With the recent retirement of two-time winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), MG1SW Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) was named the narrow 5-2 morning-line favorite for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf. A winner of three of 12 starts in the U.S.–topped by the 2020 GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland–he has run in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile each of the last three years, running third in 2021 and fourth in 2020 and 2022.
“I think his [last] race was very good,” said trainer Paulo Lobo. “He lost to a very top horse [Modern Games]. 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.”
Hall of Famer Castellano will be back aboard Ivar from Post 10.
Also among the dozen contenders are 4-1 second choice MGSW City Man (Mucho Macho Man) and GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), both trained by Christophe Clement, who respectively ran 1-2 in Gulfstream's GII Fort Lauderdale S. Dec. 31.
Third choice at 6-1 is Charles Fipke's homebred GISW Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), who will face males for the first time. The 5-year-old owns seven wins from 13 career starts, six of them in graded-stakes including Woodbine's GI Natalma S. Third last time out in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she retains the services of Luis Saez from post six.
Rounding out the field are MGSP Atone (Into Mischief), MGSW Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), MGSW Who's the Star (Tonalist), GSW One More Bid (California Chrome), MGSP Good Governance (Kingman {GB}), and another pair of stablemates, Graham Motion-trained GISW Speaking Scout (Mr. Speaker) and MGSP Hurricane Dream (Fr) (Hurricane Cat), making his first start in North America.
On the also-eligible list, in order of preference, are GSW King Cause (Creative Cause) and Dark Shift (Dark Angel {Ire}), winner of the Royal Hunt Cup last summer at Royal Ascot.
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