Pegasus World Championship Races and Eclipse Awards Fill Action Packed South Florida Weekend
Get a recap of the Pegasus World Championship Races with Dr. Gregory Beroza, aka HorseDoc ‘Talking Horses.’
Art Collector (crossing wire first-wins Pegasus World Cup). Photo by ACoglianese.
In the first major Grade 1 East Coast extravaganza of 2023, Junior Alvarado jockeyed Art Collector, a six-year-old colt trained by Billy Mott and sired by Bruce Lunsford’s Bernardini, to a solid victory in the $3 Million Pegasus World Championship. The race was at 1-1/8 miles on the dirt at beautiful Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on Saturday, January 28, 2023. The most decorated and highest ranked horse, Brad Cox trained Cyberknife, went off at 5-2 odds and finished in sixth place. The second betting choice was Bob Baffert trained gelding Defunded, which shipped in from California and finished a close second place. Cyberknife drew a wide drawn tenth post position and never became a threat.
Post-World Cup Press Conference (Tr-Billy Mott; Own-Bruce Lunsford; Jock-Junior Alvarado). Photo by GBeroza.
Jockey Junior Alvarado recently achieved his 2,000th win at Gulfstream Park. He also rode Billy Mott trained Olympiad to four graded stakes victories and a runner-up finish to Flightline in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1 on November 5, 2022. Much like his ride on Olympiad, Alvarado stayed up front but off the lead until the far turn at Gulfstream when he urged Art Collector into a higher gear.
The remaining order of finish was:
3. Stilleto Boy (Moger-Smith)
4. Last Samuri (Lukas-Dettori)
5. Proxy (Stidham-Rosario)
6. Cyberknife (Cox-Geroux)
7. Skippylongstocking (Joseph-JOrtiz)
8. White Abarrio (Joseph-Gaffalione)
9. Get Her Number (Miller-Saez)
10. Simplification (Sano-Lopez)
11. O’Connor (Joseph-Castellano)
12. Ridin With Biden (Reid-Leparoux).
Additional Results for the triad of Pegasus races that day include: the six-year-old gelding Atone, winning the $1 Million G1 1-1/8 mile World Cup Turf, trained by Mike Maker and jockeyed by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Ivar (Lobo-Castellano) was second, and Speaking Scout (Motion-Lopez) was third.
Atone wins Pegasus World Cup Turf. Photo by ACoglianese.
Five-year-old mare Queen Goddess won the $500,000 G3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf at 1-1/16 miles. She is trained by Michael McCarthy and was ridden by Luis Saez. Shantisara (Brown-Ortiz) was second and Lady Rockstar (Walsh-Gaffalione) was third.
Queen Goddess wins Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Photo by ACoglianese.
2022 Eclipse Awards at The Breakers Palm Beach 1/26/23:
Photo by GBeroza
Major industry achievement awards were given at a Black Tie Gala at The Breakers Palm Beach Resort on Thursday evening January 16th, just preceding Saturday’s running of the three major Pegasus World Championship races. Many awards were given, but major highlights included:
Flightline winning Horse of the Year honors in addition to top Older Dirt Male honors. The now-retired colt was winner of the 2022 $6 Million G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (dirt). The speculatively valued $186 Million horse is retired to stallion duties at Lanes End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. He was trained by California-based John Sadler and ridden by jockey Flavien Pratt.
Godolphin Stables was a double winner with Top Owner and Top Breeder awards two years in a row.
Todd Pletcher won his eighth Eclipse award as the Top Trainer. He now sets a new record since his last win in 2014.
Trainer Todd Pletcher w Owner Mike Repole. Photo by GBeroza.
Irad Ortiz Jr. won a fourth time within the last 5 years, einninh $37 Million in purses in 2022.
Forte is trained by Todd Pletcher and co-owned by Mike Repole and Florida Panther owner Vincent and Teresa Viola.
Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the 3-year-old male honors.
Nest, co-owned in partnership with Mike Repole, won for 3-year-old fillies and Malathaat, owned by Shadwell Farm, for older dirt female. Both are trained by Todd Pletcher.
Jose Antonio Gomez, with agent Angel Cordero, Jr., won as Top Apprentice Jockey.
Jockey Jose Gomez, Flightline Trainer John Sadler, Agent HOF Jockey Angel Cordero. Photo by GBeroza.
Goodnight Olive, Regal Glory, Elite Power, and Modern Games also won Eclipse Awards for each of their categories.
GBeroza ‘HorseDoc’, Trainer Angel Cordero, Flightline Owner-Syndicate Coordinator Terry Finley. Photo by GBeroza.
Dr. Gregory A. Beroza, DVM, DACVS, DABVP has been a practicing veterinarian and consultant for 42 years; and HorseDoc® ‘Talking Horses’® media host, author, and consultant since 2007. Dr. Beroza is a multimedia host and broadcasts his productions, including a new Podcast, via his WuzUpDoc Media website: www.WuzUpDoc.com. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media sources.
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