Disco Time, Tappan Street Tuned Up for 10th Anniversary Running
White Abarrio Returns to Defend Pegasus Title
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Juddmonte’s Disco Time will make a bid to maintain his unblemished record Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the relatively lightly raced 4-year-old son of Not This Time will pit his abundant talent against the experience of 11 rivals in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
The Brad Cox-trained Disco Time, the winner of all five of his career starts, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the 10th anniversary of 1 1/8-mile event for North America’s leading older horses. The Pegasus World Cup will be showcased on Saturday’s 13-race program along with the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), a 1 1/8-mile feature for 4-year-olds and up; and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2), a 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares.
Just how good is Disco Time?
“We’ll know more Saturday,” Cox said, “but he’s been very good.”
Disco Time, a Juddmonte homebred son of Not This Time, is undefeated in five career starts, including the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds last January. Sidelined following the Lecomte for eight months, Disco Time came back to win the St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park by 5 ½ lengths and the Dwyer at Aqueduct by 9 ¼ lengths.
“He always trained like a talented horse before he ever ran. He was able to start his career off a nice 3-for-3. Then we hit a little bump in the road last winter with him,” Cox said. “He got some time off and came back a bigger, stronger version of himself. We think he has a really big future.”
Disco Time, who will break from the rail post position, will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat.
“I’m OK with it, as long as he breaks well and gets good position and is comfortable,” Cox said. “I don’t think he necessarily needs to be on the lead. He can lay off it. That’ll be up to Flavien and how he breaks.”
Trainer Brad Cox, who saddled Knicks Go for a 2 ¼-length front-running victory in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup, will also be represented this year by Tappan Street, who is quite familiar with the Gulfstream track.
WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc., Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing’s Tappan Street captured the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) last March at Gulfstream, defeating eventual 2025 3-year-old champion Sovereignty. The son of Into Mischief, who went to the sidelines following his Florida Derby triumph, returned with an optional claiming allowance victory at Gulfstream Dec. 19. He closely track the pacesetter in the 1 1/16-mile race before edging clear late to win by a length.
“It was a starting point off a pretty long layoff,” Cox said. “I didn’t see anything flashy about it but, someone who’s around him on a daily basis, I do feel like he has moved forward. Training here in South Florida prior to that run, I don’t know how many works he had at Payson before that race, but his works were good. I feel like his works have been better since and that he’s taken a step forward. Physically, he looks amazing.”
Luis Saez, who was aboard for the Curlin Florida Derby, has the mount on Tappan Street, who is listed at 8-1 in the Pegasus Day program.
C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable LLC’s White Abarrio has been entered to make a title defense of his 6 ¼-length victory in last year’s Pegasus World Cup while making his first start since finishing fifth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 31.
“Last year we went in full of confidence,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “This year, it’s a different set of circumstances.”
While the 7-year-old son of Race Day hasn’t raced since Saratoga, he was not relegated to the sidelines and has been a regular morning visitor to the track.
“I don’t think it’s going to be fitness, because he’s never had any down time. He would always gallop, gallop, gallop,” said Joseph, whose stable star was scratched minutes before the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar by attending veterinarians. “When you have down time that’s when you run into fitness issues.”
Rated second at 4-1 on the morning line, White Abarrio and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will have to deal with the No. 11 post position.
“Nothing you can do about that. It is what it is.,” Joseph said. “Irad is the best at working out bad posts. The break’s the most important thing from any draw.”
Joseph will also be represented by Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking, who will be making an unprecedented fourth start in the Pegasus World Cup, in which he finished third behind White Abarrio last year.
“There’s confidence with Skippy. There’s confidence that he can win it,” Joseph said. “He’s had the right preparation.”
Skippylongstocking, a multiple graded-stakes winner of more than $3 million, is coming off a gutsy victory in the 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Dec. 20. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator will be ridden back by Tyler Gaffalione.
Hall of Fame Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Life Is Good for a 3 ¼-length triumph over a defending Knicks Go in the 2022 Pegasus World Cup, will saddle St. Elias Stable’s Captain Cook for a start in this year’s Pegasus. The son of Practical Joke joined the Pletcher stable just prior to back-to-back runner-up finishes in the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) Aug. 23 at Saratoga and the seven-furlong Perryville (G3) Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
“He seems like a horse that runs multiple distances well. He ran a big race for us first time. Second time, he was a decent second, but we felt like he didn’t first as sharply as he did in the Jerkens,” Pletcher said.
