The second running of the Pegasus World Cup is drawing closer and closer. A large and contentious field is lining up to battle in the 1 1/8 mile, $16 million event. There are a lot of highly talented horses in this race, and with the prestige and money on the line, none of them will go easy on each other. In fact, this year’s running appears to have attracted an even more competitive group of thoroughbreds than it did for its inaugural running last year. Anything can and will happen in this sport, but there are some obvious standouts in this race that appear to have a better shot at taking home the glory than the others.
Gun Runner, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
The first horse we will start with is none other than Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year, Gun Runner. Gun Runner is coming into the Pegasus World Cup hot off of a four-race winning streak, with all of those being in Grade 1 races. The gallant son of Candy Ride has always been a quality animal, but last year this copper colt blossomed into something very special. He became unstoppable upon returning from his trip to Dubai last March, running every single foe he met into submission. Gun Runner wasn’t just beating his competition, he was destroying them. Each and every time Gun Runner crossed the wire, he crossed it alone with uncanny grace and ease. No one could get close, and I expect this time to be no different.
In 2017, Gun Runner ran with the best. He took down the likes of Collected, West Coast, Keen Ice, Neolithic, Gunnevera, Churchill, Mubtaahij, and even the horse who was once considered to be unbeatable, Arrogate. Gun Runner is a horse who has realized his full potential and has learned how to use it. He appears to understand exactly how great his power really is, and as a result, fears no one. He is a horse that always has his competition measured, and is always calm and collected, confident that when he makes his move it will be enough to blow everyone away.
In his last several races, Gun Runner has shown unwavering stamina and endless speed, always finding a way to get to the front and stay there. The fearless and determined colt has always shown up when called upon. Regardless of the track, race, distance, or competition, Gun Runner shows up with an undaunted and single-minded drive to win.
In his lifetime, Gun Runner has competed 18 times, winning 11 of them, and placing in five. He currently has five Grade 1 wins to his name, and I expect him to add a sixth this weekend in the Pegasus World Cup. Gun Runner has more than proven that he can run with the best. He is a versatile and determined athlete who can win from off the pace, or win by wiring the field if he choses to. His natural speed and ability has taken him through some of the biggest races in our sport already, and I expect him to take this next start in stride like he has always done before.
We already know that Gun Runner can ace 1 1/8 mile distance of this race. In fact, I think it is one of his preferred distances. Gun Runner has been training brilliantly leading up to this major event and has literally been cruising around Gulfstream Park like he owns the place. I think that Gun Runner can sense what is coming, and I think that he will show up bigger than ever on Saturday.The other horses better watch out because Gun Runner is loaded and ready to fire.
The only pitfall in Gun Runner’s final act is that he drew one of the dreaded outside posts, post ten. It is notoriously difficult to win at Gulfstream Park when breaking from the outside, but this horse has proved time and time again that he has the courage and adversity to overcome his obstacles, and the determination to win. If any horse can handle the tricky post position, it’s Gun Runner. This horse has already accomplished so much at such a high level, and has more than proved that he is the best dirt horse around, so I don't think that he is going to let this bad post position stop him. His main rivals may have drawn better positions, but Gun Runner is still the best horse in the race. I think that seeing him go out as a winner will be the perfect ending to his amazing career, and I will be cheering him home on Saturday, one more time.
Gun Runner annihilating his rivals in the Breeders' Cup, photo from ©BenoitPhoto.com
While I strongly believe that Gun Runner is the best horse in the race, there is a horse that I think might be able to make him have to run a little harder at the end. This horse stands out from all the others, as it is the lone mare in the field, Stellar Wind. The intrepid mare has had a wonderful career, winning ten of her sixteen lifetime starts. She is a horse that definitely belongs in a race of this caliber, but some events that took place with her over the past few months have made the fact that she is entering this race pretty shocking.
Stellar Wind, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
Stellar Wind went into the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Distaff undefeated for the season. The multiple Grade 1 winner looked like the horse to beat. Her ruthless running style and strong competitive drive was enough to make even the toughest of mares unstrung. Stellar Wind didn’t care who you put in front of her. She would find a way to run them down. However, that didn’t happen in the Breeders’ Cup. In fact, nothing really happened. Stellar Wind ran eighth.
It was so strange to see a horse that was famous for her strong and imposing stretch drives fail to fire. For whatever reason, Stellar Wind was not able to sweep by her rivals like she had done countless times before. However, the mighty mare had done a lot over the course of her career, and her connections recognized that it was time to let her retire and move on to the next stage in her life.
Stellar Wind was taken to the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where she sold for a whopping $6 million to Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier. It was later announced that she striking mare would be bred to Triple Crown champion, American Pharoah. It was all set. Stellar Wind was ready to start a new and beautiful career as a broodmare… Or so we thought. It turns out that Stellar Wind had some unfinished business to attend to first. This vivacious beast was going to hit the track one more time, and try for one more win.
