G2 Winners Cugino, Major Dude Prep for $1M Pegasus Turf (G1)
Captain Cook, Disco Time, ‘Skippy’ Work for $3M Pegasus (G1)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig Racing’s Grade 2 winner Cugino returned to the work tab Friday at Gulfstream Park with a half-mile breeze ahead of the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 24.
In his first work since finishing second by less than a length in Gulfstream’s Pegasus Turf prep, the Fort Lauderdale (G3) Dec. 20, the 5-year-old Cugino was timed in 49.11 seconds over a fast main track, fifth-fastest of 18 horses.
Winner of Gulfstream’s 2024 Tropical Park Derby, Cugino captured the Red Bank at Monmouth Park and Red Smith (G2) at Aqueduct prior to the Fort Lauderdale.
“No shame in losing to that horse,” West Point senior vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “We’re all systems go. [Cugino] is just so honest and fun. He tries every time. He was a little unlucky early in his career, but I think we fit with the big boys. [Hopefully] we can get maybe a little more pace in this race than where was last time.”
Cugino, who has one win and three seconds in four career tries on the Gulfstream turf, will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the Pegasus.
West Point has been involved in several Pegasus Day starters over the years including Breaking Lucky, who ran eighth in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus in 2017. In the Turf, West Point has seen Integration run second in 2025 and fifth in 2024, Battle of Normandy finish 11th in 2025 and Decorated Invader run 11th in 2023.
“It’s exciting,” Bellhouse said. “We’ve been very, very blessed to run on Pegasus Day ever since the first Pegasus with Breaking Lucky, and almost every year have some type of participant whether it’s on the turf or in the big dance. It’s always a thrill for us.”
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a pair of his Pegasus contenders at Palm Beach Downs Friday, Captain Cook and Major Dude. St. Elias Stable’s Grade 1-placed Captain Cook, pointing to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), went 1:01.65 for five furlongs in company with 4-year-old colt Skate Away.
Spendthrift Farm’s millionaire Major Dude, aiming for the Pegasus Turf, breezed four furlongs in 50.48 seconds. Sixth by three lengths in last year’s Pegasus Turf, the 6-year-old horse, scratched from a title defense in the Fort Lauderdale, hasn’t raced since winning the Artie Schiller Oct. 11 at Aqueduct.
Payson Park saw Juddmonte’s undefeated homebred Disco Time work five furlongs in 1:01.40 for the Pegasus in company with multiple Grade 1-placed Just a Touch. Trained by Brad Cox, Disco Time is 5-0 lifetime with stakes wins in the Lecomte (G3), St. Louis Derby and Dwyer last year, the latter Nov. 8.
Ten-time graded-stakes winning multimillionaire Skippylongstocking, readying for a fourth straight run in the Pegasus, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.65 over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The 7-year-old most recently won the local Pegasus prep, the Dec. 20 Harlan’s Holiday (G2).
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. also sent his three contenders for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) out for four-furlong works – Suwannee River runner-up Movin’ On Up (48.25 seconds); In Our Time (49.05), third behind stablemate Be Your Best in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf; and Ramsey Pond (51.75).
Aussie Girl, trained by William Walden, went in 49.70 seconds for the Filly & Mare Turf.
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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.