Pegasus World Cup scouting report: Argentine import Eragon

January 20th, 2017

Multiple Argentinean Group 1 winner Eragon puts the “world” in the January 28 Pegasus World Cup (G1), as the recent import is the only candidate to bring international intrigue into the $12 million bonanza.

Intrigue is probably the best Eragon can hope to provide, however. Between a less-than-ideal preparation for the task of his life against the likes of Arrogate and California Chrome, and a deep-closing running style that puts him up against it at a track like Gulfstream Park, he may find it a difficult spot to do himself justice.

On the plus side, Eragon sports a 10-for-20 mark indicative of a horse with a thoroughly likable attitude. Although he’s spent most of his career on turf, the son of Offlee Wild has scored two of his three Group 1s on the dirt. To underscore his versatility, he’s won exactly half of his starts on each surface (8-for-16 on turf and 2-for-4 on dirt).

Eragon, a half-brother to Group 1-placed El Atlantico, hails from a solid family. Their dam, the Shy Tom mare Express Time, is a half-sister to the dam of past Godolphin star Rio de la Plata. While the female line is prolific in Argentina, it is also responsible for South African legend Empress Club.

A debut winner at two, Eragon nevertheless needed time and maturity to reach his peak form. He eventually scored his stakes breakthrough in the 2015 Premio Macon at about nine furlongs on San Isidro’s turf, and concluded his sophomore campaign with a rallying fourth in the Gran Premio Estrellas Mile (G1), held over the same grass course.

Eragon took a leap forward as a four-year-old. Swooping from last in a four-horse field in the Premio Ecuador (G2) at a metric mile, he later snared his first Group 1 laurel from the clouds in the Gran Premio Joaquin S. Anchorena (G1). You can just pick him up in the black-bluish-and white striped silks near the back of the pack, before he drops totally out of view in the stretch. Only in the final furlong does he come roaring into the frame:

 

Last June, Eragon tackled the Estrellas Mile again, this time contested on the dirt at Palermo. He hadn’t tried dirt in more than a year, and had yet to win on it, but neither stat proved an obstacle. With a ferocious pace setting up his trademark late kick, he was along in time to prevail.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT