Tepid Favorite Whiskey Decision 9-2
Trainers Casse, Joseph Enter Two Each
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Grade 3 winner Whiskey Decision was made a tepid 9-2 favorite in what promises to be a competitive and wide-open $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Filly & Mare Turf Invitational is one of 10 stakes, seven graded, that will make up the 10th anniversary of Pegasus World Cup Day featuring the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1). The stakes will carry total purses of $5.675 million.
Trained by Chad Brown, who saddled Regal Glory to victory in the inaugural Pegasus Filly & Mare race in 2022, Whiskey Decision won the Eatontown (G3) at Monmouth over the summer and finished fourth at Saratoga in the Ballston Spa (G2). She will make her first start since winning the Athenia at Aqueduct in September. Flavien Prat will ride.
In Our Time, last year’s Pegasus Filly & Mare pacesetter who got caught late and finished third, is 5-1 on the morning line. She returns for Gulfstream’s leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The 5-year-old enters the Pegasus off a second in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar in November after finishing second in the Franklin (G2) at Keeneland. She has been the pacesetter in her last four starts and has a 1-3-1 record in six starts across Gulfstream’s course.
Only a single horse in the main body of the race is more than 12-1, and that is Grade 2 winner Ready for Shirl.
“There’s absolutely no heavy favorite,” said trainer Jose D’Angelo, who will saddle Suwannee River winner Crevalle d’Oro (12-1).
“It’s clearly the deepest of all the Pegasus World Cup races,” said Gulfstream’s morning-line maker and analyst Brian Nadeau. “Any number of these entered can be favorite.”
Along with In Our Time, Joseph will also saddle Movin’ On Up (12-1), who finished second by a head behind Crevalle d’Oro Dec. 20 in Gulfstream’s Suwanee River. The mare was fourth in November in the Goldikova (G3) at Del Mar. Movin’ On Up has two wins and a second across Gulfstream’s course in three starts.
And One More Time (12-1) and Classic Q (6-1) will run for trainer Mark Casse.
And One More Time won the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine as a 2-year-old in September of 2024. She returned from a year layoff in September to win an allowance optional claimer at Woodbine before finishing second by a head here in the Tropical Park Oaks. Classic Q has yet to win a graded stakes, but she’s been competitive in her last four starts all against graded company.
The Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf could mark the final starts by Caitlinhergrtness and Heredia.
Caitlinhergrtness (8-1) beat the boys in the 2024 prestigious King’s Plate at Woodbine, and last year won the Ontario Matron (G3) and was second in the Dance Smartly (G2) and Bessarabian (G3). The daughter of Omaha Beach enters this race after winning the My Charmer Dec. 21 at Turfway Park. John Velazquez rides for Kevin Attard.
Heredia (8-1), a 7-year-old by Dark Angel, won the Yellow Ribbon (G2) on the front end at Del Mar in August but then closed while getting beat less than two lengths in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland. She was fifth in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar in November. The mare has seven wins in 17 starts across the turf. Graham Motion trains and Manny Franco rides.
Breath Away (8-1), bred in Great Britain, is a 6-year-old Grade 2 winner and was beaten just three lengths in November at Del Mar in the Matriarch (G1). She has a record of 2-2-1 in six starts across Gulfstream’s turf. Oisin Murphy rides for Miguel Clement.
Trainer Brad Cox will saddle Destino d’Oro (12-1). Her only trip on Gulfstream’s turf course was a victory Dec. 13 in the Tropical Park Oaks. She won the Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park in August. Junior Alvarado rides.
Proctor Street enters the race off a victory Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs in the Cardinal. The daughter of Street Sense has won five of eight starts on the turf. Brendan Walsh trains and Tyler Gaffalione will ride.
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