Pegasus World Cup: Castle Chaos on the outside looking in

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Robert Falcone Jr. is just one scratch away from getting his improving Castle Chaos into the field for Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. But with Castle Chaos also cross-entered earlier on the card in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper, the question is: Will Falcone and the connections of Castle Chaos opt to run in the main event should the opportunity ultimately present itself later in the week?

“That’s not as easy a question to answer as it seems. It’s really a tough call,” Falcone said Monday. “The horse is doing great and obviously how many times do you get to run for a $3 million purse? But on the other hand, if he does get in the Pegasus, he’ll have to break from post 12, and we all know breaking out there going a mile and an eighth at this track, you’re really pretty much at a disadvantage before you even start.”

Castle Chaos is coming off arguably the best race of his career, a third-place finish behind the Pegasus-bound pair of Hoist the Gold and Senor Buscador in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct, a race decided around one turn like the Hooper.

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“I think a one-turn mile is his game, although I think he can handle a mile and an eighth,” Falcone said. “I thought he really ran well in the Cigar, considering the track totally favored speed that day and the way he fought back to finish third after being passed in late stretch. The Hooper is a pretty tough race, although obviously not as tough as the Pegasus if National Treasure runs. We’ll just play it by ear and see what happens. I wouldn’t have trained him any different to go a mile and an eighth as I did for the mile. He gallops a mile and three-eighths almost every day, and his breeze pattern wouldn’t have been different. In the end, if the opportunity presents itself, I’ll leave it up to the owners to make the call.”

Falcone currently has 18 horses bedded down at Palm Meadows for the winter, including Royal Dame, who won a high-priced starter allowance race over the Tapeta here Dec. 28 and who will be among the key players switching back to the turf in the opening event on Saturday’s 13-race Pegasus Day card.

“I’ve brought more horses here this winter than in the past and I’m really looking forward to this whole weekend, not only for the races here but because we’re live in a lot of spots at Aqueduct and the Fair Grounds as well,” Falcone enthused.

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