Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

COLONEL Liam returned from a nearly eight-months on the sidelines to capture the $1 Million Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes for the second consecutive year at Gulfstream Park.

The five-year-old grey son of Liam’s Map hadn’t raced since finishing eighth on June 5th in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sent off the 8/5 favourite, Colonel Liam watched another Pletcher runner in Never Surprised move from the outside of the 12-horse field to the early lead as he raced in third. Never Surprised held it most of the way, before Colonel Liam was asked for his effort turning in and pulled up alongside in the stretch and eventually got to the front nearing the mile mark.

Though the final furlong, he was in command.

He was hand-timed covering the nine furlongs on firm turf in 1m47.48secs after times initially posted by Gulfstream Park were inaccurate.

Clipper Logistics’ Space Traveller, ridden by Jamie Spencer finished well up the rails and was half a length back in third.

“He didn’t lose a step, he came back like he was. He’s healthy. He felt very strong. He ran like he never left,” jockey Irad Ortiz said afterwards.

Colonel Liam was purchased by owners Robert E. & Lawana Low for $1.2 million at Ocala in 2019 and looks to have a good season in prospect.

The Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes on the Derby card at Churchill Downs is his early-season target.

BOB Baffert is currently not allowed to have runners for the next two years in the Kentucky Derby but that isn’t stopping him from winning races on the Derby trail.

At Oaklawn Park, Baffert won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes with the Violence colt Newgrange. It was a third win from three for the colt and his second graded stakes victory following the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Baffert suspension followed 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s positive post-race test for a prohibited substance on race day in Kentucky. A ruling has yet to be issued by Kentucky stewards, but a hearing is scheduled for February 7th.

Newgrange thus does not earns qualifying points on Churchill Downs’ Road to the Kentucky Derby series, but ran for the $450,000 winners’ prize money only, the Southwest was the richest race in North America for three-year-olds so far this season.

Runner-up Barber Road collected the most qualifying points from the race toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby.

“Aiming for the Kentucky Derby now. The dream is finally feeling very realistically possible. So, the next step would be the Rebel,” John Ortiz, who trains Barber Road said.

The other possible Derby trial was at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 San Vincente Stakes went to the American Pharoah colt Forbidden Kingdom in a decisive two-and-a-quarter-length victory in the seven-furlong race.

Forbidden Kingdom, trained by Richard Mandella was quickly out of the gates to seize command, leaving the Bob Baffert-trained trio of Pinehurst, McLaren Vale and Doppelganger in his wake.

VETERAN trainer D. Wayne Lukas might have another decent performer in the filly Secret Oath who won like a 1/2 favourite should when she drew off to win the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn in dominating fashion and in the process earned 10 points towards eligibility in the May 6 Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

She settled into fourth as Optionality set easy fractions of 24.09secs and 48.58 secs in the mile-and-a-sixteenth race.

The winner dragged her jockey Luis Contreras to the lead rounding the turn for home and from there the race was for second-place only as Secret Oath drew off to win by seven and a quarter lengths, timed in 1m 46.21secs. The Arrogate filly won for the third time in five starts.