Pegasus F/M Turf (Grade 2)- $500.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
January 24, 2026
Last fall, Lady Hilltopper etched her name into the history books by winning the BC Fillies and Mares Turf, giving trainer Black N Gold Stable their first BC win. Her year was not done after the BC, and she went on to also win the Grade 1 Matriarch later in the month. The Pegasus F/M Turf is where this mare would kick off her seven year old campaign, and with a familiar rider in the saddle, she would go on to extend her winning streak to three, taking it by a length and a half. Surprisingly, despite those previous wins and being our pick to win, she was still an 11/1 longshot. It’s the first win in this race for Black N Gold Stable, and the second for J R Velazquez. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:39.52, the fourth quickest in the stake’s history while at this distance. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/4 Mile- :22.93)- From the outside, Aime La Nature goes out to the race lead for Our Athletes, and will lead second place, Nakamura Stables- trained One Spirit, by a length. It’s then a length and a half to our eventual winner of the race, Black N Gold Stable’s Lady Hilltopper, who is by herself while in the second lane, a length ahead of a group of horses that are lined up. Train Station and Painville, respectively trained by TwinTowersStables and Mo Mentum Far are even for fourth while Threshold’s Voltaire runs right between them. Lucille is five wide into the turn for D J C Racing Stables, but the wide trips into the opening turn do not end with her. Mami is six wide for Alydar Stables, and make it seven for Maletto’s Poetic Panther. Behind this wall that might look like how a soccer team defends a penalty kick, Winning Link Stables’ Beach Towel gets to be closer to the rail. TwinTowersRacing’s Smokin Cherie can see them all in front of her.
(½ Mile- :46.40)- Aime La Nature shows the way around the first turn and into the backstretch, still leading One Spirit by a length. Lady Hilltopper is still a length further behind her, but runs third, and was thankful to be clear of that mess that was behind her. Ultimately, the way those seven horses were lined up would resolve itself, but not until they nearly reached the end of the turn. Painville and Train Station are still heads apart for fourth, and continue to have Lucille nearby between them and Lucille running four wide. Finally, both Mami and Poetic Panther realized it would not be a winning strategy to continue running so wide, and wisely opted to tuck in behind them, but not before Beach Towel sneaks by both of them. It’s about two more from them to the trailer, Smokin Cherie.
(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Early in the turn, the races eventual winner and runner up grab your attention. For Lady Hilltopper, it is with her push forward now and not waiting to do it any later. She quickly completes the pass of One Spirit for the second position and would be even with Aime La Nature midway into the turn. Her great stride continued, and as once the reigning BC winner reached the top of the stretch, she may have had the entire field put away, leading by a length and a half. There was nothing Aime La Nature or Our Spirit could do about it, but Painville was lurking close enough, and is certainly accomplished enough to be a concern here. Meanwhile, the eventual runner up, Poetic Panther, would again make an outside run, again going seven wide, making it seem like she ran a mile and an eighth today. She was coming on nicely, but covering so much extra ground would not be easy. On the rail, Beach Towel was closing in, quickly pulling even with Voltaire and Train Station. Otherwise, Mami wasn’t showing much, Lucille was done for, and Smokin Cherie still had not made a push.
(Finish- 1:39.52)- In the stretch, it looks like Lady Hilltopper has this one in the bag, as her closest concern, Painville, would not be able to run with her any longer. Beach Towel was closing in, but it would take a big effort on her part to grab the win. Poetic Panther, on the outside like she had been all day, got by most of them, but face it, her trip erased any chance she had at a win. Approaching the wire, it was clear that Lady Hilltopper would again get the job done, winning for the third consecutive time and showing her intentions to still a be strong contender in this division in her seven year old season. Poetic Panther ran gamely, and gets second in a photo with Beach Towel. It’s about a length to fourth place Painville, followed by Train Station and Voltaire. The rest of the order will read Mami, One Spirit, Aime La Nature, Smokin Cherie, and Lucille.
About The Winner- Lady Hilltopper, trained by Black N Gold Stable and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a seven year old mare by Pinnacle West and is out of P O A. She was bred in Kentucky by Our Athletes as a third quarter two year old, and was acquired by Black N Gold Stable with a $14.000 claim back in February 2022. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her nineteenth in 39 starts, and her 17th stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $5,241.580.
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES