Pegasus: Globetrotting Nations Pride Tops $1M Pegasus Turf (G1)

By David Joseph —-

Globetrotting Nations Pride Tops $1M Pegasus Turf (G1)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Godolphin’s globetrotting multi-millionaire homebred star Nations Pride, a Grade 1 winner in the U.S., Europe and Middle East, headlines an impressive cast of a dozen horses set to gather for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) presented by Qatar Racing Saturday, Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

The seventh running of the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus Turf for 4-year-olds and up is part of a blockbuster 13-race program featuring seven graded-stakes worth $5.26 million in purses co-headlined by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and $500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G1) presented by SirDavis American Whiskey.

First race post time is 11 a.m. EST. The Pegasus Turf will go off as Race 12, with a scheduled post time of 4:55 p.m. EST. NBC will provide live national television coverage from 4:30 to 6 p.m. EST.

Introduced in 2019, the Pegasus Turf has been won by 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar; two-time European Group 1 heroine Warm Heart, the lone filly winner; and Colonel Liam, the only two-time winner having captured consecutive runnings in 2021 and 2022.

This year’s group features five millionaires and three Grade 1 winners led by the 6-year-old Irish-bred Nations Pride, who drew Post 7 and was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite during Sunday’s post-position draw at Gulfstream’s Carousel Club. Champion British jockey and regular rider William Buick has the call.

Trained by Newmarket, England-based Charles Appleby, Nations Pride has raced in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Dubai, Bahrain and Canada while winning 10 of 19 lifetime starts with purse earnings of $3,445,554. He made three North American starts in 2024, including a win in the 1 ¼-mile Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs and a second in the 1 3/16-mile Manhattan (G1) at Aqueduct.

Overall, according to Equibase statistics the 44-year-old Appleby’s horses registered 14 wins from 59 North American starts (23.7 percent) last year and were third or better 42 times (71.1 percent). Other Grade 1 victories came in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Belmont Oaks Invitational and Maker’s Mark Mile.

Nations Pride has not run since finishing 10th in the Bahrain International Trophy (G2) in mid-November. He has a record of 4-2-1 from eight career races in North America, including victories in the 2023 Canadian International (G1) and 2022 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) and Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3).

“He’s a fantastic horse. He’s a four-time Grade 1 winner in Canada, America and Germany. He’s a very classy horse,” Appleby’s assistant trainer Chris Connett said. “Probably his two poorest runs have been in Bahrain when he’s gone for the big race out there. But if you overlook those runs, he’s ultra consistent. He ran in some nice races. He was [third], first time up to Silver Knot [in the Man o’ War G2)]. Then he went on and won the Arlington Million. He’s a high-end horse. This trip will be ideal.”

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who trained Colonel Liam, goes for an unprecedented third Pegasus Turf win with the duo of millionaires Major Dude and Grand Sonata, who have 12 wins and more than $3.1 million from 43 total starts and have combined for four wins from six starts at Gulfstream.

“They’ve both shown an affinity for the course, so that’s encouraging,” Pletcher said.

Spendthrift Farms’ 5-year-old Major Dude is a four-time graded-stakes winner that comes in having won two straight capped by Gulfstream’s local prep, the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 21. He is 2-for-2 at the nine-furlong distance on grass, and was also second in the 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby (G3) on synthetics after taking the Kitten’s Joy on the Gulfstream turf in 2023.

“Major Dude is coming off a big effort in the Fort Lauderdale, and hopefully that will prove to be the perfect prep to set him up for this,” Pletcher said.

Whisper Hill Farm’s 6-year-old homebred Grand Sonata ran fourth by 1 ½ lengths following an inside trip in the Fort Lauderdale, two starts after his half-length triumph in the 1 ½-mile Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2). In between, the son of Medaglia d’Oro was a troubled 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).

“He had the big win at Kentucky Downs,” Pletcher said. “In the Breeders’ Cup he got into a little bit of traffic, but bounced back with a really good effort in the Fort Lauderdale.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Major Dude (6-1) from Post 6, while John Velazquez is named on Grand Sonata (20-1) from Post 11.

Fellow Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will also send out a pair of contenders in Battle of Normandy and Integration, the latter having run third by less than two lengths in last year’s Pegasus Turf. West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Pine Racing Stables, William Freeman, Michael Valdes and John Ballantyne’s Integration will be making his 5-year-old debut after capping 2024 with a victory in the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith (G2) at Aqueduct, which pushed him over the $1 million mark in purse earnings.

