City of Light gives trainer McCarthy career to remember

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – City of Light and Accelerate are off to stud at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky now, their racing careers having come to a close in the Pegasus World Cup on Saturday here at Gulfstream Park. Both emerged from the race well their trainers said on a breezy, chilly Sunday morning when they looked back at the Pegasus and all that came before for their star horses.

City of Light provided his trainer, Michael McCarthy, with the biggest and richest victories of his career, in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and now the Pegasus. He went out with a flourish, winning the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus by 5 3/4 lengths while earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 112, topping the 110 he got in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“We thought he would run well,” McCarthy said Sunday morning. “I was anxious all week to run. You can see why now. I thought he’d run well. To run like that against a group of horses like that – wow.”

McCarthy, who trained City of Light for William and Suzanne Warren, called the victory “very satisfying.”

“He never disappointed us at any time,” said McCarthy, who trained City of Light to six wins in 11 starts, including four Grade 1 victories. “He gives us 110 percent. We wanted to give him 110 percent. Wanted to see him off the right way.”

Accelerate, who finished third, 7 1/4 lengths behind City of Light, on Sunday morning looked “very good considering the muddy track,” said his trainer, John Sadler.

“He’s not all cut-up,” Sadler said.

Sadler said he thought Accelerate ran a good race, but that a sharp City of Light likely was better suited to the off track and the speed-favoring nature of the Gulfstream surface Saturday. He didn’t say that as denigrating City of Light’s performance. In fact, Sadler praised City of Light. But he thought the conditions did not allow Accelerate to show his best.

“We feel he ran a good race,” Sadler said. “The winner was going to be the winner.”

Similar to McCarthy and City of Light, Accelerate is the best horse Sadler has trained in his career. Accelerate won 10 times in 23 starts, including five Grade 1 victories last year. He won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which gave Sadler his first Breeders’ Cup win and secured for Accelerate the 2018 Eclipse Award as champion older dirt horse that he received on Thursday night. Accelerate also finished second to Triple Crown winner Justify in balloting for Horse of the Year.

“We had a great run with him,” said Sadler, who trained Accelerate for Kosta and Pete Hronis. “Big picture, we’re thrilled.”