Skippylongstocking overtook stablemate White Abarrio in the final yards and surprised just about everyone by winning the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The field of 11 turned into a two-horse race down the stretch involving a pair of 7-year-old warriors trained by hometown favorite Saffie Joseph, Jr.
White Abarrio, making his first start in nearly five months, swooped into the lead heading out of the final turn, with 21-1 longshot Skippylongstocking moving into contention under Tyler Gaffalione.
But White Abarrio was tiring, and “Skippy’’ put a nose in front inside the eighth pole and after matching strides, pulled clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Disco Time, the 3-2 favorite, finished eighth after setting the early pace and lost for the first time in six starts.
Skippy returned $45.20 for a $2 win bet as the longest shot to win the race in its 10-year history.
Skippylongstocking came through with his first Grade 1 win after going 0-for-11 racing against top-class competition, including three previous attempts in the Pegasus World Cup. Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for the first three tries, was in the irons again on Saturday.
“It’s amazing. At 7 years old, he was doing better than ever,’’ an emotional Joseph said, adding that his win in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3) last month was encouraging. “I had all the confidence in him going into this race, but I was so focused on White Abarrio.”
Joseph, with tears streaming down his face, walked onto the track as his horses headed back to the finish line. He patted Skippylongstocking before walking back to White Abarrio, putting an arm around his mane and checking with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., to make sure the horse was doing OK.
Joseph said he never felt more pressure in the lead-up to the race, especially concerning White Abarrio, who in his last race was fourth in the Whitney Stakes (G1) over the summer after being heavily bumped around at the start. He was also a vet scratch in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Nov. 1 while on the track heading to the starting gate.
“I wanted Abarrio to come back safe and sound. It’s a horse race, and coming off a scratch, that’s all I wanted today. If he came back good today, that was a good day. We didn’t win a race the whole day. I just wanted him to be safe. It’s such an emotional day. And I love Skippy.”
Disco Time broke well from the rail and was followed by Full Serrano, with Captain Cook and White Abarrio to their outside.
Ortiz and White Abarrio swept around the turn and into the lead, and Skippylongstocking was making his move to challenge. Skippy put his nose in front near the wire, and that was that – a lucky 13th victory in his 36th career start.
“Coming around the turn, he just kept building,’’ Gaffalione said. “And he just kept responding. When we got into the far turn, I had to split horses, and as soon as I did, he took a nice deep breath and started moving forward. I'm so thrilled for the team, and so happy for the horse. He really deserved this Grade 1 win.”
Full Serrano finished third, followed by Captain Cook, British Isles, Banishing, Lightning Tones, Disco Time, Mika, Poster, Brotha Kenny, and Tappan Street. Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.49.
With the win, Skippylongstocking earned a fee-paid automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31 as part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In’’ challenge series.
And, he boosted his earnings to $5.4 million for owner Daniel Alonso.
Test Score ($17.20) aced the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) with a rousing stretch run between rivals and held off stablemate One Stripe, giving trainer H. Graham Motion a 1-2 finish in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Breaking from the rail under Manny Franco, Test Score raced off the rail after the start, held steady in fourth in the field of 12, and powered past several rivals in the deep stretch for his second Grade 1 victory. The 4-year-old has won five of 12 starts, with three seconds and three thirds.
Destino d’Oro ($33.20) closed with a rush from back in the pack and edged 31-1 fellow longshot Crevalle d’Oro by a half-length in winning the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2).
The 4-year-old filly was ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Brad Cox. The $1 exacta returned a handsome $281.80.
“We broke, and I knew she was probably going to come from off the pace,” Alvarado said. “When I switched leads at the three-quarter pole and was getting close at the five-eighths pole, I couldn’t believe how much horse I had underneath me. She came with a helluva run at the end.”
In Our Time, the 3-1 favorite, was ninth of 12 in the fifth running of the 1 1/16-mile race.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
