Pegasus World Cup Up Next for Unbeaten Disco Time

[Wandering Eyes]

Unbeaten in five career starts, Juddmonte homebred Disco Time (Not This Time) will put his perfect record on the line in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 24.

“At the moment, he's got a lot of unknown about him,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said.

“He's coming off two impressive performances, he's unbeaten and he's by the hottest stallion out there. Those are all the positives. I suppose the negatives are, well, what has he beaten yet? He's out of a sprinter, does he want to go 1 1/8 miles? We're gonna find out if he's up to that level, we hope he is. At some stage or another, you've got to step up.”

O'Rourke continued, “If we didn't have to give him so much time off, you'd like to have answered those questions last year, but that's just the way it happened.”

After beginning his career with a pair of victories in the fall of his 2-year-old season at Churchill Downs, Disco Time aced his two-turn debut with a visually impressive, come-from-behind win in the GIII Lecomte S. going 1 1/16 miles in the slop at Fair Grounds last January. Bone bruising, however, subsequently knocked Disco Time off the 2025 Triple Crown trail.

“He had a rough race when he won the Lecomte, but we were still moving forward,” O'Rourke said. “You get out a few weeks and you're planning on taking the next step and wondering, 'Which one do we go for?' But then he's not quite the same. Nothing major, but he's got bone bruising. At that stage, you've lost all hopes for the Triple Crown. It's just a bad time of the year for it to happen. He took a little bit longer and we had to give him extra time. When the horse came right, all of sudden (trainer) Brad (Cox) was like, 'Ok, he's turned the corner.'”

Disco Time resurfaced with a dominating wire-to-wire tally in the St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park Sept. 19, then put on a show versus three overmatched rivals in the Dwyer S. at Aqueduct Nov. 8, good for a career-high 107 Beyer Speed Figure. Disco Time has won his last two starts by a combined 15 1/4 lengths. He has been favored in all five of his career starts.

Others pointing for the Pegasus include: Disco Time's stablemate and GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Tappan Street (Into Mischief); Pegasus defending winner White Abarrio (Race Day); GI Malibu S. winner Goal Oriented (Not This Time); 2024 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast); and Louisiana sensation Touchuponastar (Star Guitar).

“He's got a lot of questions to answer, but we're sure looking forward to it,” O'Rourke said.

Disco Time is one of 33 graded winners for leading young sire Not This Time. He was produced by the Jump Start mare Disco Chick, a four-time stakes winner of $735,250. She brought just $35,000 from RPM Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. The 15-year-old had a filly by Yaupon last year and was bred back to Justify.

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