Accelerate begins workouts for Pegasus World Cup

Accelerate, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, has started a series of workouts in preparation for his final career start in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26.

At Santa Anita on Saturday, Accelerate worked a half-mile in 49 seconds under Juan Leyva, an exercise rider and assistant trainer to John Sadler.

“It was just the first work to get started,” Sadler said Sunday. “Juan thought his energy was good.”

Sadler said Accelerate will have “seven or eight” workouts in advance of the Grade 1 Pegasus, which is run at 1 1/8 miles. Accelerate, who is owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, is booked to go to stud in Kentucky in February.

Accelerate was the most prominent of several notable workouts at Santa Anita on Saturday and Sunday in advance of the launch of the track’s winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26.

Catapult, second in the BC Mile on Nov. 3, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds for the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26. The $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf will be run at 1 3/16 miles.

Sadler trains Catapult, the winner of two Grade 2 races at Del Mar in the summer.

Dream Tree, the undefeated 3-year-old filly, worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Sunday for the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies on Dec. 26. Trained by Bob Baffert, Dream Tree has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 2 in her first start since February.

Dream Tree was scheduled to run in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, but was taken out of training briefly in late October because of an entrapped epiglottis. Baffert said she galloped out six furlongs in “1:12 and change” on Sunday.

“She had that throat issue,” Baffert said. “I lost time with her. We’re playing catch-up.”

Solomini, third in the Arkansas Derby in April and 10th in the Kentucky Derby a month later, worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 on Sunday for an expected start in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on Dec. 26. Solomini has not raced since finishing third in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita in June.

“He did that easy,” Baffert said of the workout. “The freshening helped him.”

Baffert said he has not finalized his runners for the $300,000 Malibu Stakes, and has Ax Man, McKinzie, Nero, and Super Soul as other possibilities. Entries for the race will be taken on Dec. 21.