Pegasus World Cup Turf The ‘First Option’ For Mo Forza

Co-owner Barry Abrams poses with Mo Forza after their victory in the Grade II, $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile, Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.© BENOIT PHOTO

The winner of his last four races in a row, including Saturday’s G2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita, Mo Forza could target the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational for his next start. Trainer Peter Miller told the track’s publicity department that the 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo, bred by former trainer Barry Abrams, shouldn’t have any trouble running without race-day Lasix.

“I think the (Pegasus) is our first option, if everything is going well,” said Miller. “With no Lasix, the horse has never been a bleeder, and so I don’t see any reason why the Pegasus wouldn’t be our next option.”

Mo Forza broke his maiden on September 29, then won the G2 Twilight Derby on the Breeders’ Cup undercard. The colt then stepped up to win the G1 Hollywood Derby before adding the Mathis Brothers Mile to his resume last Saturday.

“I’m just thrilled for these connections,” Miller said, referencing Abrams and the colt’s co-owner Onofrio Pecoraro. “He’s like big kid that finally learns to use his feet and hands and it’s all over. He always had the talent but he never really could put it all together. I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He is just starting to learn and once he relaxes a little bit better and doesn’t want to lay in when he passes that last horse I think the sky is the limit, he’s just a tremendous horse.

“A great job by Joel (Rosario) for harnessing him because he is a lot of horse, and great job to Barry who bred the horse. To win the race for Barry, it’s a thrill.”