Integration (3-1) came into last year’s Pegasus Turf undefeated in three starts including wins in the Virginia Derby (G3) and Hill Prince (G2), both going 1 1/8 miles. Frankie Dettori gets the riding assignment from Post 5.

“He’s always been a horse going back to the Virginia Derby that we’ve been super excited about,” West Point executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “He’s extremely well-bred, Quality Road out of Harmonize, and I think as the year went on it was one of those where you’re just waiting for that explosion that you know is there. It was great to really see it at Aqueduct last time out.”

West Point and Woodford also share ownership in 5-year-old Battle of Normandy (20-1), who seeks a fifth consecutive win and second straight against graded company following the 1 1/8-mile River City (G3) Nov. 9, his most recent start. He has never raced at Gulfstream but his sire, City of Light, won the 2019 Pegasus.

“He’s a horse that has just gotten better and better,” Bellhouse said. “This horse [did] nothing wrong [last] year and every time we’ve asked him to take a step forward, he has. Each race has been a question, whether it was the distance or the competition or whatever, but he really has come into his own in Shug’s program. It’s just super exciting.”

Jose Ortiz rides Battle of Normandy from Post 10.

Live Oak Plantation homebred Win for the Money (12-1) earned Grade 1 credentials at odds of 13-1 in the Woodbine Mile (G1) last fall for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. After a disappointing effort in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), the 6-year-old gelding bounced back to be third by a half-length in the Fort Lauderdale.

“I thought his last race was good. If he had a little more pace, it would have helped. He is training well up to this,” Casse said. “I’ve been doing it for a long time; you win some, you lose some. All you ask is that they show up and he showed up.”

Dylan Davis, up for the Fort Lauderdale, rides back from Post 4.

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s Formidable Man (15-1) ships in from California for trainer Michael McCarthy who is going for a Pegasus sweep, having won the Pegasus with City of Light and 2023 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) with Queen Goddess.

Formidable Man has been first or second in seven of 10 career races, starting with a front-running half-length victory going a mile in the fall of 2023 on the Del Mar turf course. He enters the Pegasus Turf off two straight wins at 1 1/8 miles – the Del Mar Derby (G2) and Hollywood Derby (G1).

“I thought he needed to run long in his first start. There were no two-turn dirt mile races to begin with, so we took a flyer and gave turf a try first time out. It seemed like he did relish the surface. We did try him on the dirt a few races later with very little success, so back to the turf it was. It’s worked out well for him,” McCarthy said. “His races are coming easier to him. He’s easy to rate. He’s easy to position in his races. All things you look for in good racehorses.”

Regular rider Umberto Rispoli makes the trip East to ride from Post 2.

Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables and Old Bones Racing Stable’s 6-year-old millionaire Balnikhov (15-1) began his career in France before coming to the U.S. in the spring of 2022. He owns four wins in North America including the 2022 Bryan Station (G3) and 2024 Dinner Party (G3) and was beaten a half-length when second last out in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) Nov. 29.

Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal’s Mi Hermano Ramon (8-1) ended 2024 with a half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) at Del Mar and a second, beaten less than a length, in the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel (G2) at Santa Anita, both on the grass. The Pegasus Turf will be just the second time racing outside of California, having been fourth in the 2023 Transylvania (G3) at Keeneland.

Chad Brown, who trained Pegasus Turf winner Bricks and Mortar, will be represented by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s 6-year-old Spirit of St Louis (20-1), a nine-time winner with three seconds from 12 starts and six stakes wins, five against fellow New York-breds. His lone try at 1 1/8 miles was a win in the 2023 Ashley T. Cole.

Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher and Angelo Carlesimo’s 6-year-old Chasing the Crown (20-1) ran second in the Wise Dan (G2) and Arlington (G3) in back-to-back starts last summer in Kentucky, where he was last seen winning an optional claimer in early November. His trainer, Mike Maker, won the Pegasus Turf with Atone in 2023 and Zulu Alpha in 2020.

Joseph Allen’s Siege of Boston (20-1), trained by Jimmy Toner, has placed in four graded-stakes including a second in the Canadian Turf (G3) last winter at Gulfstream and thirds in the 2024 Tampa Bay (G3) and 2023 River City (G3). Most recently the 6-year-old was fifth, beaten 1 ½ lengths, in the Fort Lauderdale.

On the also-eligible list, in order of preference, are Magic Cap Stables’ Grade 3 winner Fort Washington (20-1), second by a neck in the Fort Lauderdale for McGaughey; and Paradise Farms Corp.’s Paros (30-1), a winner of five straight capped by the Dec. 14 Prairie Bayou at Turf Paradise.

Cover Photo: Nation’s Pride; Coglianese Photo

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