McGaughey Has One-Two Punch in Pegasus Turf

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

By Emily Shields for TVG

The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday drew a field of 12, with trainers Shug McGaughey, Mike Maker, and Todd Pletcher each entering more than one horse.

McGaughey’s first runner is Breaking the Rules. A stakes winner over the course in 2018, Breaking the Rules won two allowance races in New York last summer before finishing third here in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale in December. John Velazquez will ride the son of War Front.

The stable’s second runner is North Dakota. He is coming off a win in in the Red Smith (G3) at Aqueduct in November, his fourth win of 2020. The son of Medaglia d’Oro is out of the stakes winning mare Starry Dreamer, and will have the services of Jose Ortiz.

Pletcher’s three runners include two of the race favorites: Colonel Liam and Largent. Colonel Liam is coming off a strong win here in the Tropical Park Derby on December 26 under Irad Ortiz, Jr, who is up again for this. The lightly-raced son of Liam’s Map has won three of five lifetime starts, and ran fourth, beaten less than a length, in the rich Saratoga Derby two starts back. Largent, by Into Mischief, was the horse that defeated Breaking the Rules in the Fort Lauderdale, which was his third stakes win in four starts. The predominantly Florida-campaigned runner has won four of five starts over this course with one second place effort, and in nine tries he has never been worse than second.

Shipping in from California is Anothertwistafate. The son of Scat Daddy was a top player on the 2019 Triple Crown trail after he won the El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic by seven lengths. After a 16-month layoff, he won the Longacres Mile (G3) on the dirt before being transferred to the barn of Peter Miller, who switched the horse to the grass. Anothertwistafate won the January 2 San Gabriel (G2) at Santa Anita in style over Next Shares, who drew the rail in this event.

Also shipping in is Say the Word. The son of More Than Ready was a Grade 1 winner at Woodbine in October when he took the Northern Dancer, and has since been transferred to Phil D’Amato. The six-year-old gelding ran third, beaten just a length, in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) on November 27, retains jockey Flavien Prat, and has won two of three at this 1 3/16-mile distance.

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