Channel Maker on Course for Start in $7 Million Pegasus Turf

By David Joseph —-

Video Links: Accelerate, City of Light Breeze at Santa Anita

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Grade 1 winner Channel Maker has joined the field for the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26.

The Bill Mott-trained 5-year-old gelding, who is owned by Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, is on course to make his ninth Grade 1 start in his last 10 races in the world’s richest turf race on the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Championship Series program.

The Ontario-bred gelding achieved Grade 1 stakes status while winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont Park Sept. 29 by 4 ½ lengths. He will seek to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Dean and Patti Reeves’ Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R.A. Hill, who were represented in the first two editions of the Pegasus World Cup, joined the ownership group of Channel Maker last fall.

“He has put up some really great numbers. We looked at him as a horse that, for a number of years, we could run in the top turf races, not only in the United States, but we could take this horse to England or Dubai, wherever we wanted to go,” Dean Reeves said. “Certainly, we had the Pegasus as a race we were going to point to when we talked about partnering in the horse.”

The son of English Channel broke his maiden in a stakes race at Woodbine in his second career start of his juvenile season. His sophomore campaign was highlighted by a victory in the $400,000 Breeders Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and capped by a second-place finish in the Hollywood Derby (G1). In his 4-year-old campaign, he went from Grade 1-placed to a Grade 1 winner.

“English Channel horses seem to get better the older they get. He being a gelding, the bottom line is that he is a horse we’ll continue to race. Hopefully, he’ll continue to improve,” Reeves said. “He’s very sound. He gives us the opportunity to get into some really solid races.”

Video Links: Accelerate, City of Light Breeze at Santa Anita

Three candidates for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the richest race in North America that will co-headline the Jan. 26 program at Gulfstream Park with the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), breezed at Santa Anita Park Friday morning.

Accelerate, the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner, breezed seven furlongs in 1:27.20.

Video Link: https://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/accelerate-worked-7-furlongs-in-127-20-at-santa-anita-park-on-january-11th-2019/
City of Light, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) victor, was clocked in 1:0080 for five furlongs.
Video Link: https://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/city-of-light-worked-5-furlongs-in-100-80-at-santa-anita-park-on-january-11th-2019/
Also, trainer Fausto Gutierrez reported Friday that Mexico’s undefeated Triple Crown winner Kukulkan is “doing very well” and is on schedule to arrive in Florida Thursday to prepare for the Pegasus World Cup. Frankie Dettori has been confirmed to ride the Clasico del Caribe winner, who is undefeated in 14 starts.

Gutierrez said the son of Point Determined is likely to work next week in Mexico.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954457.6451.