Be Your Best wins Filly and Mare Turf

Be Your Best never wins by much. She just
wins.

The 5-year-old owned by Michael J. Ryan notched her third straight victory with Saturday’s close
call win in the Grade 2, $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational, barely reaching the wire first ahead of Sacred Wish in the 1
1/16-mile stakes at Gulfstream Park.

She won by a neck.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

The mare’s winning margins in her two previous races, which included the
Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream on Dec. 21, were a length and a nose.

#3 BE YOUR BEST ($16.80) got to the lead in the stretch and held off a fast closing #10 Sacred Wish to win the $500,000 @TBAftercare Pegasus World Cup F&M Turf Invitational (G2) at @Gulfstream Park. @zayas_edgardo was up for @SaffieJosephJr. pic.twitter.com/uxPWvV5QHN

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2025

With Edgard Zayas back in the irons on Saturday, Be Your Best stalked
front-running In Our Time for much of the race before accelerating in the
stretch and crossing the finish line just ahead of fast closing Sacred Wish.

In Our Time held on for third, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Pounce.

“It set up perfect, absolutely,” Zayas said. “Once (In Our Time) got in, I knew
she was the speed of the speed. The plan was to get covered up behind her, and
it worked out perfect. The pace was quick, but they’ve been going quick all
day. The track is pretty fast, and they keep on going. At the end, she never
quit, she kept on steady, steady, steady.”

Sacred Wish jockey John Velazquez said he knew he had no chance to catch Be
Your Best in the last two furlongs.

“When I got to the quarter pole, I said I’ve got to be Superman to
get there,” Velazquez said.

Be Your Best started her career with just two wins in her first 15 races but
has since found her winning stride since moving to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr’s.
barn in August. Her three-race winning streak have all come against Graded
stakes company.

“Thank God she hung on,” said Joseph, who also trains In Our Time. “I thank
Mike Ryan for giving her to us. He’s been a big supporter of me from very, very
early. He fired me once, and then he hired me back. I’ve never been able to
really repay him the way he’s helped me. And I know this filly, it’s a special
moment for him, because it’s a homebred.”

Be Your Best completed the trip with time of 1:39:06.

19-1 Dashman upsets William L. McKnight

Dashman held on gamely to score a 19-1 upset victory in
Saturday’s $215,000 William L. McKnight (G3) courtesy of a well-timed head-bob at the finish line.

The 4-year-old son of Oscar Performance ($40.40) prevailed
by a nose over Cash Equity (10-1) to for his first stakes win, getting it in
the 1 1/2-mile turf test for 4-year-olds and up.

It was another thriller as #13 DASHMAN ($40.40) just gets his nose down on the inside at the wire to hang on to win the $215,000 William L. McKnight Stakes (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The son of Oscar Performance was ridden by @flothejock and is trained by @BLynchRacing. pic.twitter.com/ch4FiTSLQy

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2025

Making his first start since finishing seventh in the Nov.
23 Commonwealth (G3) at Churchill Downs, Dashman took advantage of an alert
start to drop into third place behind early pacesetter Cathkin Peak and Limited
Liability while being well rated by Florent Géroux.

Cathkin Peak set snappy fractions under Jose Ortiz, posting
splits of 23.35 and 47.11 seconds for the first half-mile before continuing on
to complete six furlongs in 1:11.26. Frankie Dettori sent Limited Liability to
the lead on the second turn with Geroux and Dashman in hot pursuit.

Dashman kicked in gamely in the stretch to pull alongside
Limited Liability nearing the wire before being joined by a late-rallying Cash
Equine and Irad Ortiz Jr. in the vicinity of the finish line. A photo finish
would award the victory to Brian Lynch-trained Dashman, who completed the
distance with a time of 2:24.58.

The late-developing Frankly Speaking homebred 4-year-old
broke his maiden at Ellis Park in July before coming right back to win a
Kentucky Downs allowance in September. He closed his 2024 campaign with
off-the-board finishes in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G1) at Aqueduct
and the Commonwealth.

Limited Liability, the 5-2 second choice, finished third.
Bold Act, the 9-5 favorite ridden by William Buick, raced evenly to finish
fourth.

Little Vic leads whole way in Hooper

Little Vic led from gate to wire Saturday to win the 40th running of the $165,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up.

