HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Though Didia ended her 2023 campaign on a disappointing note, it’s hard to ignore what the Argentine-bred mare accomplished since coming to the United States from Brazil two years ago.
Before she finished 10th of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita, Didia won 5 of 6 starts at four tracks and finished a close second in the Grade 1 New York at Belmont Park. Overall, Didia is 9 for 14 in her career.
Saturday, Didia kicks off her 6-year-old campaign in the Grade 2, $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/16-mile race drew a field of 13, though only 12 will be permitted to run.
Though trainer Ignacio Correas believes Didia is better at longer distances, she did go 3 for 3 at 1 1/16 miles when she first arrived in the United States. Didia also won the Grade 3 Modesty going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive going 1 1/4 miles.
“She’s sitting on a big race,” Correas said. “Usually, she runs well when she’s fresh, so everything points to her having a good race. Of course, the other horses run too. Half-a-million dollars, they don’t give it away.”
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In the Breeders’ Cup, Didia raced 11th of 12 down the backside, 7 3/4 lengths off the pace. Though she attempted to make a run in the stretch, Didia couldn’t quicken the way Inspiral and Warm Heart – the one-two finishers of that race – did.
“We’re talking about the best fillies in the world,” Correas said. “I don’t think she had the best trip. I’m not saying with a good trip we would have beat them, but she might have been closer. I’m confident she’s going to run her race.”
Jose Ortiz replaces Vincent Cheminaud aboard Didia, who breaks from post 9.
Star Fortress made quite the eye-catching North American debut in the Grade 3 Cardinal Stakes, rallying from last of six to win by 10 lengths last November at Churchill Downs. Up to that point, Star Fortress had subpar form in Europe.
“She had been training well, but we didn’t know what to expect,” said Cherie DeVaux, who trains Star Fortress.
The Pegasus will be run over firmer turf than Star Fortress has run over to date.
“She’s training well, looks good, but maybe that eye-opening performance could have been flattered by the condition of the turf,” DeVaux said.
Luis Saez rides Star Fortress from post 4.
Both Didia and Star Fortress should get the pace they need to be effective.
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Ruby Nell, shipping in from Southern California for trainer Richard Mandella, should be part of that pace under Frankie Dettori from post 6. Ruby Nell won the one-mile Lady of Shamrock Stakes on Dec. 31 at Santa Anita, but she has won at 1 1/16 miles in the past.
“Sometimes when you go a little farther other riders don’t press you as hard,” Mandella said. “I’m expecting she’ll jump out of there on the lead.”
Queen Goddess is back from California seeking a repeat victory in the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf for trainer Michael McCarthy and owners Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. After the Pegasus, Queen Goddess went winless in her four subsequent starts.
Sister Lou Ann set the pace in the Suwannee River and finished third. She is back in the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf along with Full Count Felicia and Accomplished Girl, who finished one-two in the one-mile Suwannee River on Dec. 30.
The Suwannee River was Accomplished Girl’s first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, and she ran well.
“The way she ran the mile last time you would think she would get the mile and a sixteenth,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “If she got the inside trip, she probably would have won. We had to go around and going around has been a disadvantage on that course.”
Mission of Joy could fall into a nice trip under John Velazquez. Mission of Joy won a couple of stakes in 2023 at age 3 and ended her campaign with a third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. The horse that beat her, Mawj, came back to run second, beaten a nose, in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Trainer Graham Motion said he gave Mission of Joy a month off after the Queen Elizabeth.
“She had to do everything right coming back to make this race,” Motion said. “I have rushed her a little bit, but not unrealistically. She’s had four solid works down here, Johnny [Velazquez] has worked her the last two times. I said we wouldn’t do it if we had any hiccups. She’s done well and seems to have grown up some.”
Trainer Chad Brown has the pair of Fluffy Socks and Chili Flag in this spot. Fluffy Socks, who has nine seconds from 25 starts, was beaten a head by Surge Capacity in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar. Chili Flag comes out of a listed stakes victory in the Forever Together at Aqueduct.
Todd Pletcher sends out Cairo Consort, a two-time stakes winner at Gulfstream in 2023, and Surprisingly, last seen finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga in August. Those two bookend the field, with Cairo Consort breaking from the rail and Surprisingly in post 12.
Tropical Park Oaks winner Be My Sunshine is on the also-eligible list and needs one scratch to get in.
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