Ralis takes stablemate's place in Pegasus World Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 1 winner Ralis has replaced the stakes-placed Semper Fortis as a starter for owners Paul and Zillah Reddam in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said they made the decision after watching the two train.

Semper Fortis will be redirected to the $400,000 Poseidon Stakes on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. Both races are run at 1 1/8 miles on dirt.

“We swapped those two,” O’Neill said on Wednesday. “Ralis is doing a little bit better.”

Ralis won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga in September 2015 but is winless in his last 11 starts. Ralis was ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 in his last start.

Semper Fortis was sixth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. Last year, Semper Fortis was second in three stakes for 3-year-olds around two turns.

O’Neill said Ralis will have a difficult assignment racing against Arrogate and California Chrome, the first two finishers in the BC Classic on Nov. 5.

“Everyone is running for third,” he said.