Mo Forza likely to try elders in Pegasus World Cup Turf

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mo Forza is likely to his have his stakes debut against older horses in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park following his third consecutive graded stakes win in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita last Saturday.

The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf is run at 1 3/16 miles and will be the longest race for Mo Forza, who is owned by Barry Abrams and BG Farms. The race could lead to additional travel, with a start in the $6 million Dubai Turf at 1 1/8 miles in the United Arab Emirates on March 28 a possibility, pending the outcome in Florida.

“We’re looking at the Pegasus Turf, and perhaps a run at Dubai, if he gets invited and we’re so inclined,” trainer Peter Miller said Sunday.

The Pegasus Turf will be a class and distance test for Mo Forza, who has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $499,460. It also would be his first race outside of California.

“He’ll travel, which he’s never done before,” Miller said. “It’s a different type of turf course. Those turf courses are sand-based, and we have more of a firmer turf. There are a lot of questions that will be answered.”

Mo Forza, winner of a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in late September, won the Mathis Brothers Mile by 1 1/4 lengths, closing from ninth in a field of 11 with a wide rally under jockey Joel Rosario.

“Joel is one of those guys you don’t give instructions,” Miller said. “He’s got a great natural instinct of where he needs to be in the race. I was surprised we were that far back and surprised we were that wide.”

Earlier in the fall, Mo Forza won two stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf – the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 and the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 30.

The Miller-trained Spiced Perfection, a three-time stakes winner in 2019, will start in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 11 at Santa Anita. Sunday at the San Luis Rey Downs training center, where Miller’s stable is largely based, Spiced Perfection worked six furlongs in 1:14.20.

The $200,000 La Canada will be Spiced Perfection’s first start around two turns since a second at even-money in the Melair Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for California-bred 3-year-old fillies in June 2018 when trained by Brian Koriner. Spiced Perfection won the Grade 3 Go for Wand Stakes at a mile around one turn on Dec.7 at Aqueduct.

“She won the mile going one turn,” Miller said. “We’re broadening our horizons. I’m interested to see what she can do.”

Spiced Perfection, a winner of 9 of 20 starts who has earned $1,214,405, has raced for the partnership of Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch, and Len Schleifer since last February when she joined Miller’s stable.