HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - National Treasure drew post 7 and was established as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. The event will highlight a 13-race program at Gulfstream Park that also includes the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Invitational. A full field of 12 older horses plus one also-eligible was entered for the Pegasus World Cup, which meant Sunday’s post-position draw took on added importance considering the short run to the first turn in races decided at 1 1/8 miles over the main track at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Bob Baffert was very pleased when learning National Treasure, who was beaten just a nose by Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to close out his 3-year-old campaign, was well drawn in the middle of the field.    “I’m very happy with the post,” Baffert said by phone from California minutes after the draw. “The one you don’t want there (Gulfstream Park) is the 12. Even from a good post, you have to have a lot of luck into that first turn. They still have to break and run their race. But it (7) is a good post.” Baffert, who named Flavien Prat to be aboard National Treasure, will seek his third Pegasus World Cup victory. He won the inaugural running with the great Arrogate in 2017 and won again in 2020 with Mucho Gusto. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports “I’ve had a lot of success shipping to Gulfstream,” Baffert said. “Arrogate, well he was something else. And Mucho Gusto ran a great race down there, then came back and led all the way in the Saudi Cup.” It was feast or famine for Saffie Joseph Jr. at Sunday’s draw. Gulfstream Park’s leading trainer was all smiles after O’Connor got post 2, but his smile turned to a frown minutes later after his second entrant in the Grade 1 event, Skippylongstocking, pulled the dreaded 12 post. Joseph experienced similar disappointment a year ago when O’Connor was assigned post 12 for the 2023 Pegasus. “We can’t control the draw, the post is what it is,” Joseph said. “When O’Connor drew well I was relieved, and then Skippy got 12. It stings for a moment, then you move on. You don’t want to get 12, but I believe everything is meant for a reason.”  Joseph did not rule out the possibility, in light of the draw, of scratching Skippylongstocking from the Pegasus to run in the Saudi World Cup on February 25. “We’ll see how things go during the week,” Joseph said. “I heard they were going to issue him (Skippylongstocking) an invitation for the race in Saudi, so we will see.” First Mission, beaten a nose by Trademark in the Grade 2 Clark to close out his 3-year-old season, was made the second choice in the morning line at 7-2 for the Pegasus World Cup. He will break adjacent to National Treasure in post 8 under regular rider Luis Saez. The remainder of the field from the rail out, includes Nimitz Class, Dynamic One, Hoist the Gold, Trademark, Senor Buscador, Grand Aspen, Il Miracolo and Crupi. Castle Chaos is on the also-eligible list. A full field of 12 was also drawn Sunday for the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus Turf, led by Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf runner-up Warm Heart, who will break from post 9 as the 9-5 morning-line favorite under jockey Ryan Moore. Warm Heart, the only filly in the field, closed out her 2023 campaign finishing third against males in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin on December 10. Her 11 rivals include the undefeated, multiple graded stakes winner Integration and defending champion Atone, who is winless in six starts since rallying to a three-quarter-length triumph over Ivar in the 2023 Pegasus Turf. Like Baffert, fellow Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey was quite happy after Integration, a 4-year-old son of Quality Road, drew post 4 for the Pegasus Turf. “I think the post for him is fine, he showed in New York he’s got enough speed, if he wants to use it, to lay wherever he wants to lay,” McGaughey said. “I’d rather be on the inside with the configuration of this turf course rather than be on the outside, where you might have to use him a bit and can get hung out wide the whole way.” The field for the Pegasus Turf, from the inside out, consists of Atone, Jerry the Nipper, Integration, I’m Very Busy, Webslinger, Kingmax, Adhamo, Master Piece, Warm Heart, Shirl’s Speight, Main Event and Catnip. The draw for the Filly and Mare Turf had to be aborted shortly after it began when it was discovered the name of one of the two also-eligibles for the event, Be My Sunshine, was put in the box as part of the body of the race and was drawn nearly halfway into the process. The race was subsequently re-drawn with two horses, Didia and Surprisingly, adversely affected when ultimately assigned post positions 9 and 12 respectively after having gotten posts 3 and 4 during the original draw. Trainer Cherie De Vaux’s Star Fortress, a sensational 10-length winner of the Grade 3 Cardinal at Churchill Downs in her U.S. debut, was established as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field that also includes key contenders Fluffy Socks along with West Coast invaders Queen Goddess and Ruby Nell. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.