Tappan Street bests Sovereignty in the 2024 Curlin Florida Derby. (Coglianese)
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – On the morning before Sunday’s post-position draw for next Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park, seven of the 12 scheduled entrants went to the track at Payson Park Training Center, Santa Anita, Gulfstream and Palm Meadows Training Center to put in final workouts for the ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge race.
Trainer Brad Cox sent WinStar Farm LLC, CHC, Inc., and Cold Press Racing’s Tappan Street and Juddmonte’s Disco Time to the track at Payson Park for five-furlong breezes. Tappan Street, the 2025 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) hero, produced a ‘bullet’ clocking of 1:01.60. The son of Into Mischief worked in company with Saudi Crown, running outside the Grade 1 winner into mid-stretch before drawing clear. Undefeated Grade 3 Disco Time was credited with the second-fastest of 16 clockings at the distance with a 1:01.80 time while working alone.
Meanwhile, three Pegasus candidates breezed five furlongs at Santa Anita. SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and partners’ Madaket Road, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s chance for an unprecedented fourth Pegasus World Cup win, was timed in 59.20 seconds, the third-fastest of 39 horses at the distance. Hronis Racing LLC’s Full Serrano, the John Sadler-trained 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner, was timed in 59.80. Slam Dunk Racing, trainer Richard Baltas and Jerry McClanahan’s British Isles breezed in 1:00.40.
At Gulfstream, Nice Guys Stables’ Mika, runner-up in the Cigar Mile (G2) last time out, breezed five furlongs in 59.22 (5/44) for trainer Mike Maker.
Michael and Jules Iavarone’s Brotha Keny, the Zia Park Derby winner last out, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.05 at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, ahead of his first start for trainer Jose D’Angelo.
The post-position draw for the 10th anniversary running of the Pegasus World Cup as well as the $1 million Pegasus Word Cup Turf (G1) and $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) will be held at the Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park Sunday from 1 to 2:45 p.m.
The Pegasus World Cup, which will anchor a 13-race program with a first-race post time of 11 a.m., will be the final leg of a 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence Saturday, when a mandatory payout jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $4 million.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $400,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have its jackpot pool estimated at $400,000 for Sunday’s 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.
First race post time is 12:20 p.m.
The popular multi-race wager, last solved for a life-changing $416,348.44 jackpot payout Jan. 8, spans Races 5-10 and opens with a claiming event for 4-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Bay of Bengal looks drops and cuts back after having a two-race win streak snapped when sixth in a one-mile optional claimer Dec. 7 at Gulfstream. Meyer launches his 9-year-old campaign with a record of 6-13-5 from 42 starts.
Malleymoo, second or third in her last six races, chases a third career win in Race 8, an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares scheduled for a two-turn mile on the grass. Expensive Queen returns for the first time since running fourth in last May’s Gamely (G1) at Santa Anita. Vixen is 2-0 on the Gulfstream turf with stakes wins last winter in the Sweetest Chant and Herecomesthebride (G3).
Race 9 is an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs on the main track led by 7-5 program favorite American Pearl, last out maiden winner over older horses going one mile Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Cooey has won two straight races, both sprinting at Gulfstream since joining trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in November. Blueberry Hill, a debut winner last winter at Gulfstream, sheds blinkers for her first race in nine months for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
The Race 10 finale is a maiden special weight scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf that drew a full field of 12 3-year-old fillies led by Irish-bred Celebrity Warrior, the Pletcher-trained Selima runner-up that was off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Six-figure yearlings Spicy Princess and Temeraire, separated by nose when third and fourth in a Dec. 7 maiden event at Gulfstream, face off again.
In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Since the 2025-2026 Championship Meet opened Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, the Rainbow 6 has been solved three times including mandatory payouts of $13,268.58 Nov. 29 and $2,390.64 Dec. 21. Another mandatory payout is scheduled for Pegasus World Cup Day Jan. 24.
Who’s Hot: Jockey Tyler Gaffalione had a Saturday hat trick aboard Smiling Rose ($13.80) in Race 1, Time to Win ($3.20) in Race 8 and Neoequos ($13) in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf.
