The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) is Saturday (Jan. 27) at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/8-mile race is for 4-year-olds and up. usracing.com will publish profiles of all the contenders.
FIRST MISSION
A minor ankle injury kept him out of the 2023 Preakness (G1), but after a six-month layoff, First Mission seems set for a strong 4-year-old campaign. At least that’s the mindset of trainer Brad Cox.
“Super pleased with how he’s moving and how he physically looks and how he is acting,’’ Cox said after First Mission worked 5 furlongs in 1:00 at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 13 – the fastest of 50 workouts at the distance. “I think he’s set up for a big run to start his 4-year-old season.”
First Mission, never worse than second in five career starts, is likely to go off as one of the favorites in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup on Saturday (Jan. 27).
Eased back to the races on Oct. 10 six months after winning the Lexington (G3), First Mission won by a neck in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer after moving outside to get around a wall of horses for the narrow win. On Nov. 24, the son of Street Sense finished a nose behind Trademark, also a Pegasus contender, in the Clark (G2) a Churchill Downs on Nov. 24.
“We obviously had a setback Preakness week,” Cox said earlier this month. “We gave him a little time and he came back and ran huge off the layoff there at Keeneland. To come back in Grade 2, facing older horses and him just being 3 and as lightly raced as he is, I thought he ran huge. We think he’s a tremendous talent and we’re excited about 2024.””
Betting Advice: We feel the same way as Brad Cox – First Mission is primed for a strong campaign. His stalking, front-running style may be the winning formula here. Top contender.
2024 Pegasus World Cup Odds, Position: First Mission
Post position: 8
Odds: 7/2
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Brad Cox
Owner: Godolphin
Age: 4
Career record: 5-3-2-0
Career earnings: $464,110
Most recent race: Clark (G2), Churchill Downs, Nov. 24 (second)
Top Equibase speed figure: 112
Pedigree: Street Sense-Elude, by Medaglia D’Oro
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-runner
Notes: Cox won the 2021 Pegasus with Knicks Go, who won the 2020 BC Dirt Mile (G1) and capped his 2021 Horse of the Year campaign with a victory in the BC Classic (G1) … Knicks Go was the 2022 Pegasus favorite and finished second to Life is Good; in 2023 Cox again had the favorite in Cyberknife, who ran sixth.
| 1 | Nimitz Class | 20-1 | George Weaver | Edgard J. Zayas |
| 2 | O’Connor | 8-1 | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | Paco Lopez |
| 3 | Dynamic One | 15-1 | Todd A. Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
| 4 | Hoist The Gold | 12-1 | Dallas Stewart | John R. Velazquez |
| 5 | Trademark | 12-1 | Victoria H. Oliver | Fernando De La Cruz |
| 6 | Senor Buscador | 6-1 | Todd W. Fincher | Junior Alvarado |
| 7 | National Treasure | 9-5 | Bob Baffert | Flavien Prat |
| 8 | First Mission | 7-2 | Brad H. Cox | Luis Saez |
| 9 | Grand Aspen | 8-1 | Todd A. Pletcher | Jose L. Ortiz |
| 10 | Il Miracolo | 20-1 | Antonio Sano | Javier Castellano |
| 11 | Crupi | 20-1 | Todd A. Pletcher | Lanfranco Dettori |
| 12 | Skippylongstocking | 8-1 | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 13 | Castle Chaos | AE | Robert N. Falcone, Jr. | Tyler Gaffalione |
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
