O'Connor

Could this be the year? Michael Iavarone discusses his chances at this year's Pegasus.

'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 (2/52) Saturday morning at the Fair Grounds in preparation for next Saturday's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old colt, who was put through his paces by exercise rider Kevin Perez, was clocked in 1:13.60 for six furlongs, according to trainer Brad Cox. "He's been doing very well week after week," Cox said of the Godolphin homebred, a latest second to the re-opposing Trademark (Upstart) in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs...

In a race meant as a prep for next month's GI Pegasus World Cup, O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) staked his claim for potential favoritism with a gusty win in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Favored in this same race a year ago, the Chilean import disappointed when fourth behind MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and was thus never a factor as Art Collector (Bernardini) cruised to the Pegasus win to kick off 2023. O'Connor has spent the rest of his 6-year-old season hitting the board in graded-stakes races around the East Coast and...

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) each turned in works Saturday morning at Palm Meadows towards an intended appearance in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Owned by Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking won this year's GII Charles Town Classic and was last seen finishing third to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4. The soon-to-be 5-year-old covered a half-mile in :49.40 (20/64). O'Connor, campaigned by Mike Iavarone and partners, was a sound fourth in last year's Pegasus and is arguably in better form this...

Last year's GI Belmont S. third Skippylongstocking (c, 4, Exagggerator--Twinkling, by War Chant), a three-time graded winner since, added Friday's late-night $1-million GII Charles Town Classic S. to his steadily growing CV. Under Tyler Gaffalione, the 7-5 favorite hustled straight to the front, set fractions of :24.82 and :48.88, and wasn't for catching, drawing clear in the stretch by five lengths. The winner's Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.-trained stablemate O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman), a Group 1 winner in his native Chile, closed from the rear of the field to finish second, while...

Jet Set Racing Stable's Chilean Group 1 winner Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver), originally among a bulky field entered for the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Mar. 25, will instead run in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, it was announced Friday. Trained by Amador Sanchez, the Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old colt began his career at Monterrico Racetrack in Peru, winning three of his four starts, before finishing second to O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano at Hipodromo Chile last Apr. 2. A 1 1/4-length winner of...

Gold Square LLC's MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), last seen finishing a narrow second to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, is scheduled to make the final start of his racing career Saturday at Gulfstream Park as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. The Pegasus World Cup will headline a 13-race program also featuring the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and four other graded-stakes races totaling $5.3 million...

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) will not have a prep race for the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Saturday. "He runs well fresh. He's proven he runs well fresh," Joseph said. "He's 4-for-4 at Gulfstream, so that's a good thing. It's his home track." The $40,000 OBS March juvenile won a pair of starts in Hallandale late last season before adding the GIII Holy Bull S. in February and the GI Curlin...