Gulfstream: First Mission Tunes Up for Pegasus with Breeze at FG

By David Joseph —-

Pegasus World Cup 2024 Presented by Baccarat

Three Pletcher Trainees Work for Pegasus at Palm Beach Downs

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Godolphin LLC’s First Mission had his final major preparation for next Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park Saturday while breezing five furlongs at Fair Grounds.

With regular exercise rider Kelvin Perez aboard, the 4-year-old First Mission worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.40, the second-fastest of 52 workouts at the distance Saturday morning. Trainer Brad Cox said he timed First Mission galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.60.

It was First Mission’s third five-furlong workout after a trio of half-mile timed moves at Fair Grounds since his last race. That day he finished second by a nose to fellow Pegasus contender Trademark in Churchill Downs’ Clark (G2) on Nov. 24.

“He’s been doing very well week after week,” Cox said by phone. “We’re excited about giving him a shot at a Grade 1. We weren’t looking for anything really different than he’d done the last few weeks. We were just giving him an opportunity to go out there and stretch his legs, see how he’s doing. And he’s telling us he’s doing as well as he ever has.”

The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus will be First Mission’s sixth career start. A son of Godolphin stallion and 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, First Mission won Keeneland’s Stonestreet Lexington (G3) in his third start. He was scratched from the Preakness Stakes with a minor ankle issue before returning to Keeneland to win an allowance race off a six-month layoff.

First Mission will ship to Gulfstream Monday after training, Cox said. Regular rider Luis Saez has the Pegasus mount.

Joseph-Trained Pegasus Horses Breeze at Palm Meadows

Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, Michael and Julia Iavarone’s O’Connor, who captured the Dec. 30 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream, breezed for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Saturday morning at Palm Meadows Training Center.

Skippylongstocking breezed four furlongs in 47.55 while working in company with stakes winner Swirvin. O’Connor was timed in 48.55.

“They’re in good order,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

At Gulfstream Saturday morning, trainer Antonio Sano sent Alexandres LLC’s Il Miracolo to the track for an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:03.19 for a start in the Pegasus, following a third-place finish in the Clark (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Three Pletcher Trainees Work for Pegasus at Palm Beach Downs

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Dynamic One, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Crupi and PRO Thoroughbred Enterprises Grand Aspen breezed at Palm Beach Downs Saturday morning while preparing for next Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to saddle all three in search of his second success in the Pegasus, following Life Is Good’s victory in 2022.

Dynamic One, winner of the 2022 Suburban who scheduled to make his second start since being sidelined for more than a year, worked in company with Crupi, who is coming off back-to-back victories in the Queens County and the Discovery at Aqueduct. Crupi was timed in 48.29 seconds for a half-mile, while Dynamic One 48.39.

Dynamic One, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time, started two lengths ahead of Crupi, who finished the breeze 1 ½-lengths behind his stablemate, who was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Grand Aspen, who was beaten by a neck by O’Connor while finishing second in the Dec. 30 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream, breezed a half-mile in 49.13 seconds.

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