The 2025 Pegasus Stakes
Gulfstream Park put together a nice card of classy racing for The 2025 Pegasus. There are several stakes with the anchor the mile and one eighth Pegasus with a cool three-million-dollar purse.
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, the highly regarded Saudi Crown and Locked lead the field. I landed on a different horse so I would expect he will be at worst the 4th choice and at best the 5th choice.
We have a full field of 11 and a case can be made for probably half of them.
I think Stronghold is sitting on a big race and likely his career best to date. Yes, he is stepping up and facing older horse for the first time as a fresh four-year old, but he has always shown he had both class and ability. I felt his trips in the Indiana derby and Pennsylvania Derby were both compromised by only speeds taking the races away from him. He skipped the rigors of preparing for The Breeders’ Cup and opted for the seven-furlong Malibu. I think that was a wise move and he comes into this fresh and dangerous with a prep shorter than he prefers. He was not going to beat Raging Torrent that day, but the race should set him up perfectly for this.
Trip wise he should be sitting in a good if not the garden spot ready to pounce on the speed and get the jump on the late runners.
Regular rider Antonio Fresu who knows and rides him well is making the trip and I look for him to take the step forward he will need to win this.
I will be all in on Stronghold barring anything unforeseen. He will be a single for me to close out the card Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Enjoy the races and win those photos.
