Sharp Azteca must stretch his speed in Pegasus

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – He may or may not be around at the finish, but one thing seems highly probable about Sharp Azteca in the Pegasus World Cup: He will match strides with heavily favored Gun Runner, at least for a while.

That race-within-the-race is one of the more compelling storylines surrounding the $16 million Pegasus, to be run Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Sharp Azteca, arguably the most brilliant miler in North America over the last year, will be stretching out an extra furlong in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus after ending his 2017 campaign with a near-miss in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and a 5 1/4-length romp in the Dec. 2 Cigar Mile.

“My horse comes from mile races,” said Irad Ortiz Jr., who will ride Sharp Azteca for the first time. “He can sit like last time, sit right off the speed. He doesn’t have to be on the lead. I can do anything. I can go or I can sit.”

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Post positions were to be drawn Wednesday for the Pegasus, which will be carded as the final race Saturday (post, 5:40 p.m. Eastern). NBC Sports will have live coverage from 4:30-6.

Trainer Jorge Navarro said he expects a peak effort from Sharp Azteca following four sharp works at nearby Gulfstream West, ending Saturday with a five-furlong drill in 58.40 seconds with Ortiz up.

“He did everything so easy,” said Navarro. “I think he’s getting better. I think the older he gets, the better he gets. He came out of the Cigar Mile in great condition.”

As of Monday, the confirmed Pegasus starters were Gun Runner, Sharp Azteca, Collected, West Coast, Seeking the Soul, Gunnevera, Stellar Wind, Giant Expectations, Toast of New York, War Story, and Fear the Cowboy. It still had not been determined whether Singing Bullet or Giuseppe the Great will be the 12th and last starter.