Queen Goddess, Speaking Scout will compete on Pegasus World Cup card
Queen Goddess, winner of the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 31 and two other stakes in her 10-race career, will start in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, her richest race since October 2021.
The $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf at 1 1/16 miles will be the first start outside of California on turf for Queen Goddess since she finished fifth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October 2021. In that $500,000 race for 3-year-old fillies, Queen Goddess was beaten nine lengths by Shantisara, a leading candidate for the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf.
“We ran her as an immature 3-year-old in the Queen Elizabeth,” Aron Wellman, the president of the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners that co-owns Queen Goddess with Gary Barber, said on Thursday.
“It was something that we thought she was up to or ultimately would be up to.”
Wellman said the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf will be a class test for Queen Goddess against a national field.
“It’s not a Grade 1 race, but it arguably has the prestige of a Grade 1 and the purse of a Grade 1,” he said. “She’s proven that she’s a Grade 2 or Grade 3 caliber filly on turf. She certainly deserves the opportunity to prove she belongs.”
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Trained by Michael McCarthy, Queen Goddess was fifth in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes on dirt at Oaklawn Park last February in her most recent start outside of California. Prior to that loss, Queen Goddess won the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on dirt for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in December 2021.
In the Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf, Queen Goddess led throughout to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey John Velazquez as the 2-1 favorite. Velazquez is booked to ride Queen Goddess at Gulfstream Park, Wellman said.
The Frankel was a prelude to a highly anticipated year for Queen Goddess.
“We thought she’d be able to mature with her 5-year-old season,” Wellman said.
The Eclipse syndicate plans to run Speaking Scout in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. Speaking Scout won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Dec. 3 in his first start in a race at that level. The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational will be Speaking Scout’s first start outside of his age group.
“It’s ambitious to face his elders for the first time,” Wellman said. “He’s improving by leaps and bounds. For a million bucks, he deserves the opportunity.”
Trained by Graham Motion, Speaking Scout will need a new rider in the Pegasus World Cup Turf. Juan Hernandez, who was aboard for the win in the Hollywood Derby, is scheduled to ride at Santa Anita on Jan. 28. Hernandez’s mounts that day include Pride of the Nile in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile, according to his agent, Craig O’Bryan.
Pride of the Nile was second by a head to Faiza in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10, her graded stakes debut.
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