Glorious Empire possible for Pegasus World Cup Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer James Lawrence reported Glorious Empire returned to his home base at the Fair Hill Training Center early Monday morning in “great shape” following his impressive, wire-to-wire win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park and that the thought, at the moment, is to bring him back here for the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 26.

“He looks 100 percent coming out of the race,” Lawrence said. “I just got off the phone with [owner Matt Schera], and he said to see how the next two weeks look with him, but at the moment everybody, including Edgar Prado, is on board with the thought that it’s a good idea to go back there next month for the Pegasus.”

Lawrence said Prado, who guided Glorious Empire to victory in the Fort Lauderdale, said he was actually gearing his horse down at the end.

“It’s hard to compare one good race to another, all of his three stakes wins this year were pretty good, even the dead heat in the deeper going at Saratoga,” Lawrence said. “All I can say is how lucky I am to have a quality horse like this come my way.”

Three allowances Thursday

There are three allowance races on Gulfstream’s Thursday program, the best of which may be the ninth race, a $40,000 optional-claiming event restricted to Florida-breds at a mile on the turf. Key contenders in a wide-open, nine-horse field include Zap Daddy, Blue Lute, Expected Ruler, and Seattle Treasure.

Zap Daddy, claimed for $50,000 by trainer Pat Reynolds out of a winning effort Oct. 19 at Belmont Park, nearly returned quick dividends when stepping up to finish second against open allowance and optional-claiming foes earlier this month at Aqueduct. The stretch-running 3-year-old won his only previous local start, defeating statebred maiden special weight opposition here in his career debut March 9.

Blue Lute will look to make amends after finishing second as a prohibitive 2-5 favorite under similar conditions last month at Gulfstream Park West, the setback snapping a modest two-race win streak for the son of Midnight Lute who also was claimed for $50,000 earlier this season.