City of Light Outran Everybody and Everything, Including Expectations

[Wandering Eyes]

After Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) polished off the field in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, the debate began. Who was 2018’s best horse, and what criteria should be used to come to that conclusion? Was it speed, ability, accomplishment, number of Grade I wins, the length or brevity of their campaigns? No matter what traits we focused on, the debate always came down to just two horses, Accelerate and Justify (Scat Daddy).

Just two days before the running of the GI Pegasus World Cup, the decision of Eclipse Award voters was announced. By virtue of his being named Horse of the Year, Justify was deemed the best horse. The voters got it right. I can’t begin to think of a scenario where a Triple Crown winner should be denied Horse of the Year. Accelerate got his consolation prize, the older male championship.

Now, after watching what happened yesterday on an absolutely miserable day at Gulfstream Park in the Pegasus, I’m wondering if everyone got it wrong. That’s how good City of Light (Quality Road) in winning the Pegasus.

This was a major star, yet he was so overshadowed by Justify and Accelerate that the hype for him couldn’t have filled a thimble. Yes, the biggest accomplishment of City of Light’s career came in 2019, but what I saw Saturday made me wonder if he wasn’t the best horse who ran in 2018, or at least that he developed into the best horse by the end of the year when he won the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile? If nothing else, he was obviously 2018’s most underappreciated race horse.

You can talk all you want about how the speed-favoring nature of Gulfstream’s sloppy surface gave City of Light an advantage over Accelerate yesterday or that the very talented McKinzie (Street Sense) stayed back in California or even, if you wish, wonder what Justify would have done to the field? None of that takes away from what was one of the most powerful performances we’ll likely see all year on the racetrack.

Under a snug hold by Javier Castellano, City of Light was second early, right off the flank of Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie). With that horse about to hit the wall entering the far turn, City of Light inherited the lead, but Accelerate would make his presence felt. Accelerate made his bid and drew within a half-length of City of Light nearing the top of the stretch. For a moment, it looked like this Pegasus would turn into a scintillating two-horse race to the wire. Instead, City of Light switched gears and drew off from a very talented horse with frightening ease.

He won by 5 3/4 lengths in a performance that was as every bit as impressive as those put in by the two previous Pegasus winners, superstars Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}).

“This horse is a gift,” said an emotional winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “Amazing.”

He continued: “It’s the fashion he did it. That’s why I’m so emotional. It seemed like this was effortless today.”

The folks over at Lane’s End were probably pretty emotional, too. A sire that dominated in the Pegasus World Cup, won a Breeders’ Cup race, is fast enough to have won the GI Malibu at seven furlongs and also has the stamina to have won both the GII Oaklawn H. and the Pegasus Wolrd Cup at nine furlongs, is about to show up on their doorstep. He entered the day a nice stallion prospect. He exited the day a super stallion prospect.

This was also the last career race for Accelerate, who finished third. He will also stand at Lane’s End. Such a good, honest horse, he lost nothing in defeat. He ran well and the track conditions didn’t suit him. But City of Light beat him in two of the three times they met and everything that we saw in the Pegasus suggested that City of Light is simply the better horse. That’s not a knock on Accelerate; it’s recognition of the fact that City of Light is that good.

Snoop was a Dogg, and Other Thoughts…

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (a.k.a Snoop Dogg) was the featured post-race entertainment and was given the privilege of announcing “Rider’s Up” in the paddock before the race. It would have been impossible for him to have come across as less enthusiastic. For a guy who has made millions in the entertainment business, he showed all the charisma of a door knob. C’mon, Dogg, for all the money they must have paid you could have at least pretended you cared.

One of the backdrops to the race was the on-going feud between Frank and Belinda Stronach, who have sued one another in efforts to control the Stronach Group. We don’t know where this story will end, but Belinda left no doubt yesterday that, at least right now, she is very much the boss. She was interviewed prior to the races on NBC and presented the trophies for both the Pegasus World Cup and the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Frank did not get a second of air time.

You could pay for your kids’ college educations betting on Dallas Stewart-trained horses to place in big races. He did it again in the World Cup as Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) finished second at odds of 34-1 and paid $19.20 to place. He was also second behind City of Light in the Dirt Mile at 10-1.

What more can you say about Chad Brown? His Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) was injured, laid off for 14 months, had one prep and then wins the $7-million Pegasus Turf. Another amazing training job.

At 26-1, Mexican hero Kukulkan (Point Determined) might have been the biggest underlay in the history of the sport. But, surprisingly, he was not last. He was 11th, finishing 15 lengths ahead of an exhausted pacesetter, Patternrecogniton (Adios Charlie).

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