A 6-year-old son of Practical Joke trained by Juan Carlos Avila, Little Vic ($19) broke sharply from his post on the rail under Leonel Reyes and carried the field of nine through early fractions of 24.20, 46.78 and 1:11.00.

#1 LITTLE VIC ($19) had everything his way going gate-to-wire to win the $165,000 Fred W Hooper (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The son of Practical Joke (@coolmoreamerica) was ridden by @LeoJockeyReyes and is trained by Juan Avila. pic.twitter.com/nlxSt42lnl

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2025

“It’s like I always say, we don’t have control of anything,” said winning owner Victor Martinez, who was a five-time Major League Baseball all-star. “A lot of things have to go right to win a horse race. I came up during my whole career with the bases loaded, game on the line. I was nice and comfortable, because I always trusted myself, and I know what I can do. This is just different. This is a different feeling. I just can’t describe it. You have to experience it to have the feeling.”

Sent off at 8-1, Little Vic finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Implementation, completing the mile in 1:36.52. Tumbarumba, the 2024 Hooper winner and the 6-5 favorite, was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

The Hooper was Little Vic’s eighth victory in his 26-race career. He won the Tom Fool Handicap (G3) in April 2023.

Forever After All takes La Prevoyante

Forever After All took full advantage of a well-judged ride from jockey Tyler Gaffalione to capture the $165,000 La Prevoyante (G3), filling a couple voids on her resume in the process.

While prevailing by a nose over Chop Chop following a rousing stretch drive, the 6-year-old daughter of Connect owned by Dixiana Farms notched her first stakes victory in the 1 1/2-mile turf race for fillies and mares on the 13-race Pegasus World Cup day program while also winning for the first time on turf in her ninth attempt.

What a finish! #10 FOREVER AFTER ALL ($13.60) comes flying late from the far outside to just get #3 Chop Chop at the wire to win the $165,000 La Prevoyante (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The daughter of Connect was ridden by @Tyler_Gaff and is trained by @brenpwalsh. pic.twitter.com/3xNBJJ7Pz7

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2025

Not that the Brendan Walsh-trained mare hadn’t come close. Forever After All ($13.60) had collected four runner-up finishes in turf stakes, including a narrow loss in the Dec. 26 Via Borghese at Gulfstream in her previous start.

Gaffalione bided his time while settling Forever After All well off the pace set by long shot Shiloh’s Mistress, who was stalked by well-regarded Chop Chop while setting fractions of 23.57 and 48.34 seconds for the first half-mile.

After completing a mile in 1:38.58, Shiloh’s Mistress gave way to Chop Chop, the 2-1 second choice who opened a clear lead under Irad Ortiz Jr. at the top of the stretch. Gaffalione, who had to wait for Beautiful Love to clear to his outside on the turn into the stretch, finally found room to swing Forever After All to the outside at the top of the stretch, and she responded with an impressive stretch kick.

Forever After All ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.06 to win for the third time in 22 starts. Chop Chop held off a late inside bid by La Mehana to finish second. Beautiful Love, who was slightly favored over Chop Chop at 2-1, flattened out after her mild wide rally on the turf into the stretch.

Coppola speeds to win in Gulfstream Turf Sprint

Coppola and Gaffalione broke on top in the $165,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and never looked back to win the five-furlong sprint on grass.

Owned by Hammer Time Stable and Sport of Kings Racing Partners, the 6-year-old horse improved his record in Gulfstream turf races to four wins in seven tries.

#12 COPPOLA ($6.60) by Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) was a rocket out of the gate to go gate-to-wire in the $165,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint at @GulfstreamPark. @Tyler_Gaff was in the irons for @Romansracing.

Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/IPGEF47H4y

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2025

Coppola, the 2-1 favorite for trainer Dale Romans, sprinted away to a clear advantage and finished with a time of 54.43 seconds. Capture the Lion just held off Reef Runner for second.

“He’s a fast son of a gun,” Romans said. “They go 42 (seconds for the half-mile). I think that’s the fastest any horse of mine has ever gone in my life, and I’ve run a lot of horses.”

“If we had the opportunity to go to the front, we were going to take it,” Gaffalione said. “He’s a big strong horse, and if we can get out of the gate first, it alleviates the worry about being bounced around.”