Destiny D’Oro flies home in the Pegasus FM Turf, Coglianese photo
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Steve Landers Racing LLCs Golden fate closed late to capture the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2), reaching the wire just ahead of Crevalle d’Oro.
The four-year-old filly, ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Brad Cox, was coming off a narrow win at the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream on Dec. 13 but was largely ignored by bettors at odds of 15-1.
Destino d’Oro fell to last place after the start in the field of 12 and was still eight horses behind entering the stage. But Alvarado tapped her out and flew past the front runners to triumph by half a length. Continue upwhich had briefly taken the lead during the stretch, finished third, half a length behind Crevalle d’Oro.
“We broke and I knew she was probably going to come off the pace,” Alvarado said. “I thought I was a little too far back with so much horse, so I’ll have to pick it up soon. When I changed leads at the three-quarters pole and got close to the five-eighths pole, I couldn’t believe how much horse I had under me. She came up with a great run at the end.”
Destino d’Oro crossed the line in 1:40.33 and in combination with the 70-1 long shot Crevalle d’Oro, the $1 exacta paid $281.80.
The win for Destino d’Oro was her fifth of eight lifetime stars and improved her career earnings to more than $830,000.
As a three-year-old, Destino d’Oro won the 2025 Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park in August, but failed to hit the board in either of her next two appearances, including the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Keeneland in October.
But her feature win in the Tropical Park Oaks convinced Cox to take a shot in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
“She likes it here,” Cox said. “She got a good setup and a good ride from Junior today and that turned out well.
The fifth running of the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf for fillies and mares four years and older running 1 1/16 miles on the turf course, seventh out of 10 stakes, seven judged, worth $5.675 million in purses on a blockbuster Pegasus World Cup Day program anchored by the 10th anniversary of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
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