Test Score leads Motion's one-two showing in Pegasus Turf
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The East Coast-based Test Score capped a busy 3-year-old campaign with two solid races in California, one a Grade 2 stakes victory, the other a frustrating Grade 1 defeat.
Due to the lack of planes flying horses cross-country, Test Score had to van back to the East Coast. Still, trainer Graham Motion was hopeful the horse handled the ship well enough that he could run him in Saturday’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream.
Test Score did handle the ship just fine and on Saturday he handled his first assignment against older horses even better, rallying four-wide in the stretch under Manny Franco and holding off his South African-bred stablemate One Stripe by a neck to win the Pegasus World Cup Turf as Motion trainees finished one-two. It was one length back to longshot Almendares in third.
Last Nov. 29, Test Score was beaten a half-length to Salamis in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, a race in which Motion felt Test Score had a brutal trip. That’s why he was so anxious to run him back, and he expressed that wish to owners Jerry and Joan Amerman.
“At that time I said to Mr. Amerman that as long as he handled the ship we’d take a shot,” Motion said. “I felt really good about running him.”
Manny Franco, who had ridden Test Score to victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in July, felt good about the trip he was getting in the Pegasus Turf. Breaking sharply from the rail, Franco had Test Score an up-close fourth, within two lengths of Cabo Spirit and Major Dude with Cugino three wide through six furlongs in 1:10.58.
Approaching the quarter pole, Franco got off the fence and came four wide in the lane. He wrested a short lead over Cabo Spirit in midstretch, but coming outside of Test Score was Almendares, under Tyler Gaffalione, who was subbing for an injured Umberto Rispoli.
Franco said Test Score hesitated some when he made the lead, but when he felt “the horse outside of me, he gave me a little bit more.”
Meanwhile, One Stripe, who was coming off an allowance win, was flying even farther outside under Gavin Lerena and came up just short.
“My horse relaxed well, he has been aggressive in the past, but he relaxed beautifully under me,” said Lerena, who rides regularly in South Africa. “ Going into the turn he dropped the bridle on me and I thought we were in a bit of trouble. But when I started squeezing him and balancing him up before the stretch, he came underneath me beautifully. A furlong out he gave me such a fantastic kick, I thought this was the winning kick, but that other one wouldn’t go away.”
Said Motion: “I thought he was going to get there, but I didn’t quite realize the horse he was going to beat was my other horse.”
Test Score, a 4-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky, covered the 1 1/8 miles over firm turf in 1:47.04 and returned $17.20. Test Score was given a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.
Test Score improved his record to 5-3-3 from 13 starts and increased his earnings to $2,000,525.
He’s made his last three starts with blinkers, which were suggested by Franco.
“They’ve been a real game-changer for him,” Motion said.
Following Almendares in the order of finish were Astronomer, the 6-5 favorite Program Trading, Fort Washington, Chasing the Crown, Call Sign Seven, Cabo Spirit, Beach Gold, Cugino and Major Dude.
Motion said he would likely freshen Test Score up until spring, likely shooting for a race at Keeneland, where Test Score is 2 for 2.
One Stripe may race sooner than that, as Motion feels this 5-year-old has a bright future.
“He’s a really good horse,” Motion said. “You’re going to hear a lot from him this year.”
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