Glorious Empire ends year on a high note in Fort Lauderdale

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Glorious Empire solidified his credentials for a possible championship run in the older male turf division, while also moving a step closer to a possible starting berth in the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, with a 2 1/2-length victory over Qurbaan in Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park.

Glorious Empire, winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer and Grade 2 Bowling Green this summer at Saratoga, came into his 2018 finale off a disappointing last-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf decided over a boggy course at Churchill Downs. Showers earlier in the afternoon resulted in the local turf course being downgraded from firm to good midway through the card.

With Hall of Fame rider Edgar Prado aboard, Glorious Empire broke alertly from his inside post and sprinted right to the lead while quickly taken well off the rail. Glorious Empire set moderate fractions while clear on the front end, repulsed a mild try from Hi Happy on the final turn, and was never seriously threatened thereafter.

Qurbaan, winner of the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap in his U.S. debut at Saratoga, saved ground, slipped through along the rail into the stretch and rallied belatedly to be second-best, three-parts of a length in front of Hi Happy.

Glorious Empire is trained by James Lawrence II for owner Matthew Schera. The winner’s share of the Fort Lauderdale purse increased his 2018 earnings to $773,750. Final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.44. He paid $17.

“We were very disappointed in the Breeders’ Cup,” said Lawrence, who is stabled at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland. “Julien [Leparoux] said he just didn’t handle the soft turf and he just took care of him at the end. He came out of the race fine, so we mapped out a series of races for him while thinking about the Pegasus, naturally. We also were thinking about the possibility of an Eclipse Award, so we targeted this race and it was nice to end the year with a big performance. I watched the races here yesterday and could hear the turf was very hard, so I felt the rain we got would help, although when it kept raining I got a little worried.”

As for returning here for the Pegasus on Jan. 26, Lawrence said “it’s up to the man who puts the money up, but we’ll definitely think about it. I’ll just have to talk to Matt.”

There is a $500,000 fee to secure a spot in the Pegasus Invitational.