ARCADIA, Calif. - Newgrange, winner of the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, has been held out of Saturday’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in favor of the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita the same day. The decision was based on a plan to send Newgrange to Saudi Arabia or Dubai in coming months, if the four-time stakes winner performs well on Saturday. “We thought we wanted to take a swing overseas in the Saudi Cup or Dubai World Cup,” trainer Phil D’Amato said on Sunday. “We thought if we kept him here and we got a good performance we wouldn’t have to ship back to Florida to California” and ship again. “We can have him fully prepared to take a big swing.” D’Amato said the $12 million Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Meydan Racecourse on March 30 is preferred to the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 24. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports “Timing-wise, if all went to plan, something like Dubai is more ideal,” D’Amato said. Owned by the partnership of David Bernsen, the Little Red Feather Racing partnership and Rockingham Ranch, Newgrange has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $887,634. In the San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, Newgrange was always near the front and won by 2 1/4 lengths. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Newgrange for the first time in the San Antonio. He will be replaced by Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, D’Amato said. Espinoza will ride Newgrange for the first time. Other candidates for the San Pasqual include Mr Fisk, who won the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar in his last start on Nov. 26; Newgate, a 2023 graded stakes winner who was a game second in a top-class allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 6 in his first start in 11 months; Mixto, who was second in the San Antonio; and Subsanador, a multiple Group 1 winner in Argentina in 2023 who was a disappointing fourth in the San Antonio as the 6-5 favorite.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.