Despite tight timeline, Pletcher has Colonel Liam ready for Pegasus Turf
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Preparing a horse to win a Grade 1 turf race at 1 1/8 miles following a layoff of nearly eight months has to be one of the more difficult assignments a horse trainer can tackle.
If Hall of Fame credentials are what’s required, well, Todd Pletcher hereby accepts. Enshrined in racing’s Hall in August, Pletcher will saddle Colonel Liam for a title defense Saturday in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park.
“We’ve been on a tight schedule with him all winter, where if even the slightest thing went wrong, you wouldn’t be trying this,” said Pletcher. “Fortunately, everything has gone smoothly, and here we are.”
Colonel Liam, owned by Robert and Lawana Low, was widely regarded as the top grass horse in North America through the first half of 2021. Victories in the Pegasus Turf and Grade 2 Muniz Memorial were followed by a dead-heat win in the Grade 1 Turf Classic, but after a subpar race in the Grade 1 Manhattan in early June at Belmont Park, Pletcher was not satisfied with how Colonel Liam was training at Saratoga and decided to give the horse a break.
Duly regrouped, Colonel Liam has returned with eight workouts since early December at Pletcher’s winter base at Palm Beach Downs, and now the 5-year-old horse is likely to be favored to win the Pegasus Turf for a second straight year with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. A full gate of 12 older horses is expected.
The Pegasus Turf will precede the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on a 12-race card that starts at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Pletcher and Ortiz also are major players in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus. They team with Life Is Good, who will face Knicks Go in what’s expected to be a thrilling showdown.
Five other graded stakes also are on tap for Saturday, including the inaugural running of the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf. Pletcher has Sweet Melania for that one.
All three Pegasus events will be part of the late pick five (races 8-12) and late pick four (races 9-12), both offering guaranteed gross wagering pools of $750,000.