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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