Destiny D’Oro flies home in the Pegasus FM Turf, Coglianese Photo
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Steve Landers Racing LLC’s Destino d’Oro closed late to capture the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2), reaching the wire just ahead of Crevalle d’Oro.
The 4-year-old filly, ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Brad Cox, was coming out of a narrow victory in the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream on Dec. 13 but was largely ignored by bettors at 15-1 odds.
Destino d’Oro dropped back to last after the start in the field of 12 and was still trailing eight horses entering the stretch. But Alvarado tipped her outside and swept past the frontrunners to prevail by one-half length. Movin On Up, which had taken the lead briefly in the stretch, finished third, a half-length behind Crevalle d’Oro.
“We broke and I knew she was probably going to come from off the pace,” Alvarado said. “I thought I’m a little too far back having this much horse, so I’m going to have to start picking it up soon. 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.”
Destino d’Oro crossed the wire in 1:40.33 and coupled with 70-1 long shot Crevalle d’Oro, the $1 exacta paid $281.80.
The victory for Destino d’Oro was her fifth in eight lifetime stars and improved her career earnings to more than $830,000.
As a 3-year-old in 2025, Destino d’Oro won the Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park in August but failed to hit the board in either of her next two outings, including the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Keeneland in October.
But her head victory in the Tropical Park Oaks convinced Cox to take a shot in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
“She likes it down here,” Cox said. “She got a good setup and a good ride from Junior today, and it worked out well.
The fifth running of the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf for fillies and mare 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf course seventh of 10 stakes, seven graded, worth $5.675 million in purses on a blockbuster Pegasus World Cup Day program anchored by the 10th anniversary of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
