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2024 Pegasus World Cup Contender Profile: Nimitz Class

The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) is Saturday (Jan. 27) at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/8-mile race is for 4-year-olds and up. usracing.com is publishing profiles of all the contenders.

NIMITZ CLASS

His claim to fame is a victory over Gunite, an Eclipse Award finalist for male sprinter, in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile on Sept. 23.

Nimitz Class also ran off five stakes wins in a row, all at Laurel Park; his career record shows 11 victories, four seconds, and a third in 21 starts – all for owner-breeder Tom Coulter of Pennsylvania-bases Arrowwood Farm and trainer Bruce Kravets.

After Nimitz Class finished third in the Appreciation Stakes at Pax in October in his most recent start, ownership changed, and George Weaver became the new trainer.

Nimitz Class is being asked to take a huge step up after making the field for the Pegasus World Cup – it will be his first try in Grade 1 company, and, in fact, just his second try in a graded stakes race (he was second in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile a Monmouth in June).

2024 Pegasus World Cup Contender: Nimitz Class

Betting advice: New owners, new trainers, no chance.

Post position: 1

Odds: 20/1

Jockey: Edgard Zayas

Trainer: George Weaver

Owner: Qatar Racing, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Compeche Stables

Age: 5

Career record: 21-11-4-1

Career earnings: $717,080

Most recent race: Appreciation Mile Stakes, Parx, Oct. 17, third

Top Equibase speed figure: 117

Pedigree: Munnings-Five Diamonds, by Flatter

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notes: First six starts were at Penn National, where he won four of six, including Danzig Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds … Seven races at Laurel resulted in five stakes wins, and two runner-up finishes … Nimitz Class’s former trainer Kravets has more than 3,750 wins, but has yet to win a graded stakes race; same is true for Coulter … Nimitz Class had three works at Palm Beach Downs, most recently going 4 furlongs in 52.10 on Jan. 20, the third slowest time of 43 at the same distance.

2024 Pegasus World Cup Odds and Post Positions

PP Horse Odds Trainer Jockey
1 Nimitz Class 20-1 George Weaver Edgard J. Zayas
2 O’Connor 8-1 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Paco Lopez
3 Dynamic One 15-1 Todd A. Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr.
4 Hoist The Gold 12-1 Dallas Stewart John R. Velazquez
5 Trademark 12-1 Victoria H. Oliver Fernando De La Cruz
6 Senor Buscador 6-1 Todd W. Fincher Junior Alvarado
7 National Treasure 9-5 Bob Baffert Flavien Prat
8 First Mission 7-2 Brad H. Cox Luis Saez
9 Grand Aspen 8-1 Todd A. Pletcher Jose L. Ortiz
10 Il Miracolo 20-1 Antonio Sano Javier Castellano
11 Crupi 20-1 Todd A. Pletcher Lanfranco Dettori
12 Skippylongstocking 8-1 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Tyler Gaffalione
13 Castle Chaos AE Robert N. Falcone, Jr. Tyler Gaffalione

 

 

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