Pegasus: Derby Winner Mystik Dan Begins Year in $3 Million Pegasus World Cup

By David Joseph —-

Derby Winner Mystik Dan Begins Year in $3 Million Pegasus World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer Ken McPeek describes saddling Mystik Dan to victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) as reaching “the highest high.”

“Winning the Derby is just the ultimate peak,” he added.

But McPeek is searching to scale another summit Saturday when he saddles Mystik Dan in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The Pegasus, at 1 1/8 mile, is one of seven graded races and 10 stakes overall with purses totaling $5.5 million, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) presented by Qatar Racing and $500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) presented by SirDavis American Whiskey. First race post is 11 a.m.

Derby winner Mystik Dan was one of a dozen entered Sunday for the Pegasus World Cup. The competitive field includes:

Florida Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio and stablemate and Grade 2 winner Skippylongstocking;
Trainer Todd Pletcher, winner of the 2022 Pegasus with Life Is Good, saddles two in Cigar Mile (G2) winner Locked and stablemate and Suburban (G2) winner Crupi, third in last year’s Pegasus;
Trainer Brad Cox, winner of the 2021 Pegasus World Cup with Horse of the Year Knicks Go, will send out Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown;
Power Squeeze, a Grade 1 winning filly, will face boys for the first time in her career and become the first filly to run in the Pegasus since Stellar Wind in 2018;
Multiple Grade 2 winner Newgrange will try to spring an upset off a six-month layoff.

For Mystik Dan, a 4-year-old son of Goldencents who will be 8-1 on the morning line, the Pegasus could offer some redemption.

After the Derby victory and a game second-place finish in the Preakness (G1), Mystik Dan checked in eighth in the 1 ½ mile Belmont (G1), run at Saratoga, and returned from a seven-month layoff to finish sixth Dec. 26 in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita Park. McPeek believes Mystik Dan didn’t have the best of circumstances in those races.

“[Jockey] Brian Hernandez felt he didn’t like the kind of deepness, if you will, of the Saratoga track last summer,” McPeek said. “I think this is more of a skip-along type of racetrack he’ll get over well, but he’ll have to do it in the afternoon.”

As for the trip to Santa Anita and the Malibu? “That race in California we weren’t thrilled with,” McPeek offered. “Maybe I’ll take the bullet for that. It was a long trip to get him out there. It was a two-day trip, truckin’ to California, and he didn’t do well at that distance.”

McPeek’s challenge now is to “figure out where he fits.”

“Some horses go from being a good 3-year-old to a good older horse, and that’s a challenge,” he continued. “Will he transcend from a very good 3-year-old to a very good 4-year-old? The [Malibu] wasn’t ideal. But it’s a long year and we have several races to see where he fits. Hopefully, he comes back and proves himself as an older horse.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2022 Pegasus World Cup with Life Is Good, comes into the race with two big chances in Locked, the 5-2 morning line favorite, and Crupi (15-1).

Locked, a son of 2018 Pegasus winner and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, won two races and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) before going to the sidelines with a knee ligament injury for 50 weeks. Since returning he won an allowance optional claiming event at Aqueduct Oct. 19 by 7 ½ lengths and won the Cigar Mile (G2) Dec. 7 by 1 ½ lengths.

“He’s a horse that we always felt would be better going longer, so we’re looking forward to getting him out to a mile and an eighth for the first time,” Pletcher said. “He’s been training really, really well so we’re excited about it.”

The 6-year-old Crupi, third in last year’s Pegasus World Cup, has been a consistent performer throughout his career with a record of 5-4-5 in 19 career starts. The son of Curlin was second in last year’s Brooklyn (G2) and Whitney (G1) and third in the Woodward (G2). He wrapped up his 2024 season with a fourth-place finish in the Clark (G2) at Churchill Downs.

“He’s been training really well,” Pletcher said. “I think he looks as good as he’s ever looked, physically. He’s an older horse now, he’s fully matured and filled out, and his works have been solid.”

John Velazquez will ride Locked and Luis Saez will be aboard Crupi.

Like Pletcher, Gulfstream’s leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has two shots in the Pegasus with White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking.

White Abarrio, a winner of $5.2 million, brings an impressive resume to the Pegasus. The nearly white 6-year-old won the 2022 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). After a 10th-place finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) last February, the son of Race Day finished fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga in June. Five months later, he won an allowance race here Nov. 22 and finished a troubled second prepping for the Pegasus in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3).

“We’re very happy with him,” Joseph said. “He had an amazing work [Jan. 9]. He seems to be a horse who’s giving all the signs that he’s going into the race to run his best.

“Anytime you don’t have to ship a horse and can run on your home track, I think it’s an advantage. I definitely think running out of your stall is a plus. We’re happy where we’re at. If everything continues to go well, I think he has a very good chance to win the Pegasus.”

The third time could be the charm for Skippylongstocking. The son of Exaggerator was pulled up in last year’s Pegasus and seventh in the 2023 edition. A winner of more than $3 million for owner Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking won the Charles Town Classic (G2) and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last year and was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

The Championship Meet’s leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride White Abarrio, and Tyler Gaffalione will ride Skippylongstocking.

Power Squeeze becomes the first filly to face the boys in the Pegasus World Cup since Stellar Wind finished sixth in 2018. Owned by Lea Farms, LLC and trained by Jorge Delgado, Power Squeeze won the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga in August. After finishing seventh in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx, she prepared for the Pegasus with a second-place finish in the Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Dec. 26. Javier Castellano rides.

“We could have run in the Royal Delta (G3) next month [against fillies and mares],” Delgado said, “but we feel like she’s a really nice filly. She’s won multiple graded stakes, and she appreciates the distance a lot. I think with the right pace she can beat whoever she faces in there. There are not many chances that you’re going to have to be in these races, so you have to embrace it and make the best out of it. We believe in the filly and that’s the reason why she’s in the race.”

FMQ Stable’s Saudi Crown, from the powerful Brad Cox stable, enters off a big win in the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds Dec. 21. The 5-year-old has won six of 12 starts and has a victory in the 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1). The son of 2017 Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby winner Always Dreaming finished third in the Saudi Cup in February and 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November. Florent Geroux rides.

Mixto and Stronghold ship in from California. Mixto won the Pacific Classic (G1) in August at Del Mar. The Doug O’Neill-trained 5-year-old returned in November to finish 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and third in the Native Diver (G3). Stronghold, a 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper, won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) last April and finished seventh behind Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby. The colt has since run second three times in the Indiana Derby (G3), Pennsylvania Derby and Malibu.

Frankie Dettori has the mount on Mixto and Antonio Fresu on Stronghold.

Trainer Jose D’Angelo, who saddled Jesus’ Team to a second-place finish in the 2021 Pegasus, sends out Newgrange. The 6-year-old son of Violence, a multiple Grade 2 winner in California, will be making his first start since finishing fifth July 27 in the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar.

Steal Sunshine and Vitality move into the main body of the race from the also-eligible list after Imagination and last year’s runner-up Senor Buscador did not enter. Steal Sunshine owns six victories at Gulfstream, including last winter’s Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). Vitality, winner of the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie in September, was sixth here in December in the Harlan’s Holiday.

Dylan Davis rides Steal Sunshine and Rajiv Maragh rides Vitality.

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