Zulu Alpha zipped past European mare Magic Wand in the final lengths to win the US$1 million Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Turf.
The Michael Hui owned colt saved ground from his inside post throughout but also had to hit the brakes before they went into the first turn at Gulfstream Park. The gelding has also won the McKnight on Pegasus day as well as the US$1 million Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Behind runner-up, Magic Wand, Instilled Regard ran third and Sacred Life fourth. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Magic Wand still has only three wins out of 23 starts during her globe-trotting career, though her effort Saturday added to a bankroll that already topped US$4 million.
The favourite, Without Parole, was squeezed at the break and never quite recovered in his second start for the Chad Brown barn.
The Pegasus Turf, as with its dirt counterpart, was to run Saturday for the first time without competitors on race day medication such as Lasix.
Full Finishing List 2020:
1st Zulu Alpha (M. Maker, T. Gaffalione), 2nd Magic Wand (A. O'Brien, R. Moore), 3rd Instilled Regard (C. Brown, I. Ortiz, Jr.), 4th Sacred Life (C. Brown, J. Ortiz), 5th Arklow (B. Cox, L. Saez), 6th Sadler's Joy (T. Albertrani, J. Castellano), 7th Henley's Joy (M. Maker, J. Leparoux),8th Admission Office (B. Lynch, F. Prat), 9th Mo Forza (P. Miller, J. Rosario), 10th Channel Cat (T. Pletcher, J. Velazquez ), 11th Without Parole (C. Brown, F. Dettori), 12th Next Shares (R. Baltas, J. Valdivia, Jr.)
Race Info:
Distance: 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs), Surface:Turf, Track: Left-handed ,Qualification: Four-Years-Old & Up, Weight: Assigned,Purse: $1,000,000 (2020)