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On a thrilling Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida, National Treasure, under the expert guidance of jockey Flavien Prat, secured victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup.
National Treasure’s trainer, Bob Baffert, celebrated his third win at the race in the eight years of the race’s existence. He became the only trainer to win the race twice. Baffert had previously won the race in 2020 with Mucho Gusto, becoming the only trainer to win the Pegasus World Cup twice. He won his first in 2017 with Arrogate.
In a nail-biting finish, National Treasure, who had placed second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, narrowly lost to the ‘horse of the year,’ Cody's Wish, at Santa Anita on November 4, 2023. However, this time, the talented colt produced a much stronger performance, bouncing back from the defeat at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. National Treasure went on to win the Pegasus World Cup with a lead.
Baffert, who was absent at the venue, had trusted the on-site responsibilities to his seasoned assistant, Jimmy Barnes. Bob Baffert, who watched the race unfold on television at Santa Anita, credited the horse's maturity and improved training for the victory. Reflecting on National Treasure's progress, he remarked (via Yahoo):
“I’ve always thought he was that good of a horse. He was just very immature, and he’s getting better and better. He trained much better than he was going into the Breeders’ Cup. We felt good about it, but you still need a lot of luck. You have to ship well. You have to break well.”
Baffert also showered praise on the jockey, Flavien Prat:
“I have to give a lot of credit to [Jockey] Flavien Prat, he just rode the horse excellent. When I gave him a leg up, I told him to get him out of the gate and get him in the race. He was able to give him a breather down the backside, and we knew it was going to be a hot pace. He stepped up. He’s been running against good horses.”
A closer look at the races
National Treasure's standout race earlier in the year was his Preakness Stakes victory, the second leg of the Triple Crown, showcasing his potential and capturing the attention of racing enthusiasts.
The Pegasus World Cup Race saw a strategic move from jockey Flavien Prat as he navigated National Treasure through the hot pace, ensuring a breather down the backside. As the pace slowed on the backstretch, National Treasure surged around the turn, fending off late bids from Senor Buscador and Crupi to secure the win by a neck.
The finishing order saw Senor Buscador in second place, followed by Crupi, Hoist the Gold, O'Connor, Il Miracolo, Dynamic One, Nimitz Class, First Mission, Trademark, and Grand Aspen. Skippylongstocking, though pulled up entering the stretch, was reported to be okay after the race, with jockey Tyler Gaffalione commenting that the horse had weakened, possibly due to the heat.
Pegasus Day also featured other Southern California horses. Hejazi, trained by Baffert, led most of the way in the Fred W. Hooper Stakes but settled for a fourth-place finish. In the Filly and Mare Turf, Ruby Nell secured a third-place finish, while Queen Goddess, last year's winner, finished ninth in the 11-horse race won by Didia.
The Grade 1 $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational also saw Warm Heart emerge victorious over the 1 1/8 miles in track record time. The 4-year-old filly, previously competing in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the Hong Kong Vase, added another impressive win to her record under trainer Aidan O'Brien.
