Cox makes the right call as Destino d'Oro takes Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Destino d’Oro’s prior success at Gulfstream Park led trainer Brad Cox to choose running the newly turned 4-year-old filly in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf rather than next weekend’s Grade 3, $175,000 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Good call.

Unleashing a furious stretch run under Junior Alvarado, Destino d’Oro outfinished longshot Crevalle d’Oro to win the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf by a half-length. It was a another half-length back to Movin’ On Up in third.

“I was thinking of going to Tampa to be honest, but she performed well here last month and I was pointing to this after she ran well here,” Cox said. “She trained really well at Payson since she’s been in Florida, she’s done very well up there and it was a big effort today.”

Destino d’Oro, ridden for the first time by Alvarado, was toward the back of the pack entering the first turn, but In Our Time and And One More Time were setting rapid fractions going a half-mile in 46.87 seconds.

Movin’ On Up, under Edgard Zayas, was able to stay on and had the lead in midstretch, but Destino d’Oro came with a wide rally as did Crevalle d’Oro, who was charging hard under Jorge Ruiz. But it was Destino d’Oro who had just a little more.

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Alvarado said midway down the backstretch he knew he had plenty of horse, but he felt he was too far back so he began to make his move.

“She gave me that feeling before the five-eighths pole that she was going to run great so I was trying to find my way and had to stay outside in the clear and she came with a helluva run at the end,” Alvarado said “Very impressive.”

Destino d’Oro, a 4-year-old daughter of Bolt d’Oro owned by Steve Landers, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.33 and returned $33.20 to win. Destino d'Oro was given a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Destino d’Oro had won three of her first four starts including the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes at Churchill Downs. She hit a lull with disappointing efforts in the Dueling Ground Oaks and an eighth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup.

Cox said Destino d’Oro had a bottled up trip in the Dueling Grounds Oaks and “wasn’t herself” going into the Queen Elizabeth II.

“I thought about kicking her out, she came out of the QE II well enough, I thought I’d bring her down and back up on her but she trained well and she ran well in the Tropical Park Oaks and hasn’t missed a beat since,” Cox said.

Cox said he would like to point Destino d’Oro to the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in early April with one start in between.

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