In South Florida Jan. 14, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse worked a couple of graded winners for major stakes all along the East Coast.
Sir Winston breezed five furlongs Friday morning at Palm Meadows Training Center toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, while God of Love worked the same distance in advance of the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3) Feb. 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack. They both were clocked in 1:02.30.
Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston, the 2019 Belmont Stakes (G1) victor, regrouped at Woodbine over the second half of last year after a dull campaign throughout much of 2020 and through the first part of 2021. The 6-year-old Awesome Again horse has since been first or second in four consecutive races, taking the Valedictory Stakes (G3) on Tapeta Dec. 5 at Woodbine last out.
"He's been training well. His breeze this morning was very good," Casse said.
For Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber's God of Love (Cupid ), the Withers will provide an opportunity to test him on dirt. He has captured stakes on turf and Tapeta, specifically the Cup and Saucer Stakes and Grey Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.
"He's a pretty good horse. If he can have the same type of form on dirt that he does on the synthetic, he'll be a force. In his last race, he ran a 4.5 Thorograph number, which puts you right there," Casse said.
