Gulfstream Park
Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)
Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (Grade 1)
THE pre-race betting looked as if the theme of the Pegasus World Cup was to give the younger horses top billing with four-year-old Disco Time and Tappan Street to the fore.
But it was the two seven-year-olds that took centre stage by the end.
Juddmonte’s Disco Time was the 6/4 favourite and from the off, he raced prominently on the rail from stall one. Last year’s winner White Abarrio was 3/1 on the tote board and Skippylongstocking 21/1.
Disco Time set the early fast fractions but midway on the final turn, White Abarrio and Irad Ortiz Jr. forged to the front and went clear, looking like another win was on the cards.
Skippylongstocking had been six and a half lengths third to White Abarrio in this last year, and over his career had many Grade 1 placings from his third in the 2022 Belmont Stakes. He had won the 2024 Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, and Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup last May.
He looked like having to settle for minor places again as White Abarrio went a length or two clear, but the lack of a race since August likely caught up with him. The grey still just led at the furlong pole but his stablemate was mounting a serious charge.
“Slippy coming now,” called the commentator as Tyler Gaffalione moved Skippylongstocking to the front at the furlong pole and then “Skippy’s got it won it! An upset in Pegusus 10!” as Skippylongstocking went on to win by a length and three-quarters.
Gulfstream suits early speed around two turns but Skippylongstocking came from ninth in the field of 12. “Everything went to plan,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. Full Serrano was five and a half lengths back in third, completing a one-two-three of seven-year-olds. Disco Time finished eighth, his first loss in six career starts.
Trainer Saffie Joseph was as emotional for his second-placed horse as for his winner.
He said to TV on track: “Proud of how White Abarrio ran, that he came back good. I know Skippy deserves it. I never felt as much pressure in my life
“I knew Skippy was doing good but I wanted Abarrio to show up, and he did more than that. I probably got him beat because I had to make sure everyone was alright. What a horse he is. But take nothing from Skippy. This is his day to deliver.”
He later added about the son of Kentucky Derby second Exaggerator, who was making a fourth start in the Pegasus after finishing third last year.
“People were always knocking, knocking him, saying he’s not a Grade 1, not a Grade 1, and look, he showed up,” Joseph said on Blood Horse. “He did it in a race that a lot of great horses have won.
“Skippy has run fast enough to win a Grade 1 but he never had. And people are going to knock you if you don’t have a Grade 1 win. Now he has one.”
A four-time Grade 1 winner White Abarrio was only third choice due to being absent since a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga last August. He had been withdrawn just minutes before the start of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile by the vets.
“Obviously, there was a lot of pressure running Abarrio after being scratched from the Breeders’ Cup,” Joseph said. “To do what he did was special.”
Skippylongstocking has been with Joseph since he was two, finally registered his first Grade 1 win after starting 35 times and earning $3.7 million. Joseph said a trip to the $12 million Dubai World Cup could be in the mix. Skippy had cost owner Daniel Alonso just $37,000 at the OBS April Sale in 2021.
Pegasus World Cup Turf
There was also a trainer one-two in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes where Graham Motion’s summer 2025 Grade 1 Belmont Derby winner Test Score held off stable companion One Stripe by a neck in the nine-furlong contest.
The former South African-raced One Stripe put in a significant effort to close well and just come short in second. Twelve went to post with Chad Brown’s Program Trading going off favourite
Last November, Test Score was beaten a half-length in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, where Motion felt Test Score had a bad trip.
“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.”
Breaking sharply from the rail, jockey Manny Franco had Test Score up-close in fourth, within two lengths of Cabo Spirit and Major Dude.
Approaching the quarter pole, Franco got off the fence and came four wide into the straight and took a short lead over Cabo Spirit. One Stripe, who was coming off an allowance win, was even farther outside under Gavin Lerena and came up just short with his run. Motion was very pleased with the run by the second saying: “He’s a really good horse. You’re going to hear a lot from him this year.”
“My horse relaxed well, he has been aggressive in the past, but he relaxed beautifully under me,” said Lerena, who rides in South Africa. “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.”
The Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational Stakes also had a bit of a turn-up in the field of 12 with the favourite In Our Time out of the first three. Victory went to the Brad Cox-trained Destino d’Oro, a daughter of Bolt d’Oro who beat outsider Crevalle d’Oro.