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 is publishing profiles of all the contenders.
NIMITZ CLASS
His claim to fame is a victory over Gunite, an Eclipse Award finalist for male sprinter, in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile on Sept. 23.
Nimitz Class also ran off five stakes wins in a row, all at Laurel Park; his career record shows 11 victories, four seconds, and a third in 21 starts – all for owner-breeder Tom Coulter of Pennsylvania-bases Arrowwood Farm and trainer Bruce Kravets.
After Nimitz Class finished third in the Appreciation Stakes at Pax in October in his most recent start, ownership changed, and George Weaver became the new trainer.
Nimitz Class is being asked to take a huge step up after making the field for the Pegasus World Cup – it will be his first try in Grade 1 company, and, in fact, just his second try in a graded stakes race (he was second in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile a Monmouth in June).
2024 Pegasus World Cup Contender: Nimitz Class
Betting advice: New owners, new trainers, no chance.
Post position: 1
Odds: 20/1
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
Trainer: George Weaver
Owner: Qatar Racing, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Compeche Stables
Age: 5
Career record: 21-11-4-1
Career earnings: $717,080
Most recent race: Appreciation Mile Stakes, Parx, Oct. 17, third
Top Equibase speed figure: 117
Pedigree: Munnings-Five Diamonds, by Flatter
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notes: First six starts were at Penn National, where he won four of six, including Danzig Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds … Seven races at Laurel resulted in five stakes wins, and two runner-up finishes … Nimitz Class’s former trainer Kravets has more than 3,750 wins, but has yet to win a graded stakes race; same is true for Coulter … Nimitz Class had three works at Palm Beach Downs, most recently going 4 furlongs in 52.10 on Jan. 20, the third slowest time of 43 at the same distance.
| 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.
