Horses in good form tend to thrive in the Pegasus. So do horses with inside posts. Those are important at Gulfstream because the starting gate for the 1-1/8 mile jaunt is only 150 yards from the clubhouse turn.

Pegasus Draw Forces Outer Riders Into Tough Choices

That puts pressure on horses drawn wide. It forces their jockeys into a Hobson’s choice of either firing out fast to get into the lead by the turn, or falling back inside early to save ground. Neither option leaves their riders much in terms of further options later in the race.

This dilemma puts pressure on horses like second-favorite Code of Honor (9/2), who’s outside in Post 10. While Barbaro won the Florida Derby from Post 10 and Gun Runner won the Pegasus from Post 10, those are two of this century’s elite horses. As nice a horse as Code of Honor is, he’s not Barbaro or Gun Runner. And while Mucho Gusto won last year’s Pegasus after drawing Post 10, he actually started in Post 8 after two scratches.

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational/Gulfstream Park

Morning Line (Jockey/Trainer)

1. Sleepy Eyes Todd, 8/1 (Jose Ortiz/Miguel Angel SIlva)
2. Coastal Defense, 20/1 (Corey Lanerie/Dale Romans)
3. Independence Hall, 20/1 (Flavien Prat/Mike McCarthy)
4. Knicks Go, 5/2 (Joel Rosario/Brad Cox)
5. Jesus’ Team, 8/1 (Irad Ortiz Jr./Jose D’Angelo)
6. Kiss Today Goodbye, 10/1 (Mike Smith/Eric Kruljac)
7. Tax, 5/1 (Luis Saez/Danny Gargan)
8. Harpers First Ride, 10/1 (Angel Cruz/Claudio Gonzalez)
9. Last Judgment, 20/1 (Paco Lopez/Mike Maker)
10. Code of Honor, 9/2 (Tyler Gaffalione/Brad Cox)
11. Freeze, 15/1 (John Velazquez/Dale Romans)
12. Math Wizard, 20/1 (Edgard Zayas/Saffie Joseph Jr.)

When City of Light won in 2019, he led a four-horse, inside superfecta across the wire. He broke from Post 3, runner-up Seeking the Soul from Post 4, Accelerate from Post 5, and Bravazo from Post 1.

Patience Becomes McGaughey’s Virtue After Outer Draw

No wonder Knicks Go trainer Brad Cox said he’s “very pleasedâ€�?with his draw. Code of Honor’s Shug McGaughey was philosophical. He preferred to focus on new rider Tyler Gaffalione and his local knowledge of Gulfstream.

“Obviously, he rides this racetrack very well and he’s very familiar with it,�?McGaughey said. “He’s a very patient rider and that’s what Code of Honor wants, so I’m pleased to have him.�?/p>

Elsewhere, Cigar Mile winner True Timber scratched out of the Pegasus after trainer Jack Sisterson tweeted True Timber came up slightly lame during his cooldown session on Wednesday. That opened up a spot for Last Judgment, who comes in at 20/1 with a ninth and an eighth in his two previous graded stakes outings �?both Grade 3s.

True Timber came up slightly off cooling out this morning. While it appears he might be able to run in the Pegasus, we always prioritize the best interest of the horse and have elected to defer to caution and not compete in the Pegasus

— Jack Sisterson (@JackSisterson) January 20, 2021

Pletcher is Primed With Top Two Favorites

As for the Pegasus Turf draw and odds, Pletcher’s threesome of favorite Colonel Liam, Largent, and Social Paranoia (8/1) are three-fifths of the five horses listed at single-digit odds. The others are Anothertwistoffate (5/1) and Say the Word (6/1).

Colonel Liam drew Post 5. Largent is next door in Post 6. Social Paranoia drew the far outside in Post 12. Say the Word is next door in Post 11. Anothertwistoffate drew Post 8.

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational/Gulfstream Park

Morning Line (Jockey/Trainer)

1. Next Shares, 20/1 (Drayden Van Dyke/Richard Baltas)
2. Breaking the Rules, 10/1 (John Velazquez/Shug McGaughey)
3. Storm the Court, 12/1 (Julien Leparoux/Peter Eurton)
4. North Dakota, 10/1 (Jose Ortiz/Shug McGaughey)
5. Colonel Liam, 7/2 (Irad Ortiz Jr./Todd Pletcher)
6. Largent, 9/2 (Paco Lopez/Todd Pletcher)
7. Aquaphobia, 20/1 (Joe Bravo/Mike Maker)
8. Anothertwistoffate, 5/1 (Joel Rosario/Peter Miller)
9. Cross Border, 15/1 (Tyler Gaffalione/Mike Maker)
10. Pixelate, 9/2 (Edgard Zayas/Mike Stidham)
11. Say the Word, 6/1 (Flavien Prat/Phil D’Amato)
12. Social Paranoia, 8/1 (Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher)

“The mile and three-sixteenths is a little different distance for Largent. He’s never been quite that far, but the way he ran in the Fort Lauderdale going a mile and an eighth, certainly gives you confidence he’ll handle it,â€�?Pletcher told Gulfstream Park. “Social Paranoia has won as far as a mile and five-sixteenths, and Colonel Liam was a little bit unlucky in the Saratoga Derby at a mile and a quarter. I think [the distance] should work for all three of them.â€�?/p>

They’ll have plenty of company. The 12-horse Pegasus Turf field features 12 stakes winners �?10 graded. Aquaphobia (20/1), Next Shares (20/1), Say the Word, and Storm the Court (12/1) all own Grade 1 wins.

