BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred graded stakes-winner El Potente is among a group of 19 thoroughbreds on the initial list of invitations to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (Grade 1), a mile-and-one-eighth test for 4-year-olds and older to be run Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

A winner of the Grade 3 Thunder Road going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita in February, El Potente most recently was fourth, less than four lengths behind winner Gas Me Up, in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez going six-and-a-half furlongs on the grass at Santa Anita on Dec. 29. In one other start this year, the 6-year-old son of Temple City was third, beaten a half-length by winner Call Sign Seven, in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf at Del Mar on Nov. 29.

Trained by Dan Blacker for My Way Racing LLC, El Potente has won six of 16 career starts with two seconds and three thirds while earning $284,796. He is out of Charmsil, by Silver Charm and was bred in Florida by Charmsil LLC.

 

Others invited, in alphabetical order are: 

Almendares (GB): The 6-year-old gelding began his career in Ireland before arriving in Southern California in the summer of 2023 and winning his North American debut. He has placed in six graded-stakes, won the one-mile Wickerr on the Del Mar turf last July and most recently ran fifth by less than a length in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2).

Anegada: Trained by two-time Pegasus Turf winner Mike Maker, the Midshipman gelding enters his 4-year-old season having won two of his last three starts, both in mile-and-one-eighth stakes – the Dec. 27 Last Hurrah over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface and the Oct. 5 Hawthorne Derby on the turf. He has raced twice on the grass at Gulfstream, where he graduated in a March 28 maiden claimer in his sixth start.

Astronomer: The Simon Callaghan trainee is seeking his first graded-stakes triumph, placing five times including seconds in the Dec. 27 San Gabriel (G3) and Nov. 29 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) respectively at Santa Anita and Del Mar, and Santa Anita’s 2023 City of Hope Mile (G3).

Balnikhov: Going into his 7-year-old season Balnikhov has raced almost exclusively in graded-stakes since coming to the U.S. in the spring of 2022 with wins in the 2022 Bryan Station (G3), 2023 San Francisco Mile (G3) and 2024 Dinner Party (G3). Tenth in the 2025 Pegasus Turf, the consistent performer has been third or better in 20 of 37 starts with nearly $1.2 million in purse earnings.

Beach Gold: Earned his first stakes victory in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile Aug. 2 at Ellis Park, returning to be third in the Mint Millions (G3) four weeks later. The 5-year-old colt rebounded from running 10th in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland to be third behind Wolfie’s Dynaghost and Cugino in the Fort Lauderdale, beaten a total of three lengths.

Cabo Spirit: The 7-year-old gelding based in Southern California with trainer George Papaprodromou has banked nearly $1.4 million in purse earnings from 39 lifetime starts with seven wins, six of them coming in stakes included graded triumphs in the Dec. 28 San Gabriel (G3), 2022 La Jolla (G3) and Twilight Derby (G2), 2024 John Henry Turf Cup (G2) and 2025 American (G3). His only three starts outside of California have come in Kentucky and none since the 2023 Mint Millions (G3).

Call Sign Seven: Another California-based horse, the 5-year-old Michael McCarthy trainee has raced just six times with three wins. Most recently he captured the Nov. 29 Seabiscuit (G2) at Del Mar in his first start since early March. McCarthy’s lone prior Pegasus Turf starter was Formidable Man in 2025, but he won the 2019 Pegasus with City of Light and was third with Independence Hall in 2021.

Chasing the Crown: Trained by two-time Pegasus Turf winner Mike Maker, Chasing the Crown was third at odds of 64-1 in last year’s race and has won six of 21 starts and more than $1 million in purses over his career. His most recent victory came in the $500,000 Tight Spot overnight handicap going one mile Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. Maker’s Pegasus Turf wins came with Zulu Alpha in 2020 and Atone in 2023.

Cugino: First or second in 11 of 14 lifetime starts, the 5-year-old colt is attempting to be the first Pegasus Turf winner for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who respectively ran second and fifth in 2025 with Integration and Fort Washington. Cugino is a four-time stakes winner including the Red Bank (G2) Sept. 1 at Monmouth Park. He owns a 1-3-0 record from four Gulfstream starts, winning the 2024 Tropical Park Derby and running second last out in the Dec. 20 Fort Lauderdale (G3).

