Preakness champ National Treasure favored to capture Pegasus World Cup on Saturday

The winner of the 2023 Preakness hasn’t won anything since.

That could change Saturday when National Treasure contests the richest thoroughbred race in Florida, the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old colt is favored to end his post-Preakness blues and give trainer Bob Baffert his third victory in a relatively young event that is now in its eighth year.

Baffert also won the 2017 running of the Pegasus with Arrogate and the 2020 renewal with Mucho Gusto.

“I’ve had success at Gulfstream, shipping in there,” said Baffert, who seldom sends horses to race in South Florida from his home base in Southern California. “Arrogate, he was something else. And then Mucho Gusto — he ran a great race.”

After winning the Preakness in front-running fashion, and sending Kentucky Derby winner Mage to defeat, National Treasure failed to hit the board in his next three races before finishing a determined second to Horse of the Year finalist Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November.

“I think he’s maturing,” Baffert said of National Treasure, who is kicking off his 2024 racing campaign in the Pegasus. “He’s always been a little bit slow coming around, but he’s been working well. Looks great. He’s doing really well.”

Flavien Prat, who rode the Baffert trainee for the first time in the Dirt Mile, has the return call.

National Treasure will face a full field of 11 rivals, all of which will be seeking their first Grade I race win. Foremost among his rivals is promising but lightly raced First Mission, who is rated second at 7-2 on the morning line and is coming off a second-place finish behind Pegasus contender Trademark in the Nov. 24 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.

“I think he’s primed for a big effort,” said trainer Brad Cox, who saddled Knicks Go to victory in the 2021 Pegasus. “He’s had plenty of time since his last one - that was a big race.”

Jockey Luis Saez gets the mount on First Mission.

Gulfstream training kingpin Todd Pletcher will be represented by three horses in his search for a second Pegasus success. The Hall of Fame trainer, who scored with Life Is Good in 2022, is slated to saddle Grand Aspen, Dynamic One and Crupi.

“The Pegasus has turned out to be a terrific day of racing at Gulfstream,” Pletcher said. “It’s a stake-filled card with a lot of good races, great atmosphere. I think we’re kind of coming in with a different angle this year. We’re kind of under the radar a bit. When we brought Life Is Good in, we thought we had a good chance, and he delivered a good performance. A little different this year, we’re hoping everybody makes a move forward.”

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational is the headline event on a 13-race card that features seven stakes, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational for grass stars and $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational for female turf specialists.

Post time for Saturday’s first race is 11 a.m., with the Pegasus World Cup Invitational scheduled for 5:40 p.m.