Moore stars again as Warm Heart signs off in style

Jockey was at his tactical best in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Ryan Moore produced another masterclass of race riding to help Warm Heart bow out in a blaze of glory at Gulfstream Park.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly was chasing a third elite-level success in the $1million 1/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and went off at 12-5.

Moore was happy to track the front-running Main Event for much of the nine-furlong contest but made a daring dive up that horse’s inside entering the home straight.

It was a move which brought back memories of his brilliant Breeders’ Cup Turf triumph on Auguste Rodin and reaped the same reward.

Warm Heart sprinted through a gap on the rail to seize a decisive advantage and then repelled the late challenge of I’m Very Busy to win by half a length.

O’Brien said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It’s incredible. Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job.”

Moore added: “The leader was always leaning out and he was weakening, and I knew I had plenty of horse, so no problem. I was happy to wait.

“She’s always travelling very comfortably. I didn’t want to be there too early and I didn’t want to be tipping out into the straight, so I thought I’d just wait. She’s a great filly. She’s had an incredible year. She hasn’t had a bad race.”

It was a sixth success for Warm Heart, who last year prevailed in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille.

The four-year-old is now set to embark on a second career as a broodmare, with a visit to stallion sensation Justify on the horizon.

“We’d love to have her and to be racing her, but the lads’ business is breeding these horses and she’s an absolutely incredible broodmare to be going to Justify,” said O’Brien on the Gulfstream Park website. “It’s so exciting, really.”

The $3million Pegasus World Cup was won by last year’s Preakness Stakes hero National Treasure, who edged out Senor Buscador by a neck for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat.

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