HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Undefeated Mexican Triple Crown-winner Kukulkan arrived in South Florida late Friday morning in advance of his next scheduled start in the Grade 1, $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational – North America’s richest race – Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park.
Cuadra San Jorge’s Kukulkan was led off a plane at Miami International Airport at 11:30 a.m. and will take up residence Saturday at Gulfstream, where he improved his record to 14-0 with a 10 ¼-length romp in the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe Dec. 8.
Following his victory, Kukulkan returned to Mexico with trainer Fausto Gutierrez to prepare for Pegasus which, like the Clasico del Caribe, is contested at 1 1/8 miles. On Wednesday, the 4-year-old Point Determined colt breezed seven furlongs in 1:29, galloping out a mile in 1:42, according to Gutierrez.
“He did it easy. I’m very pleased,” Gutierrez said. “The last two furlongs he did very, very easy. Everything is good.”
Internationally acclaimed jockey Frankie Dettori has the mount on Kukulkan for the Pegasus.
Post positions for the Pegasus and the inaugural $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), the richest grass race in North America, will be drawn Tuesday, Jan. 22 at Gulfstream. You can watch the draw at GulfstreamPark.com and Facebook.com/GulfstreamPark.
