Tappan Street Carries Distinction into G1 Pegasus
‘Challenging’ Fionn Set for G3 Clement
Pegasus Turf (G1) Contender Beach Gold ‘A Very Fresh Horse’
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Tappan Street will return to the scene of his mild upset victory in last year’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) Saturday, when the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief goes to post for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
WinStar Farm LLC, CHC, Inc., Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing’s Tappan Street will clash with 11 rivals in the grand finale of a blockbuster 13-race program with 10 stakes, seven graded, carrying with him the distinction of being the horse to hand presumptive 2025 Eclipse Award 3-year-old champion Sovereignty his only defeat last season.
Tappan Street went to the sidelines with a condylar fracture for the rest of the season, while Sovereignty went on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers (G1). Yet, on Curlin Florida Derby Day, Sovereignty met his match in the Gulfstream’s premier Kentucky Derby prep in the Brad Cox-trained Tappan Street, who got the jump on the Bill Mott-trained favorite on his way to a 1 ¼-length victory.
“The way he was training leading up to the Florida Derby, I expected him to run well. I felt like we needed to break well and get good position that day, and we did,” Cox said.
Tappan Street broke from the post nine, one stall inside Sovereignty in the starting gate, and was able to clear the first turn cleanly to stalk the pace and always keep the favorite in his rearview mirror.
‘There was a question mark about him being way out there and if he could win from out there,” Cox said. “I did a little research myself and I think the two prior winners of the Florida Derby – two of Todd’s colts – broke from way out there.
Todd Pletcher-trained Forte (2023) and Fierceness (2024) broke from Post 11 and Post eight, respectively, on their ways to Curlin Florida Derby glory.
Tappan Street returned from his long layoff to capture a one-turn mile optional claiming allowance Dec. 19 at Gulfstream by a length with a workmanlike effort. Cox expects him to take a huge stride forward in the Pegasus World Cup, for which he will break from Post #7 under Luis Saez.
“His work on Saturday morning was one of the best works we’ve seen from him. …period,” said Cox, who sent Tappan Street to the track at Payson Park Training Center for a ‘bullet’ five-furlong breeze in preparation for the Pegasus.
Cox will also be represented in the Pegasus World Cup by undefeated Disco Time, the 8-5 morning-line favorite.
‘Challenging’ Fionn Set for G3 Christophe Clement
A glance at the race record of George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn would lead one to believe the 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy must be every trainer’s dream – which is not exactly the case.
Fionn has raised more than a few concerns with her less-than-model pre-race behavior, but she has more than made up for her antics with her exemplary in-race performances. The Brad Cox-trained turf star will bring a record of seven wins from 10 starts and Grade 1 credentials into Saturday’s $175,000 Christophe Clement (G3) at Gulfstream.
“She’s challenging sometimes with her behavior. She can get a little antsy before the race. At Saratoga, she was a little tough to deal with, but she was able to win a Grade 1. At Kentucky Downs, she was a little tough to deal with and she was able to win a $2 million race,” Cox said. “Sometimes, you’d be a little concerned that a horse would leave their race in the paddock, but she always shows up. She’s ultra-consistent.”
Fionn has notched stakes victories in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) at Saratoga, the $2 million Dueling Grounds Oaks (G3) at Kentucky Downs and, most recently, the Nov. 15 Jockey Club Oaks (G3) at Aqueduct.
“She ran a great race at Aqueduct back in November. She’s ultra consistent. She runs on pretty much any type of turf course. She was able to ship and win,” Cox said.
Fionn was being pointed to the Dec. 28 American Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita, but Cox was forced to call an audible when her flight to the west coast was cancelled.
“We had her down here in South Florida and we said, ‘What are we going to do with her now?’ She was doing so well. She didn’t act like she needed a break or anything,” Cox said. “She’s a really good mover. Her energy level is really good. We said, ‘Let’s find a race.’ This is what we found.”
Fionn will be ridden in the Christophe Clement, a 1 ½ turf stakes for older fillies and mares, by Flavien Prat.
Pegasus Turf (G1) Contender Beach Gold ‘A Very Fresh Horse’
Talk about a long-range plan.
Twelve months after JSM Equine’s Beach Gold ran fourth at Gulfstream Park, the seventh start in a career delayed more than a year and a half, the 5-year-old is about to face the biggest challenge of his career in Saturday’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).
Beach Gold was beaten by a next-out winners Tucson and Ciao Chuck in a one-mile, 70-yard maiden special weight over the all-weather Tapeta course in his 4-year-old season debut last January – on the eve of the Pegasus World Cup Day program.
Despite being winless with a second and three thirds at that point, trainer Patrick Biancone approached JSM’s Joseph Minor with an idea.
“The first time I talked to the owner about [the Pegasus Turf] was last year,” Biancone said. “At the time of that race we said, ‘Next year, we’ll be there.’ It’s an exciting race, and I have an owner who is a sportsman.”
Beach Gold, by multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Omaha Beach, has proved to be an exercise in patience for the connections. Unraced at 2, he went winless with one second and three thirds in six tries as a 3-year-old, racing on turf, dirt and Tapeta. He graduated with a popular triumph in his ninth start, going 7 ½ furlongs on the grass last March.
“This horse, he had all kinds of problems when he was a baby. The owner was very nice to keep him and give him the time because Ciaran Dunne who broke him told him he was a very good horse. With the patience and everything the horse has come into himself,” Biancone said. “This year should be a bit easier because he didn’t run at 2, barely ran at 3, and he’s a very fresh horse.”
Beach Gold has run third or better in 11 of 16 starts, and his $560,920 in purse earnings makes him the richest horse owned by Minor, surpassing Peace Achieved, who gave the owner his most recent graded victory in the 2019 Bourbon (G3). JSM was also partners on 2016 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) winner Blofeld.
Winner of the one-mile Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Millions in August on the Ellis Park turf at odds of nearly 23-1, Beach Gold ran third in Gulfstream’s Pegasus Turf prep, the Dec. 20 Fort Lauderdale (G3), beaten three lengths by multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who set a 1 1/8-mile course record that day but is sitting this one out.
With three wins, one second and two thirds in seven races on the grass at Gulfstream, Beach Gold drew Post 3 with British jockey David Egan in the Pegasus Turf. They are rated at 15-1 on the morning line.
“We like it,” Biancone said. “He loves it here. All is good. It’s great to have a big day like this [and] it’s great to be able to participate. I think before it’s all over we’ll have a lot of fun.”