Pegasus World Cup (Grade 1)- $3,000.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
January 27, 2024
The first truly great weekend of racing for 2024 is in the books as Pegasus day comes to a close at GP. While there were many great races on the undercard, the $3,000.000 Pegasus World Cup is what we were all waiting for. There were no weak links within the field, setting the stage for a great race. One of the horses that we were expecting to see run here ended up scratching out and running in the McKnight instead, enabling Rudy Is With Me to get in the field. And that one nearly pulled it off but would have to settle for second behind Spankersville. Similar to Stinky Rene in the Pegasus F & M Turf, Spankersville went into the BC hot, winning a pair of Grade 1’s but disappointing in the BC, as he was only eighth in the Classic. On Saturday, Spankersville picked up where he had been before that race, with a come from behind victory! He is trained by The Sidley Stud and had F T Alvarado aboard. For each, it is their first win in the race. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:47.21, which is debatable of whether it should be considered a new Pegasus record. Our history for the race includes the Donn Handicap, but the weights on those were quite a bit lower than what is carried now. It’s a record if you want to throw those races out. Let’s take a look at it:
(½ Mile- :46.51)- Right from the starting gate, Sexy Back goes out to the lead for Night Rider Stables, but as they make their way around the turn, Allinthegate’s Quiet Return spends some time up front before Sexy Back recaptures the lead early in the backstretch, just prior to reach half a mile. Running third, and a length behind is Rudy Is With Me, from Mb Stables, and he was determined to make the most out of his chance to run from the also eligible list. Running just a couple lengths from the lead, we get our next group of horses, which sees Dayton holding an advantage for Pan Farms. Seydoux II runs to his inside for Arindel, with that one’s stablemate, Sirius Black, running on the other side of Dayton. Apache Rise Again is trying to keep up with them in the fourth lane, for Apache Warrior. In the middle of the field, Individuation runs by himself for Mb Stables, and then we have Arindel’s Ey Mon and Night Rider’s Home Spirit. It’s another length to our eventual race winner, The Sidley Stud’s Spankersville, and that one is officially scored as being six lengths off the lead. The post time favorite, Hiei (Fractious) is beside him, and at the back are Hangry Commander (Night Rider stables) and Twin Rackets (Alydar Stables).
(3/4 Mile- 1:10.61)- Up front, we now have three of them running side by side by side, with Sexy Back still having a head in front of his rivals. Quiet Return is second between horses as Rudy Is With Me looks to make a run at grabbing the top spot on the outside. There’s a two-length gap to Seydoux II and Dayton, with Sirius Black being within a half-length of them. Individuation and Apache Rise Again run in the middle of the field, and now we start to see Spankersville looking for room to make his run, as he positions himself between those two while passing Ey Mon and Home Spirit. Hiei has not done much yet, and Hangry Commander and Twin Rackets remain at the back.
(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Making their way around the turn, Rudy Is With Me moves to the front, passing both Sexy Back and Quiet Return to their outside. Quiet Return is showing the ability to hang with him, but Sexy Back is not as fortunate. Seydoux II emerges as the best of the next group of horses, getting about a length on both Dayton and Sirius Black. As this was going on, Spankersville was beginning to look like a threat to the frontrunners, and he slid to the outside of Sirius Black, giving him a clear lane to make his stretch run. He still had about four lengths to make up, but he was ready to remind everyone that he just won the Woodward not too long ago. Individuation got by Ey Mon, and Hiei was starting to show more interest. A little further back, Twin Rackets was starting to find his best stride, as well. Didn’t really see much out of the others at this point, but these are great horses, so you never know!
(Finish- 1:47.21)- Spankersville was not messing around in the stretch. He didn’t really have time to do that and needed to come along quickly. With a furlong to go, he had more than cut his deficit in half to the leaders. Rudy Is With Me was winning out over Quiet Return, but the bigger concern for him was indeed, Spankersville. A strong run in the stretch by Spankersville made there be no doubt as they approached the wire that he was going to pull this one out, and he would go on to win by a little more than a length. Rudy Is With Me is second best with Quiet Return hanging on for third. Twin Rackets came on strong late but could only be fourth and never really threatened to crack the top three. Hiei has a quiet fifth place run, topping Individuation, Seydoux II, Sexy Back, Ey Mon, Home Spirit, Sirius Black, Dayton, Hangry Commander, and Apache Rise Again.
About The Winner- Spankersville, trained by The Sidley Stud and ridden to victory by F T Alvarado, is a six-year-old horse by Ginger Haggis and is out of the late Speedy Game. He was bred in Ontario by The Sidley Stud as a yearling, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his eleventh in 39 starts, his ninth stake win and seventh graded win. His career earnings are now $3,593.880.
Track: Fast
Time: :462 1:103 1:35 1:471
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 3 – 15 Paid 81.70
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 15 – 13 Paid 565.20
Scratched: Speightstown, The Graduate, Wayward Prince, Jacks Courage
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
