Pegasus World Cup: Question Mark Surrounds Trademark in Pegasus World Cup

By David Joseph —-

Trademark; Jetta-Vaughns Photo

Question Mark Surrounds Trademark in Pegasus World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Victoria Oliver is hoping to reverse a stable trend when she saddles BBN Racing Inc.’s Trademark for a start in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

Trademark is coming off a career-best victory in the Nov. 24 Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs. Oliver is just hoping that the 5-year-old gelded son of Upstart will be able to maintain his winning form over Gulfstream’s main track in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile headliner on a 13-race program that will also feature the $1 million 1/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) and four other graded stakes.

“It concerns me. A lot of my horses don’t run well on the dirt at Gulfstream. I don’t know why that is, maybe because I don’t train down there, and I don’t run many down there,” said Oliver at her winter headquarters at Payson Park in Indiantown, FL.

Oliver shipped Trademark to Gulfstream Sunday to give him time to get acquainted with the surface.

“It’s always in the back of your mind whether he’s going to like it or not, because I’ve had horses go down there and not like it at all,” she said. “Most people are in the same boat except the local horses, so it is what it is.”

Despite her uncertainty, Oliver has been firmly committed to running Trademark in the Pegasus, rather than point to other international races.

“It was always in the books, because I’m not sure we wanted to go out of the country, and he runs so well at Churchill. This could have been a good race to run him in and then give him a little bit of a break and then gear him up for the summer for the races at Churchill, because Churchill has a whole series of stakes, and he loves that racetrack, so this is where we landed,” said Oliver, who stables at Keeneland from April through November.

Trademark has been a graded-stakes participant since his 3-year-old season but finally broke through with a graded-stakes victory in the 1 1/8-mile Clark, capping a productive 4-year-old campaign in which he placed in the Salvator Mile (G3) and Iselin (G2) at Monmouth, and the Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill.

The Oliver trainee was rated in fourth behind a contested pace before launching a strong stretch kick under Fernando De La Cruz to get up in time to defeat favored First Mission by a neck.

Trademark, who will be ridden again by De La Cruz, and Brad Cox-trained First Mission are scheduled to clash again in the Pegasus.

“I think Brad really likes his horse. I only beat him a short nose, so I don’t feel overly confident, because I think all these are really nice horses when you’re running for this kind of money,” Oliver said. “It’s just going to come down to whether it’s your day, if you get the trip, and it all sets up for which horse it is. Hopefully it sets up for me.”

Oliver, the daughter of prominent Kentucky breeder/owner G. Watts Humphrey, will chase her second Grade 1 victory in a career that began in 1998.

“It’d be huge. It’d be the biggest purse money I’ve ever won in my career, so it would be a big win. It would be a big win for that horse and for BBN. There’s no saying the feeling until you do it,” said Oliver, who saddled Personal Diary for a victory in the 2014 Del Mar Oaks (G1).

Oliver would derive added satisfaction from visiting the Gulfstream winner’s circle with owners Brian Klatsky and Brendan O’Brien and stable manager Braxton Lynch.

“It would be fantastic. I’ve known Brian for 25 years. Braxton’s one of my best friends, I’ve known him my whole life. Brendan, who’s one of Brian’s work partners, I’ve known him now for quite a long time, so we’re all really good friends,” she said.

Trademark is rated at 15-1 on the morning-line in a field that features 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure, the 9-5 morning-line favorite.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.