Brian Healy looks at Saturday evening’s horse racing action across the pond at Gulfstream Park where gives his Pegasus World Cup tips for the two Grade One contests featuring in the United States.
For those punters wishing to have a dabble in Saturday’s Stateside action, there are two top-class Grade One contests going to post with the latest renewal of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational series.
Since it was first run in 2017, the rules have been changed and prizemoney doesn’t match that of it’s inaugrual runnng; but it remains a classy and prestigious series which draws some of the top horses from across the country and around the world.
9:49 Gulfstream – Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Runhappy (Grade 1) (4yo+) (Turf) (4yo+) 1m1½f
10:34 Gulfstream – Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes presented by Runhappy (Grade 1) (4yo+) (Main Track) (Dirt) (4yo+) 1m1f
As the name implies, the series is invitation-only, and the first couple of runnings were confined to the dirt track, although a turf equivalent race was added twelve months ago. The dirt race is the more valuable of the pair, this year boasting a €3million winners’ purse, while the turf race carries a not-to-be-sniffed at €1million bounty.
Brian Healy looks over both of the Stateside big-race fields where he has tips for both the turf and the dirt races.
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TIPS
9:49 Gulfstream – MAGIC WAND (4/1, Paddy Power)
10:34 Gulfstream – HIGHER POWER (11/4, Paddy Power)
9:49 Gulfstream – Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Runhappy (Grade 1) (4yo+) (Turf) (4yo+) 1m1½f
Aidan O’Brien’s globetrotting MAGIC WAND (4/1, Paddy Power) could be worth chancing to go one better in this race than twelve months ago, where the Galileo mare was thwarted only by Bricks And Mortar by just over two lengths.
The Ballydoyle representative has certainly clocked up the airmiles since that performance, contesting in races at Meydan, the US, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong in the past twelve months where she has proven herself to be a tough, consistent and classy performer with a number of efforts in the frame at various distances.
However, the 2018 Ribblesdale Stakes winner was without a further success until getting back on the winning trail at Flemington in November when collecting the Group One Seppelt Mackinnon Stakes, and she went close to a follow-up success when last seen in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin where she was denied only by a short-head.
She sets out here in a bid to better last year’s performance from a tough outside berth, while this trip is possibly as sharp as she wants given she has largely campaigned over slightly further than this extended nine furlongs. There is likely to be a decent pace on however which might help, and her stamina for further could prove an asset if they go off hard.
The O’Brien runner also gets 5lbs from her field, and that concession could prove crucial so she is chanced to land this valuable prize despite a less than ideal gate position.
Magic Wand (nearside) can win the Pegasus World Cup Invitational turf race.
10:34 Gulfstream – Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes presented by Runhappy (Grade 1) (4yo+) (Main Track) (Dirt) (4yo+) 1m1f
HIGHER POWER (11/4, Paddy Power) has finished third in each of his last two starts at Santa Anita which includes in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and it could be worth chancing John Sadler’s charge to get back on the scoresheet here following a break.
The Medaglia d’Oro entire drops back in trip for this outing, but he won over shorter at Santa Anita last July before going close at Del Mar next time out where he was only beaten a half-length behind Bombard.
That wasn’t his best performance, but he ran a much better race to quickly get back on the winning trail at Del Mar where he ran out a five lengths’ winner of the Pacific Classic, beating Draft Pick easily. His subsequent third in the Awesome Again Stakes was a more creditable run than his finishing position suggests as he stumbled badly leaving the stalls, and he perhaps wasn’t best placed in his Breeders’ Cup outing.
He’ll want a decent pace in this contest to bring his stamina into play, and while he possibly does need a shade more he can make his presence felt nonetheless here.
Higher Power can win the Pegasus World Cup Invitational dirt race.
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TIPS
9:49 Gulfstream – MAGIC WAND (4/1, Paddy Power)
10:34 Gulfstream – HIGHER POWER (11/4, Paddy Power)