Movin’ On Up. (Ryan Thompson)
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Two mares could end their careers with a victory. Another is hoping to avenge last year’s loss. A fourth is hoping to win her first graded race since 2024. And another is hoping to follow up a stakes victory over this course with her first graded win.
Welcome to the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2), where a wide-open field of a dozen stakes winners, seven graded, make the 1 1/16-mile event one of the most competitive fields bettors will see Saturday while celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pegasus World Cup Day.
First race Saturday is 11 a.m. If the 20-cent Rainbow 6 is not hit Thursday or Friday that estimated pool will be $4 million.
Two exceptional mares, Caitlinhergrtness and Heredia, could be making their final starts in the Pegasus Filly Mare Turf Invitational. Caitlinhergrtness beat the boys in the prestigious 2024 King’s Plate at Woodbine, and last year won the Ontario Matron (G3) and was second in the Dance Smartly (G2) and Bessarabian (G3). The daughter of Omaha Beach enters this race after winning the My Charmer Dec. 21 at Turfway Park.
“There was a possibility after the last race that would be the end,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “We’ve elected to give this race a stab, and she’s been in good form and I’m happy with the way she’s settled in.”
Caitlinghergrtness has six wins and four seconds in 17 starts. She’s been a model of consistency in her last six starts except for a fifth-place finish last year in the 1 ¼-mile E.P. Taylor (G1).
“She’s been very honest,” Attard continued. “The E.P. Taylor, 10 furlongs is beyond what she wants. The one turn mile, she’s not fond of. Two turns is what she likes.”
Heredia, trained by Graham Motion, is a 7-year-old mare by Dark Angel. She won the Yellow Ribbon (G2) on the front end at Del Mar in August but then closed while getting beat less than two lengths in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland. She was fifth in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar in November. She has seven wins in 17 starts across the turf.
“This will definitely be her last race,” Motion said. “I kind of talked the team into running her here a little bit after her last start. I don’t think she had any excuses in the Grade 1 last time, but I think on her best performance she can be competitive on Saturday.
“She’s been a fun mare to be around and Wathnan [Racing] has been so patient with her,” he added. “She came to us and we almost immediately had to give her almost a year off, so it’s been quite rewarding to see her win a graded race. It would be a nice way to end to win this race.”
Heredia and Caitlinhergrtness like the rest of the field will need to beat a very tepid favorite in Whiskey Decision. Trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief has one graded win on her resume, that coming in June at Monmouth in the Eatontown (G3). She returned in August to finish fourth in the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga before winning the Athenia at Aqueduct in September.
Both Saffie Joseph Jr. and Mark Casse will saddle two in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf.
Joseph, who saddled last year’s winner in Be Your Best, will send out In Our Time and Movin’ On Up. In Our Time set the pace in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf before finishing third. She enters the race off a second-place finish in the Matriarch. Movin’ On Up, two for three over the course, enters off a second-place finish in the Suwannee River.
“Both are doing well,” Joseph said. “Movin’ On Up is doing well. Obviously, she loves the course and has the course record on the track. She ran well last time. Hopefully she’ll run big again. In Our Time’s goal was this race after finishing third last year. She’s coming off a big run.
“There’s a lot of horses with chances. Hopefully, we’ll win back-to-back.”
And One More Time and Classic Q go out for Mark Casse.
And One More Time won the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine as a 2-year-old in September of 2024. She returned from a year layoff in September to win an allowance optional claimer at Woodbine before finishing second by a head here in the Tropical Park Oaks. Classic Q has yet to win a graded stakes, but she’s been competitive in her last four starts – all against graded company.
Both Destino d’Oro and Crevalle d’Oro come into the race off victories over Gulfstream’s course. Destino d’Oro won the Tropical Park Oaks for trainer Brad Cox while Crevalle d’Oro won the Suwannee River for trainer Jose D’Angelo.
Trainer Miguel Clement will saddle Breath Away. Bred in Great Britain, the 6-year-old Grade 2 winner was beaten just three lengths in November at Del Mar in the Matriarch. She has a record of 2-2-1 in six starts across Gulfstream’s turf. Oisin Murphy rides.
Since the inaugural running in 2022, only the first winner, Regal Glory, closed from far back. Queen Goddess (2023), Didia (2024) and Be Your Best (2025) were all fourth or closer at the half-mile mark.
