Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf 2024: Queen Goddess Invited Back

            Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber’s defending champion Queen Goddess heads 12 invitees to the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2). The 6-year-old mare went on to run third in the Jenny Wiley (G1) and second in the Goldikova (G2) last year, separated by 1 ½ lengths combined.

            The Filly & Mare Turf will be part of a blockbuster card on January 27 celebrating the World Class Thoroughbred racing, entertainment, fashion, and food found at Gulfstream Park.

            The 1 1/16-mile Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf for female horses 4-year-olds and up is part of a blockbuster program featuring seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) presented by Baccarat and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

            Other graded-stakes winners on the primary invitation list are:

• Closing Remarks, who beat Queen Goddess in the Goldikova
• Accomplished Girl, runner-up in the Dec. 30 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream
• Suwannee River winner Full Count Felicia
• Consumer Spending
• Didia
• Fluffy Socks
• Mission of Joy
• Ruby Nell
• Star Fortress
• Surprisingly

            The reserve list includes:

• Be My Sunshine, winner of the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 23 at Gulfstream
• Cairo Consort
• Sparkle Blue
• Multiple stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl

             Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Luis Saez, Queen Goddess – sent off at odds of 4-1 — improved her record to six wins in 11 career starts when capturing the 2023 edition. But it was her first race east of the Mississippi River in which she finished better than fifth.

              “She ran pretty big,” Saez said. “Today she proved she’s a beautiful and special filly. We knew she had a lot of speed but inside they had speed, too, so the plan was to try to follow the speed and be right behind, and everything went according to plan. It was perfect.”