Pegasus Turf Looks Wide Open with Colonel Liam Absent

With two-time defending champion Colonel Liam abruptly retired just days before a scheduled title defense, the full field for the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) looks as contentious as it is international. Ivar (BRZ) was installed as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line as post positions for the $1 million race were drawn between races Jan. 22 at Gulfstream Park in the shadow of the hulking Pegasus statute. Ivar, a 7-year-old entire son of Agnes Gold (JPN), makes his Florida debut for trainer Paulo Lobo. He has made three straight appearances in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), finishing fourth, third, and fourth. His career apex was a win in the Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland in 2020. “I think his (last) race was very good,” trainer Paulo Lobo said of Ivar. “He lost to a very top horse. Javier Castellano was riding him for the first time. He rode a very good race, and since then we’ve pointed for the Pegasus Turf and we’ve never missed a day and never had a bad day. Everything that we planned is happening, no problems.” After the favorite, the morning-line odds spread out broadly with City Man, Lady Speightspeare, Wit, and Speaking Scout all posted at single digits. Colonel Liam, who topped the invitation list for the Pegasus Turf, was withdrawn after finishing a lackluster sixth in the Dec. 31 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream. That was his first race in 281 days and his connections judged the Todd Pletcher charge had done enough. "He has given us so much and if he was not going to have a top campaign, then (racing) made no sense," said Jacob West, racing manager for owners Lawana and Robert Low. "The Lows always do what's best for the horse." Colonel Liam's back-to-back Pegasus Turf scores were among three grade 1 victories and seven overall wins from 12 starts. City Man and Decorated Invader, who finished first and second in the Fort Lauderdale for trainer Christophe Clement, move along from that heat to the big race. “The ride by Joel (Rosario) was fabulous to set him up really well and give him a chance" in the Fort Lauderdale, said City Man owner Dean Reeves. "Even for him to get a grade 2 win, that's important. That was just a big, big effort. I think it showed us that we can run him the rest of this year in some other grade 1 and grade 2 races." Reeves said he is "really looking forward" to the opportunity for his New York-bred son of Mucho Macho Man. "This is a tough group of horses in there, but I think we're up to the challenge," he added. "I would love to get a grade 1 for him. That would really, really be nice." Atone, fourth in the 2022 Pegasus Turf, returns at double-digit odds. He has been burning up the track in the mornings but trainer Mike Maker said he understands the long morning-line odds as the 6-year-old Into Mischief gelding has yet to win a stakes race. "He's in top form," Maker said. "He's always been a straightforward horse, works well, puts a bunch into his gallops. He's been a little bit of a hard-luck horse. He's a lot more mature this year than he was last year." Maker also has King Cause as first option on the AE list. While the most fancied, after Ivar, have American pedigrees, the international flavor of the race is undeniable. Hurricane Dream (FR), makes his first U.S. start for Team Valor International and Frankie Dettori will be aboard. The 6-year-old Hurricane Cat gelding was a consistent group stakes performer in Europe without breaking through to a win at that level. Good Governance (GB) and Master Piece (CHI) are the other foreign-bred contenders. Good Governance, a 7-year-old Kingman (GB) entire, is the first Pegasus starter for Kentucky-based trainer Anna Meah. He exits a dead-heat fourth-place finish in the Fort Lauderdale and has yet to win a graded stakes. Master Piece, a 7-year-old by Mastercraftsman (IRE), won the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar in July and was last seen finishing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland. The ridgling was a group 2 winner in his native Chile.