Next Shares punches ticket for Pegasus Turf

ARCADIA, Calif. – Next Shares has specialized as a grass miler, but his victory when stretching out to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $201,404 San Gabriel Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita has now earned him a spot in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Turf later this month.

Next Shares ($5.20), the favorite, needed the length of the stretch to barely touch out Cleopatra’s Strike by a nose, with Liam the Charmer just a head farther back in third following a stirring finish. It was another length back to Chicago Style in fourth, then came, in order, Platinum Warrior, Flamboyant, Arms Runner, Oscar Dominguez, and Big Bend. Big Score was scratched earlier in the day.

Richard Baltas trains Next Shares, who completed 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48.61.

The victory was the third in the last four starts for Next Shares, who was 13th of 14 in his last start, the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs. Prior to that, he had won the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland, as well as the restricted Old Friends at Kentucky Downs. He was winless in four prior starts on Santa Anita’s turf course, but had never finished out of the money, and finally got to the winner’s circle here.

He’ll be on the road again soon, though.

“It’s all about the Pegasus,” said co-owner Michael Iavarone, who gained notoriety when running the IEAH Stable that owned 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown.

Joel Rosario was scheduled to ride Next Shares, but called in sick Saturday. Geovanni Franco picked up the mount.

“He kinda got left,” Franco said, referring to Baltas. “Richard said not to rush him. He said if I had to go wide, go wide, it wouldn’t matter.”

Next Shares was eighth in the nine-horse field for the first six furlongs, then closed strongly down the center of the course and barely got up. Cleopatra’s Strike, the fourth choice at 6-1, took the lead from pacesetter Arms Runner a furlong from the finish and just failed to last.

Next Shares, 6, is a gelding by Archarcharch out of the Evansville Slew mare Two Dot Slew. He has won six times in 22 starts, and the $120,000 he earned Saturday brings his career bankroll to $1,187,697.