TEST ARTICLE: Super Corinto looks to improve on U.S. debut in Thursday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla – South American invader O’Connor is already on a path toward the Pegasus World Cup Invitational following a one-sided victory in his U.S. debut here earlier this fall. The last horse to defeat O’Connor, Super Corinto, hopes to take a step in that same direction when he goes postward the heavy favorite in Thursday’s $72,000 main event at Gulfstream Park, to be decided at 1 1/16 miles over the main track.

Super Corinto upset O’Connor when rallying to a 1 1/4-length victory in the Group 1 Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile on April 30. He was avenging a second-place setback behind that rival in the Group 1 Longines Gran Premio Latinamerica four weeks earlier.

Super Corinto followed O’Connor to the United States and made his North American debut under allowance conditions here Nov. 12, finishing second behind the late-striding Noble Drama, a multiple stakes winner, after prompting a wickedly fast pace. Super Corinto posted a 96 Beyer Speed Figure in that one-mile race, and he figures to improve on that number while stretching out to a seemingly more suitable distance Thursday.

Super Corinto’s trainer, Amador Sanchez, also entered Royal Luck, another Grade 1 winner in Chile. His best efforts have come on turf, and he has been idle since finishing fifth in a race taken off the grass and switched to a sloppy main track on July 17 at Mountaineer.

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Super Corinto will likely have to catch the speedy Mish, who figures to control the pace from the rail coming in fresh for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Mish has not started since finishing sixth and last in the Hanshin Stakes on July 4 at Churchill Downs. Cody’s Wish won the Hanshin and went on to take the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Mish has won his last three starts at Gulfstream, which came within a nine-week span during the 2021-22 Championship meet, by an average margin of six lengths.

Clapton and Jesus’ Team will take a second shot at Super Corinto after finishing fifth and ninth behind him last month.

Clapton turned in an even effort while hung wide throughout in his first start since capturing the Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap for Florida-breds six weeks earlier. Jesus’ Team was never a factor returning from a 15-month layoff in what figured to have been a much-needed outing. A multiple Grade 1-placed son of Tapiture, Jesus’ Team finished second behind the odds-on Knicks Go in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup.

◗ A field of seven evenly matched juvenile fillies will contest Thursday’s seventh race going five furlong over the Tapeta strip for a $71,000 purse.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Hoax, a well-beaten fifth behind recent Sandpiper Stakes winner Dorth Vader in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint here Oct. 29, may be the slight favorite in a field that also includes four last-out winners in Strike Jak, Toquether, Whatchamacall, and Anotherdaygoneby.

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