Layabout: Patrick Biancone-trained stablemate of Beach Gold, 4-year-old Layabout comes to the Pegasus Turf off a determined nose victory in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Derby Dec. 13 on the Gulfstream turf, where he also won the one-mile Bear’s Den Aug. 2 and was second in the 1 1/16-mile Showing Up Nov. 1 to Souper Forces, who ran sixth in the Tropical Park Derby.

Major Dude: Entering his 6-year-old season, Major Dude has been a model of consistency for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher running third or better in 17 of 26 starts and earning purses of more than $1.4 million. Sixth in last year’s Pegasus Turf, Major Dude owns graded wins on the Gulfstream turf in the 2023 Kitten’s Joy (G3) and 2024 Fort Lauderdale (G2), and was scratched from making a title defense last month following a victory in the Oct. 11 Artie Schiller at Aqueduct. Pletcher won back-to-back editions of the Pegasus Turf with Colonel Liam in 2021 and 2022, also running second each year.

Namaron: A Group 3 winner in his native Germany, 4-year-old Namaron has finished third in three North American runs, the one-mile Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs, mile-and-one-eighth Twilight Derby (G2) at Santa Anita behind Pegasus Turf candidate Test Score, and Dec. 28 Mathis Mile (G2). Hall of Fame trainer John Sadler has had one previous Pegasus Turf starter, Catapult, who ran fourth in 2019.

Ohana Honor: Cugino’s stablemate trained by McGaughey and co-owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, the 6-year-old ridgling exits a mid-November victory in the mile-and-one-eighth Knickerbocker at Aqueduct. It was his first stakes victory after placing in five prior attempts including a second in the Man o’ War (G2) and a third in the Manhattan (G1) in 2024. 

One Stripe: The South African-bred 5-year-old colt earned his first victory in his third North American start Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, drawing off to an impressive five-and-a-quarter-length optional claiming allowance triumph for trainer Graham Motion, who ran third in the 2023 Pegasus Turf with Speaking Scout. One Stripe won six of nine starts in his native country, five of them in group stakes led by the 2024 Cape Guineas (G1) and 2025 King’s Plate (G1). He has never raced farther than one mile.

Program Trading: From the barn of trainer Chad Brown, winner of the inaugural 2019 Pegasus Turf with Bricks and Mortar, who went on to be named champion older turf male and Horse of the Year. Program Trading won his first three starts capped by the 2023 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1), capping that year with a victory in the Hollywood Derby (G1). A third Grade 1 triumph came in the 2024 Turf Classic, his season debut. He went more than a year between starts before running second in the Bernard Baruch and Turf Mile this summer and fall and last competed in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Nov. 1.

Test Score: Another Motion trainee, 4-year-old Test Score blossomed during his sophomore season with three wins, one second, three thirds and more than $1.3 million in purse earnings from eight starts after winning one with two seconds from four juvenile races. Three of Test Score’s wins came in graded-stakes – the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1), Twilight Derby (G2) and Transylvania (G3) – at tracks in New York, California and Kentucky. Most recently he was third by two necks in the Nov. 29 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar.

Win for the Money: Seventh in last year’s Pegasus Turf, Win for the Money tuned up for a return trip by running second in a mile-and-one-sixteenth optional claiming allowance Dec. 27 on the Gulfstream turf. Now 7, he scored a career highlight winning the 2024 Woodbine Mile (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Winner of the 2024 Mr. Steele on the Gulfstream turf, he has placed in five other graded stakes including a third in the Aug. 2 Fourstardave (G1).

Wolfie’s Dynaghost: A career winner of 14 races and nearly $1.4 million in purse earnings, the 8-year-old has won three straight and each of his two starts since joining trainer Brian Lynch, taking the River City (G3) in November and Dec. 20 Fort Lauderdale (G3) at Gulfstream, both going mile-and-an-eighth. He has raced twice on the Pegasus World Cup Day program, winning the Carousel Club overnight handicap in 2022 and 2023 over the all-weather Tapeta.

The list of invitees and copy was taken directly from a Gulfstream Park press release.

Return to the December 31 issue of Wire to Wire