Preakness S. (G1) winner National Treasure asserted his class on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, providing trainer Bob Baffert with his third success in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1). The Kentucky-bred defeated a competitive field in the 1 1/8-mile test for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, holding off fellow Kentucky-bred Senor Buscador in the final strides.
National Treasure entered the Pegasus off a runner-up finish to subsequent Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.
“I’ve always thought he was that good of a horse,” said Baffert. “He was just very immature and he’s getting better and better, the way he’s training. He trained much better than he was going into the Breeders’ Cup. I’m proud of him. He ran his race. He showed up. That’s all you can ask for as a trainer. He was preparing well for it.”
A son of Quality Road out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Treasure, National Treasure was bred in Kentucky by Peter Blum Thoroughbreds. He was a $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate in 2021.Kentucky-breds have now won seven of the eight runnings of the Pegasus World Cup, which was formerly the Donn H. (G1).