Iavarone may take another swing at Pegasus World Cup Turf with Master Piece

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mike Iavarone has been trying to win the Pegasus World Cup Turf since the race was rebranded from the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in 2019. He hasn’t come close.

Next Shares went winless in three tries. Flavius finished last in 2022. Master Piece ran seventh in January.

Master Piece may have earned another shot at the Pegasus Turf with his victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct.

Master Piece rallied from midpack under Jose Lezcano and held off Soldier Rising to win the Red Smith by a neck. It was Master Piece’s first victory since he captured the Grade 2 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar in July 2022 for different connections.

Master Piece, a 7-year-old Chilean-bred ridgling by Mastercraftsman now in the barn of Richard Dutrow Jr., earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the Red Smith. Iavarone hopes it leads to a return trip to the Pegasus.

“I have run in that race every year, I don’t even come close,” Iavaraone said. “Every year I finish dead last. It would really, really be an incredible story if [wife] Jules and I won that with Rick.”

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Iavarone was part of the IEAH team that along with Dutrow campaigned Big Brown in 2008 to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The ownership-trainer combo also campaigned Grade 1 winners Kip Deville and Benny the Bull. Kip Deville won the 2009 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap for IEAH and Dutrow.

Iavarone said over the weekend he hopes to have more horses with Dutrow in the coming months.

“We’ll always try to find stuff for Rick,” Iavarone said.

Where’s Chris likely to Remsen

In between White Abarrio’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Red Smith, Dutrow won the $150,000 Nashua Stakes on Nov. 5 at Aqueduct with Where’s Chris, who at 19-1 was the longest shot on the board.

The Nashua, run as a one-turn mile, is the local prep for the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen at 1 1/8 miles on Dec. 2.

Dutrow said Where’s Chris is likely to run in that spot. Where’s Chris, a son of Twirling Candy, has won 2 of 3 starts, all around one turn at Aqueduct.

“I don’t have a problem trying to see if he wants to go that far,” Dutrow said. “He’s won on the track. If he doesn’t like two turns maybe now’s a good time to find out.”

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