New invitations issued for Pegasus and Pegasus Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park officials issued new invitation lists late Sunday for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup and the $1 million Pegasus Turf, both to be run Jan. 23.

The original Pegasus invitees included the Bob Baffert pair of Mucho Gusto, who was retired last week, and Charlatan, who most likely will bypass the Pegasus in favor of the Feb. 20 Saudi Cup. Now in the main body of the Pegasus are King Guillermo and Math Wizard, both of whom had been also-eligibles on the original list.

In addition, Independence Hall and Coastal Defense have been invited to the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus while relegated to an also-eligibles list that also includes Idol.

Charlatan is still officially invited to the Pegasus, although Baffert has given every indication that the colt won’t be sent here from California. One of the also-eligibles will take his place. The other 11 4-year-olds and upward on the updated Pegasus list are Code of Honor, Harpers First Ride, Jesus’ Team, King Guillermo, Kiss Today Goodbye, Knicks Go, Math Wizard, Mr Freeze, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Tax, and True Timber. Sharp Samurai has been removed from the original list.

The remaining favorites are Code of Honor, the 2019 Travers and Jockey Gold Cup winner who most recently finished second as the favorite in the Nov. 27 Clark at Churchill Downs; Knicks Go, whose 3-for-3 record with trainer Brad Cox includes a resounding victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile; and Tax, a sharp last-out winner of the Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream.

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Tax, trained by Danny Gargan, is scheduled to breeze a half-mile Friday or Saturday at the Palm Meadows training center in his final pre-race work. The 5-year-old gelding went a bullet half-mile in a swift 46.40 seconds last Friday.

“That was his big work,” said Gargan. “I’ll tell you, he came out of that last race doing tremendous. This next work, he’ll go slower, maybe in 49 or 50.”

Tax was among a multitude of Pegasus hopefuls out for serious work in recent days. Other notable works included Knicks Go breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 Saturday at Fair Grounds, and True Timber, the Cigar Mile winner, going the same distance Saturday in 1:00.20 at Palm Meadows.

Meanwhile, the updated list for the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf got a couple of tweaks with the defections of Doswell and Sharp Samurai. Field Pass and Next Shares replace them in the main body of 12, while Ride a Comet is now an also-eligible following his victory here Saturday in the Tropical Turf. Greyes Creek is an also-eligible, too.

Here’s the updated Pegasus Turf roster: Anothertwistafate, Breaking the Rules, Colonel Liam, Cross Border, Field Pass, Largent, Next Shares, North Dakota, Pixelate, Say the Word, Social Paranoia, and Storm the Court.

Updated invitational lists will be issued for both races again Sunday, with entries being drawn Jan. 20. Besides the two Pegasus events, five other graded stakes also will be run.

◗ Zulu Alpha, winner of the Pegasus Turf last year, is still on the sidelines after being diagnosed in October with a minor ankle injury but could be returning soon to the Mike Maker barn at Gulfstream, said owner Michael Hui. Zulu Alpha is a likely finalist for a 2020 Eclipse Award in the older male turf category, even after missing the BC Turf because of the injury.

◗ Mia Martina stamped herself as a possibility for the Jan. 30 Sweetest Chant when posting an eye-catching last-to-first triumph in a turf allowance Sunday in her first start since Eclipse Thoroughbreds bought majority interest in the 3-year-old Not This Time filly. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for new trainer Graham Motion.