City of Light begins preparation for Pegasus

City of Light, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile one month ago, returned to the work tab Sunday at Santa Anita with a half-mile drill in 48.80 seconds under exercise rider Norman Rodriguez as he began preparation for his next scheduled start, the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26.

Michael McCarthy, who trains City of Light, anticipated waiting a little longer to give City of Light a work, but City of Light had something else to say.

“The horse had been asking to work for a week or 10 days, and so went ahead and obliged,” McCarthy said.

City of Light is the only horse this year to have defeated Accelerate, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner. That came in the Oaklawn Handicap. Accelerate is also scheduled to make his next start in the Pegasus.

McCarthy said City of Light is thriving.

“He’s moved forward since the Breeders’ Cup,” he said.