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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