Full Serrano to Pincay Stakes as prep for Pegasus World Cup or Saudi Cup

Full Serrano, the upset winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2, will have his first start of the winter in the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, a prep race for a scheduled start outside of California in early 2025.

The $200,000 Pincay Stakes was previously run as the San Antonio Stakes, and honors the legendary Hall of Fame rider. The Pincay Stakes is one of six stakes on the opening day of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting.

For Full Serrano, the Pincay Stakes at 1 1/16 miles will be a prep race for an undetermined start in a high-profile race in early 2025. Trainer John Sadler said earlier this week that he is considering Full Serrano for the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 or the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 22.

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The $3 million Pegasus World Cup is the nation’s leading wintertime race for older horses on dirt.

“I’ll go here on opening day with the idea that that is a good setup for the Pegasus or Saudi Cup,” Sadler said.

Owned by Hronis Racing, Full Serrano won the BC Dirt Mile at 13-1 by 1 1/2 lengths for his first stakes victory in the United States. Earlier this year, Full Serrano was second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 31 in his American stakes debut. A 5-year-old Argentine-bred horse, Full Serrano has won 6 of 17 starts and earned $797,223.

On Friday at Santa Anita, Full Serrano worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds, his first major exercise since the BC Dirt Mile. Sadler described the work as “just an easy half.”

Sadler plans to start the regally-bred Eagles Flight in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. Eagles Flight, by Curlin, is a half-brother to the undefeated Flightline, the 2022 Horse of the Year that Sadler trained.

Eagles Flight has started once, winning a maiden race for by 2 3/4 lengths at six furlongs in May. He was sidelined during the summer, but has worked steadily since early October, including five furlongs in 1:00 at Santa Anita on Thursday.

“We’ve always known he’s a really talented horse,” Sadler said. “He’s going to show up a better horse at the start of the Santa Anita meeting.

“He’s a lot stronger and really looks improved.”

Flightline won the 2021 Malibu Stakes in his stakes debut.

On Nov. 30 at Del Mar, Sadler plans to have runners in two of the track’s three graded stakes on turf – Cathal in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and Supa Speed in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Cathal closed from fifth to finish third in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 26 in his graded stakes debut. An Irish-bred colt, Cathal worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 at Santa Anita on Friday.

Supa Speed finished 12th of 14 against males in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1 after failing to draw a place in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf the same day. Supa Speed was second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in September in her stakes debut.

Overall, Del Mar has scheduled seven turf stakes from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the final weekend of the track’s autumn meeting. Aside from the $300,000 Hollywood Derby, the richest race of the weekend is the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes, a $300,000 race for fillies and mares at a mile on turf on Dec. 1.

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