Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Evander Holyfield, Dennis Rodman and Mark Ronson along with thousands of other fans turned out to cheer as City of Light blew everyone away with his speed as he romped home with a a 5 3/4-length victory. City of Light and Accelerate went head-to-head twice last year. Accelerate ended his career with six wins in eight races both losses coming to City of Light who also retires to stud.
By the time this review is published they would already have started their journeys to the farm in Kentucky where they will begin their stud careers next month.
They could have retired after Breeders’ Cup wins last November, in which Horse of The Year - Accelerate won the Classic and City of Light won the Mile. They stayed a twee bit longer, for a US$9m Pegasus shot.
Seeking the Soul, finished runner-up while Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Accelerate never fired in the stretch run and settled for third.
“We’ve enjoyed him for three years,” Accelerate trainer John Sadler said. “We ran a really good race today in tough conditions. ... And City of Light is a very good horse also.”
City of Light came into the day with career earnings of just under $1.7 million, but Saturday’s big check moved him into the top 50 career money-winners among North American thoroughbreds.
“I think I rode the best horse in the race,” City of Light jockey Javier Castellano said. “Thank God everything worked out.”
Earlier Saturday, Bricks and Mortar won the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup Turf the richest grass race ever run in North America. Magic Wand was second, and Delta Prince took third.
The turf win was the sixth victory in eight career starts for Bricks and Mortar, who was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by Chad Brown the reigning Eclipse Award winners in the jockey and trainer category.
“I’m just so proud of this horse,” Brown said of Bricks and Mortar.
“You don’t win races like this every day,” said William Lawrence, part of the ownership group of Bricks and Mortar.
Full Finishing list with Trainer & Jockey 2019
1st City of Light (M. McCarthy, J. Castellano), 2nd Seeking the Soul (D. Stewart, J. Velazquez), 3rd Accelerate (J. Sadler, J. Rosario), 4th Bravazo (D. Lukas, L. Saez), 5th Audible (T. Pletcher, F. Prat), 6th Gunnevera (A. Sano, I. Ortiz) , 7th True Timber (K. McLaughlin, J. Bravo), 8th Imperative (R. Hess, Jr., T. Gaffalione), 9th Tom's d'Etat (A. Stall, Jr., S. Bridgmohan), 10th Something Awesome (J. Corrales, E. Prado), 11th Kukulkan (F. Gutierrez, L. Dettori), 12th Patternrecognition (C. Brown, J. Ortiz)
Distance: 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs), Surface: Dirt, Track: left-handed, Qualification: Four-year-olds and up, Weight: 124 pounds (56 kg) with allowances, Purse: $12 million (2017), $16 million (2018), $9 million (2019)
Credit: Pallavi Shevade pallvi.shevade@secretariatsworld.com