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The Grade 1, 1-3/16-mile Pegasus Turf runs Jan. 23 as the main undercard race to the $3 million Pegasus. They are two of the seven graded stakes on that card. The Pegasus Turf headlines four graded stakes turf races that day.

That Pletcher’s endless Gulfstream barn sends three to the Pegasus Turf is not surprising, considering he owns 16 of the last 17 Gulfstream Championship Meet training titles. The Pegasus Turf, however, isn’t on the list. Chad Brown’s eventual Horse of the Year, Bricks and Mortar (2019), and Mike Maker’s Zulu Alpha (2020), claimed victories in the first two editions of this event.

Pletcher Gets Three Tries at Crashing Pegasus Turf’s Gate

Pletcher tries crashing that party with Colonel Liam, Largent, and Social Paranoia. Waiting for that trio are two Grade 1 winners, Say the Word and Storm the Court. All five earned spots among the 12 horses gaining post position preference.

The four also-eligibles, in order of preference, are Next Shares, Field Pass, and two Brown contenders — Analyze It and Greyes Creek. They will get in with any scratches or defections among the 12 principals.

Here are the 12 horses (and their trainers) given first crack at Pegasus Turf post positions.

• Largent (Pletcher): Truly a horse for the course, this Into Mischief son won four of his five starts at Gulfstream. That includes his Dec. 12 upset victory in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale. The gelding is 6-for-9 lifetime and seems to improve in every race.

• Social Paranoia (Pletcher): The 4-year-old won the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Poker Stakes last year. He came back from a five-month break to claim an allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream last month.
• Colonel Liam (Pletcher): Compared to Social Paranoia and his 16 career races, there’s not a lot of dirt under the hooves of this 4-year-old son of Liam’s Map. All five of his career races came as a 3-year-old last year. They produced three wins and a third, including a solid Boxing Day win in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream.

• Say the Word (Phil D’Amato): This Canadian-bred 6-year-old gelding won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf at Woodbine in October. He came out of that to finish third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in late November at Del Mar. His only Gulfstream experience is a fourth in a March 2018 maiden special weight race. That’s one of 26 races on the resume.

• Storm the Court (Peter Eurton): This familiar name returns for his 4-year-old campaign after running eight times in four states as a 3-year-old. Most recognize him for his sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby or his win in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Now, Storm the Court is storming the sod. Three of his last four races came on turf, including his seventh in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November and his second in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile on Santa Anita’s opening day last month.
• Doswell (Barclay Tagg): Not the horse you’d expect to find by Tagg’s name come Pegasus day. But, after Tiz the Law retired last week, the octogenarian trainer pivots to this Giant’s Causeway 6-year-old. Doswell ran only once as a 2-year-old and did not race at 3. He didn’t break his maiden until winning a maiden special weight last August â€�?his sixth of eight career races.
• North Dakota (Shug McGaughey): This 5-year-old needed seven races to break his maiden, which apparently is what it took to get him untracked. His Nov. 21 Grade 3 Red Smith win at Aqueduct was his third in his last five races, and his fourth in his last six. His last four races (two wins, a fourth, and a fifth) all came with triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures.

• Breaking the Rules (McGaughey): Last seen finishing third in the Fort Lauderdale to Largent and Doswell, this 6-year-old son of War Front won his first two races of 2020. Both were allowance optional claimers. He has a third and two fourths since â€�?all in stakes.
• Cross Border (Maker): “Veteranâ€�?barely describes this 7-year-old son of English Channel. The Pegasus will be his 31^st career race. He’s looking for his 10^th career win and first since capturing the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes on the Whitney undercard at Saratoga in August. Cross Border’s last excursion was a second in the Listed Buddy Diliberto Memorial at Fair Grounds.
• Pixelate (Michael Stidham): He comes into the gate fresh off a Dec. 26 victory in the Woodchopper at Fair Grounds. He also comes into his seventh track in as many races, dating to a June 20 race at Churchill Downs. Pixelate has two victories in that skein: the Woodchopper and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in September.

• Anothertwistoffate (Peter Miller): He’ll come in off a three-week break after winning the Grade 2 San Gabriel on Jan. 2. That followed a win in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile. He earned a primary invite to the Turf along with a reserve invite to the Pegasus.
• Sharp Samurai (Mark Glatt): He too has a reserved spot in the Pegasus, meaning Glatt has a decision to make with this 7-year-old gelding. Sharp Samurai finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, losing the place by a nose to Jesus’ Team.

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