UPDATE 1/23/2020 9:40am
Unfortunately, Spun To Run has scratched from the Pegasus World Cup due to a skin disease. We applaud Parx Racing trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero for putting the horse’s health first in the situation. Read More from the DRF
With the $3 million Pegasus World Cup set for this Saturday, all eyes are on the expected favorite Omaha Beach as he preps for the final race of his career. Meanwhile, the horse who defeated him in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is quietly completing his preparations at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Spun to Run recorded his final breeze for the Pegasus World Cup on January 21st, blowing out a half mile in 47.30 seconds, the fastest of 25 works at the distance. Parx based trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero has been carefully executing Spun to Run’s training regiment leading up to the Pegasus. After finishing second last time out in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, Guerrero worried that Spun to Run worked too fast in his final workout prior to the race.
Wanting to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again, Guerrero has been tweaking the Breeders’ Cup winner’s schedule to perfection, carefully altering dates for gallops and breezes according to how his horse is performing. Spun to Run has recorded a total of four workouts at the Florida training track in preparation for the Pegasus, and Guerrero seems thrilled with the way his charge is heading into the race. He said he couldn’t be happier with how the horse has been doing since he arrived in Florida, and he feels as if he has him trained to perfection.
For the first time this year, the Pegasus World Cup will be run medication free and will not allow the administration of race-day Lasix. Guerrero gave Spun to Run the opportunity to record two workouts without Lasix, and both times he scoped “110% clean”.
Irad Ortiz Jr., the expected winner of the Eclipse Award for 2019 Champion Jockey, has ridden Spun to Run in his previous two races. On January 18th, Ortiz announced that he opted to ride Mucho Gusto, trained by Bob Baffert, in the Pegasus World Cup. Although initially worried about having to find a new rider one week out from the race, Guerrero secured the services of fellow Champion Jockey finalist, Javier Castellano. Castellano is a member of the Hall of Fame and won last year’s Pegasus World Cup aboard City of Light.
Spun to Run shipped to Gulfstream Park on Wednesday and will complete his final gallops over the oval. In the full field of 12, Spun to Run drew post 9 and was installed the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. 7-5 favorite Omaha Beach drew post 5, while 9-2 third choice Mucho Gusto landed gate 10.
In all three prior editions of the Pegasus World Cup, winners from the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup have gone on to win the Pegasus. Spun to Run is the only Breeders’ Cup winner in the field of 12.
If all goes well in the Pegasus World Cup, Spun to Run will aim for the big prizes in the Middle East, including the world’s richest race, the $20 million Grade 1 Saudi Cup on February 29th, and then either the $12 million Grade 1 Dubai World Cup or the $1.5 million Grade 2 Godolphin Mile on March 28th.
The Pegasus World Cup is set for this Saturday, January 25th, with an expected post time of 5:34pm EST. NBC is scheduled to broadcast the races from 4:30pm-6:00pm EST.
The field for the $3 million Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup is as follows:
Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Morning Line Odds
- True Timber (Joe Bravo, Kiaran McLaughlin) 20-1
- Tax (Jose Ortiz, Danny Gargan) 12-1
- Diamond Oops (Julien Leparoux, Patrick Biancone) 20-1
- Seeking the Soul (John Velazquez, Dallas Stewart) 30-1
- Omaha Beach (Mike Smith, Richard Mandella) 7-5
- Higher Power (Flavien Prat, John Sadler) 6-1
- War Story (Joel Rosario, Elizabeth Dobles) 30-1
- Mr Freeze (Luiz Saez, Dale Romans) 30-1
- Spun to Run (Javier Castellano, Juan Carlos Guerrero) 7-2
- Mucho Gusto (Irad Ortiz, Bob Baffert) 9-2
- Tenfold (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen) 30-1
- Bodexpress (Emisael Jaramillo, Gustavo Delgado) 30-1
