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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The Florida track’s primary meet in its year-round schedule opens Dec. 3 and runs through April 3, 2022. It features 76 stakes �?37 graded �?worth $14.26 million in purses. That represents a more than $1 million increase from the 2020-21 stakes purses.

The  1 1/16-mile Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf joins its older siblings: the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, both Grade 1s. That card is Jan. 29 and features seven graded stakes worth $5.2 million.

Along with that race, Gulfstream Park officials increased purses on all of its 3-year-old Road to the Triple Crown races. Leading that windfall is the meet’s flagship race: the Grade 1 Florida Derby. That race, which produced 60 Triple Crown race winners, enjoyed a purse bump to $1 million. That’s a $250,000 increase from 2021’s race, won by Known Agenda.

Florida Derby goes on Gulfstream Park’s closing weekend

The Florida Derby is April 2. It headlines a six-graded stakes/10 stakes events day offering $2.2 million in purses.

Gulfstream Park’s Road to the Triple Crown opens with the New Year’s Day Mucho Macho Man. The 3-year-olds in that mile race run for $150,000, up from $100,000 last year. The 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Holy Bull is Feb. 5. It’s $400,000 purse increased $50,000 from this year’s.

The Holy Bull leads into the March 5 Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, also sporting a $400,000 purse that also reflects a $50,000 purse increase. The Fountain of Youth headlines a nine-graded stakes card sporting three other $200,000 Grade 2s: the Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies, the Gulfstream Park Mile for 4-and-up and the Mac Diarmida, a turf race for older horses.

Gulfstream Park-Key Championship Meet Stakes Races

Greatest Honour won this year’s Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth before his upset loss to Known Agenda in the Florida Derby.

For the 10^th consecutive season, Gulfstream Park welcomes back the Claiming Crown, the nine-race event for horses who have run for claiming tags at some point of their careers. Headlining the Dec. 4 card is the $125,000 Jewel, which, last year, crowned Jesus’ Team as a stakes winner for the first time. He parlayed that into a runner-up finish to Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup the following month.

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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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Tops among the Pegasus undercard are the Grade 2 Inside Information, the Grade 3 Fred Hooper, and the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight. The Inside Information brings back Thisismytime in search of her third consecutive win. The Fred Hooper brings us Shivaree and Performer tangling over a mile. And the McKnight brings us Sadler’s Joy, Channel Cat, and Sir Anthony in a 1-½-mile turf duel.

One time zone over, meanwhile, Oaklawn Park opens its 2021 season Friday with the Smarty Jones, the first of its four Kentucky Derby prep races. The one-mile Listed Stakes event features likely favorite Caddo River making his first jaunt around two turns. That race is one of three stakes on Oaklawn’s opening-weekend card.

Santa Anita comes in this weekend with the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes, featuring defending champion Captain Scotty. Waiting for him, among others, is Collusion Illusion, dropping in class after his third in the Grade 1 Malibu to Charlatan and Nashville on Dec. 26.

OG News takes a closer look at this weekend’s selected races.

Friday

Listed Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn

Expect Brad Cox’s Caddo River and Steve Asmussen’s Cowan to grab the spotlight and wagering attention. Caddo River makes his 2021 debut after winning a November maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs. He sits at 30/1 on Circa Sports’ Kentucky Derby Futures Board, and 25/1 at William Hill Nevada. Cowan (100/1 at Circa), meanwhile, comes off his Dec. 18 runner-up finish in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park. Six weeks earlier, he closed for second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November. Saffie Joseph Jr.’s Moonlite Strike enters off his two-turn mile win at Gulfstream last month.

Saturday

Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes, Gulfstream

Will this be the time again for Thisismytime? She’s the only one of the six entered horses not coming out of a stakes race, having won a Christmas Eve allowance. Waiting for her in this seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up are Bronx Beauty and Cinnabunny, who went 2-3 in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl last month. Grade 3 Rampart runner-up Dream Marie also warrants attention.

Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes, Gulfstream

This mile race for older male horses gives us one horse who broke a long losing streak �?Shvaree �?and one who had a lengthy winning streak broken �?Performer. Shivaree snapped his seven-race skid last out, winning the Florida Sire Stakes last month. Performer, meanwhile, had his five-race win streak snapped at the Grade 1 Cigar Mile last month. The Shug McGaughey-conditioned colt finished third. Keep an eye on Eye of a Jedi and Phat Man, who went 2-3 in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream last month.

Grade 3 W.L. McKnight Stakes, Gulfstream

This eclectic field brings us four horses from the Listed H. Allan Jerkens Stakes, including winner Sir Anthony and runner-up Conviction Trade, who makes his graded-stakes debut. Barclay Tagg’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale runner-up Doswell is one of three entries from that race here. Likely favorite Sadler’s Joy enters off his fourth in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct. And, Admission Office, coming off his disappointing seventh in the Listed Tropical Turf two weeks ago, turns around for this marathon.

Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes, Santa Anita

Captain Scotty, who won this six-furlong race for older horses last year, brings a two-race winning streak to the fray. The 7-year-old gelding is one of two Peter Miller horses entered, along with Shashashakemeup, making his West Coast debut for Santa Anita’s leading trainer this meet. Shooter’s Shoot cuts back 2-½ furlongs from his last outing, a seventh in a 1-1/16-mile allowance Jan. 2. That was his first outing since finishing fifth in the Santa Anita Derby six months earlier. Bob Baffert brings Ax Man back for the first time since last July’s fourth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. We may also see Wildman Jack, who folded down the stretch as the favorite in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez on New Year’s Day. He finished sixth out of seven.

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Along with that, Ride a Comet parlayed his victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tropical Turf into an invite to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf. He too, hits the also-eligible list.

Those moves fill the spaces of 2019 Pennsylvania Derby winner Math Wizard and 2020 Tampa Bay Derby winner King Guillermo. Both move off the also-eligible list and into the main field for the 1-1/8-mile Pegasus. In the 1-3/16-mile Pegasus Turf, Next Shares and Field Pass take spots in the main field.

Baffert Loses Two From Pegasus Main Field

Both trained by Bob Baffert, Charlatan and defending champion Mucho Gusto earned initial invites for the Pegasus. But, Mucho Gusto retired last week and Baffert announced Sunday that Charlatan will pass the Pegasus to run in the $20 million Saudi Cup in late February.

The also-eligible horses earn spots in the 12-horse field based on availability.

Here is a look at the new Pegasus invites:

• Independence Hall (trained by Michael McCarthy): The one-time Kentucky Derby favorite fell off the trail after a poor fifth in last year’s Florida Derby. The 4-year-old son of Constitution took the next eight months off before coming back with a flourish with a November allowance win at Del Mar. Last time out, Independence Hall finished fifth by 10 lengths to Charlatan in the Grade 1 Malibu on Santa Anita Park’s opening day. McCarthy won the 2019 Pegasus with City of Light.
• Coastal Defense (Dale Romans): This 5-year-old son of Curlin gives Romans his second Pegasus invitee, joining last year’s runner-up â€�?Mr. Freeze. Coastal Defense ran nine times in 2020, winning twice and finishing second twice. We last saw him finish fourth in the Grade 1 Clark in November, with a career-best 108 Equibase. A month earlier, Coastal Defense finished fourth in the Grade 2 Fayette.
• Ride a Comet (Mark Casse): The definition of “lightly raced veteran,â€�?this 6-year-old son of Candy Ride is unbeaten in his last three races coming off a 25-month layoff. Ride a Comet didn’t run from September 2018 to last October. Taking his form back further, Ride a Comet captured six of his last seven, dating to June 2018. This includes his half-length victory in the Tropical Turf and, before that, his November Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes win at Woodbine.

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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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