Pegasus World Cup prospect Eragon gets feel for Gulfstream's track

Pegasus World Cup contender Eragon visited the Gulfstream Park track for the first time Friday, jogging two miles before reversing direction and galloping a little more than a mile after the first renovation break.

Eragon’s arrival at Gulfstream was delayed one week after the Argentinian-bred was detained in quarantine in Miami until Thursday morning, forcing trainer Laura Wohlers to cancel her original plan of running the multiple Group 1 winner in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope here next Saturday.

“He went well and was much more settled and relaxed than I expected this morning, considering he had not trained in a little over two weeks,” said Wohlers. “He also didn’t lose as much weight as I had feared he would, having been kept in quarantine for an extra week, and I suspect he’ll put that back on quickly now that he’s here.”

Wohlers said she plans to gallop Eragon several days before penciling in a workout schedule leading up to the Pegasus.

“Originally, we had hoped to run him in the Harlan’s Holiday, but once we couldn’t make it shipping-wise, we began to look at the Hal’s Hope,” said Wohlers. “But now we’ll have to train him up to the Pegasus. We know we’re behind the eight ball with him for this race, but we bought him with the intention of running the whole year, not just for this one event.”

Another prospective Pegasus participant, Woodward winner Shaman Ghost, worked six furlongs in 1:14.60 at Palm Meadows on Friday, getting his final quarter in 25.20 seconds, according to DRF clocker Mike Vesce. The work was the third for Shaman Ghost since shipping to south Florida earlier this winter for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

Shaman Ghost, who will represent Stronach Stables in the Pegasus, has not started since his third-place finish in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 25.