Stellar Wind is currently in the care of trainer, Chad Brown, who is preparing her for her final career start. It is true that Stellar Wind’s last race was puzzling and disappointing. Maybe it was a sign that the mare is done with racing? Or maybe it just simply wasn’t her day? While it may not seem wise to enter such a major race off of such a poor effort, I trust Chad Brown a lot with this mare. He is a trainer who knows exactly what he’s doing, and if anyone can bring out the best in this horse, it will be him. Besides, we all know how powerful this mare can be when she’s right, so maybe, just maybe, she has one more giant effort in her. But whether Stellar Wind can pull off a win or not on Saturday, she has already done more than enough and has already proven her worth. After her final run this weekend, Stellar Wind will finally get the retirement she deserves.
Collected, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
The next horse I we will discuss is Collected. This hard-knocking colt was the only horse brave enough to run upfront with Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The tenacious duo set a grueling pace with neither one willing to yield. However, when they reached the stretch, Collected simply could not get by Gun Runner. But the gutsy colt did manage to keep the rest of the field at bay and held on strongly to be second.
Collected has always been a tough racehorse. He has won eight of his thirteen lifetime starts so far, including the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in 2017, where he defeated the mighty Arrogate on the square. He was a fierce and formidable runner last year when he was in perhaps the best form of his life. He looked like a major threat to the Pegasus World Cup when it was announced that he would be running in it, but after his race last time out in the San Antonio, we can’t be too sure what kind of horse is going to show up on Saturday.
Collected entered the San Antonio Stakes as a prep race for the Pegasus World Cup. A small field of five lined up for the race, and it looked like a win would be no problem for Collected. In fact, it looked like the race would just be a paid workout for the colt. But things didn’t go that way. At odds of 13-1, Giant Expectations stole the show to upset the race as the longest shot in the field. Collected could do no better than third.
Collected didn’t quite look like himself as he struggled to pick up his feet in the stretch. Under normal circumstances, Collected should have been able to easily blow away the field that lined up for the San Antonio. It was shocking to see him run so dully. However, after the race, jockey Mike Smith took the blame. He said that the horse had a bad ride because they slipped coming out of the gate. He believed that it could have been a different story if his horse would have broken well and gone for the lead.
Maybe Collected was just plain unlucky in the San Antonio. After all, everyone has a bad day at some point. Or maybe it’s more than that? Maybe Gun Runner broke Collected’s heart on that fateful day in the Breeders’ Cup, when no matter what Collected did, he couldn’t keep up. We’ll find out for sure on Saturday when the two face off once again. I for one am hoping that Collected has his fighting spirit back. He didn’t look so great in his last race, but this horse has done big things in the past, so I have no reason to give up on him quite yet. I don’t think that he is good enough to find a way around Gun Runner this time, but I can’t count him out because if the real Collected shows up on Saturday, he will be right there making some noise at the end.
A horse that I am very intrigued by in this race is Sharp Azteca. This horse looked like an absolute monster when winning the Grade 1, Cigar Mile in a blistering time of 1:35.17 last time out. This is a quality animal, gifted with blazing speed and a strong will to win.
Sharp Azteca, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
This mile specialist has never traveled the distance of 1 1/8 miles in his life before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this nimble colt can carry his speed. No one knows yet if Sharp Azteca wants to run and compete at this longer distance, but one thing is for sure. If Sharp Azteca finds himself wanting as the demands of the final furlong take their toll, he won’t throw in the towel. He’ll dig in deep and keep trying. This horse is tough, and he’ll fight until the end.
Sharp Azteca has eight wins under his belt from sixteen career starts. This strapping, bay colt has resolute speed that he will use as his ultimate weapon when the starting gates open in the Pegasus World Cup. I expect there to be a hot pace up front, and there’s no doubt that this gritty horse will be a part of it. Horses like Gun Runner and Stellar Wind will be quick to pounce on Sharp Azteca if he shows any signs of fatigue in the stretch, but this horse has heart, so I’m excited to see what he can do stretching out in distance. He may not win, but I think he will still show up.
My two honorable mentions for the Pegasus World Cup are West Coast and Giant Expectations.
West Coast, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
West Coast was a very consistent colt in 2017, winning six of his nine starts, including Grade 1 races such as the historical Travers Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby. He was a very game third in the Breeders’ Cup and although he wasn’t able to get close enough to even threaten Gun Runner or Collected in the stretch, he still showed up and gave it his all. I think that West Coast can only get better as he matures into an older horse this year. I don’t expect West Coast to be good enough to defeat Gun Runner, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Giant Expectations, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
Giant Expectations is my second honorable mention because I think he may be a live long shot to hit the board. With only 4 wins in 13 career starts, Giant Expectations doesn’t have a record quite as decorated as the other horses in this race. However, he has been training sensationally ever since he managed to shock his rivals in the San Antonio Stakes. His connections may have giant expectations of their own expecting him to pull this off again, but I can understand why they want to give it a try. The horse looks fantastic and has clearly been feeling just as great as he looks. His last workout was a bullet in a blazing time of: 58.00 for the five furlong dash. I think that this long shot is in very good form right now, and while I won’t be picking him to win, I think it’s always a wise idea to keep an eye on the gritty underdogs because in this sport, anything is possible.
Thank you to ©BenoitPhoto.com for providing the lovely images for this article!
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