Captain Cook, formerly trained by Richard Dutrow, is a stakes winner at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Pegasus
“We kind of looked at it and we felt like running him fresh in the Pegasus was worth a go. It looks like he runs well fresh and we felt like the Gulfstream track should suit him well,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, he’ll be coming in ready off a little bit of freshening. It looks like an interesting race that’s sort of wide open.”
Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call on Captain Cook, who is listed at 15-1 on the morning line..
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has saddled an unprecedented three winners of the Pegasus World Cup, will be represented by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and partners’ Madaket Road in Saturday’s 10th anniversary running.
The 4-year-old son of Quality Road, who ran fourth in last year’s Curlin Florida Derby, finished second in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens (G1) at Saratoga but hasn’t won in his last seven starts. Hall of Famer Mike Smith has the mount on Madaket Road.
Baffert has visited the Pegasus World Cup winner’s circle with Juddmonte’s Arrogate, who won the 2017 running by 4 ¾ lengths, HRH Prince Faisal bin Khaled’s Mucho Gusto, who scored by 4 ½ lengths in 2020, and SF Racing LLC and partners’ National Treasure, who held on win by a neck in 2024.
Godolphin’s Poster, who came up a head short after a stretch-long battle with Skippylongstocking in the Harlan’s Holiday, will seek his first win against older horses Saturday. The 4-year-old son of Munnings captured the Remsen (G2) at the 1 1/8-mile distance to complete a 2-year-old campaign. He was knocked off the 2004 Kentucky Derby trail by injury but came back strong from an eight-month layoff to win a Churchill Downs allowance prior to turning in a sharp performance in the Harlan’s Holiday.
Junior Alvarado will ride Eion Harty-trained Poster for the first time Saturday.
Hronis Racing LLC’s Full Serrano, the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner, will seek to rebound from a troubled fifth-place finish in his Mile title defense in the Pegasus World Cup. The fifth-place finish Nov. 1 at Del Mar was the first time the John Sadler-trained gelding had finished worse that second in his six starts since being imported from Argentina.
Joel Rosario has the call on Full Serrano.
Nice Guys Stables’ Mika enters the Pegasus World Cup of a close-up second-place finish in the Dec. 6 Cigar Mile (G2) in his graded-stakes debut at Aqueduct while making his first start after joining trainer Mike Maker. The 4-year-old son of Catholic Boy was coming off a 9 ½-length optional claiming allowance score at Delaware Park and a 14 ½-length romp in an entry-level allowance at Laurel Park for trainer Brittany Russell.
Rated at 8-1 on the morning line, Mika will be ridden by Manuel Franco.
Lawrence Roman and trainer David Jacobson’s Banishing is scheduled to make his second start since finishing off the board in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). The hard-knocking 6-year-old gelding, who finished second in an Oaklawn sprint stakes in his return, won last year’s Charles Town Classic (G2) and the Oaklawn Mile (G2). Jose Ortiz has the mount on the son of Ghostzapper,
Slam Dunk Racing, Baltas Racing and Jerry McLanahan’s British Isles ventures east after finishing second in the Native Diver (G3) for trainer Richard Baltas in his most recent start at Del Mar. Gulfstream-based trainer David Fawkes will give jockey Diego Herrera leg up on the 5-year-old Justify gelding.
Michael and Jules Iavarone’s Brotha Keny, who captured the Zia Park Derby last time out, will make his first start for trainer Jose D’Angelo in the Pegasus World Cup. The 4-year-old gelded son of Mo Town will be ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.
Trainer Jose Castros’ Lightning Tones, who captured the Sunshine Classic for Florida-breds last time out, and Tami Bobo’s Catalytic, An Antonio Sano-trained on of Catalina Cruiser who finished third behind Skippylongstocking and Poster in the Harlan’s Holiday, are also-eligible.
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, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); The Preakness Stakes, (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 1/ST TV. 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 email david.joseph@GulfstreamPark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.