Guerrero taking new approach to prep for Lasix-free Pegasus World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The fact the 2020 Pegasus World Cup events will be run Lasix-free will undoubtedly change the way some trainers bring their horses up to the races. Juan Carlos Guerrero and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run offer a case in point.

Guerrero sent Spun to Run out to breeze four furlongs in 47.80 seconds Friday morning at Palm Meadows, the steadily improving 3-year-old galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.00 before pulling up three-quarters in 1:13.00 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Spun to Run, who normally would have been treated with the anti-bleeding medication Lasix prior to the work, did not receive it owing to the format changes for both the Pegasus World Cup and World Cup Turf.

Guerrero shipped Spun to Run to Palm Meadows from his regular base at Parx Racing nearly two weeks ago. He had been down here attending to his horse on a regular basis until Monday when returning home to spend Christmas with his family, leaving his star in the care of his close friend, trainer Jorge Duarte. Guerrero was not in attendance for the work Friday, but was in close contact with both Duarte and Ortiz afterward.

“I wanted to get him out of Parx because of the weather,” Guerrero said by phone a couple of hours after the work. “He definitely needs Lasix over here. So, I want to see how he does in the morning without it there. If he bleeds working, he won’t run in Pegasus. So far, it’s very good. We scoped him after his work this morning and he was clean.”

Spun to Run came out of his victory in the Breeders’ Cup to finish second after forcing Maximum Security’s pace into the stretch in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. He closed out his 3-year-old campaign with five victories in nine starts and earnings of more than $1.1 million.

“He worked really well, he felt really good,” said Ortiz, who had never breezed Spun to Run prior to Friday. “He did everything right, I asked him a little bit on the gallop-out and he responded very well.”

It remains to be seen how the medication change will affect field sizes for the two main events on the Jan. 25 Pegasus card. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who has two potential candidates for the Pegasus Turf, A Thread of Blue and Lucullan, had the following comment about the no-Lasix policy for both races.

“I think it’s a good thing, it has to happen some time, I think it puts a positive spin on it,” said McLaughlin. “I commend them for doing the change and hopefully they’ll get full fields. I run without Lasix with 2-year-olds a lot. I probably run as much as anybody without Lasix. I’m not opposed to it. But, a 4-year-old or 5-year-old that’s been running on it for a long time, that’s a tough thing.”

Hot-riding Saez on a roll

About all that’s been able to slow jockey Luis Saez down this week was the Christmas holiday. Saez won four races here on Sunday, missed three days due to the Christmas break, then returned to post five more victories on Thursday’s card, including three for trainer Jorge Navarro. Saez also combined with trainer Kathy Ritvo for back-to-back wins on Thursday with He’s Super Lucky and Hartling in the fourth and fifth races, respectively. In fact, Ritvo sent out the first two finishers in the fourth race with the 25-1 Beyond the Call completing a generous $149.80 stable exacta. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing is the owner of both He’s Super Lucky and Hartling.

Saez did not cool off Friday either, opening the program by winning both ends of the early daily double aboard post-time favorites Fairly Link and the first-time starter More Than Striking. The hot streak has buoyed Saez into the top spot in the jockey standings, one ahead of Emisael Jaramillo, following the second race Friday.

The presence of Saez aboard Tipsy Kitten will undoubtedly make him one of the choices in Sunday’s wide-open, $40,000 optional claiming and allowance feature carded for Florida-breds at a mile on the turf. The race lured a field of 11 horses, plus main-track-only entrant Just Kidding. The Mark Casse-trained pair of Tap the Mojo and Souper Jaguar also figure as key contenders along with Zap Daddy, Unlockthepotential, and Mozo Bello.

◗ The total handle on Thursday’s 10-race card of $12.3 million established a new record here for a weekday program in December, eclipsing the old mark of $12.2 million set on Dec. 29, 2017.