HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Though Spirit of St Louis had won nine of his 13 career starts, eight of those victories had come in races restricted to New York-breds, and the ninth was in a listed stakes. It was not quite the resume that Gulfstream Park racing officials were looking for to run in their Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. But Chad Brown, a five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, and one of the premier turf trainers in the world, insisted to Mike Lakow, Gulfstream’s vice president of racing, that Spirit of St Louis belonged in the race. Spirit of St Louis made it into the body of the third invitee list and then into the starting gate. On Saturday, he came with a huge late kick to run by Integration and win the $983,400 Pegasus Turf by a neck at Gulfstream Park. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to 64-1 shot Chasing the Crown, who came off the reserve list to finish third. “I want to thank Mike Lakow, who oversaw the event and who got the horse far enough up the invite list to at least get him into the race,” Brown said. “Good relationship. It’s good practice to listen to the trainers that have had a lot of success in races like this to ask them what type of horses fit. :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  “I had a similar situation last year with I’m Very Busy, who nearly won,” said Brown, referring to the runner-up in last year’s Pegasus Turf. “Mike’s a veteran man running racing. When I told him this was the one that really belongs in the race. He listened … Without a lot of graded stuff next to him or graded wins he could have easily been excluded.” Brown’s faith in Spirit of St Louis was based on how he was training, the speed figures the horse had run in his previous races and the fact he felt the Gulfstream course would suit the New York-bred son of Medaglia d’Oro. During the race, Brown said he liked where the horse was in relation to the leaders - seventh, within three lengths - though he was concerned about him being between horses. Brown credited jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who he felt made a smart move waiting for horses racing in front of him to clear. “One of many great moves in the race was Tyler on the turn when he sort of let a couple of other horses go first and cleared his own path, rather than try to go with him,” Brown said. “I think that was the winning move. I think he would have got jammed up if he went with him.” Gaffalione was riding Spirit of St Louis for the first time. He said he was following Nations Pride, who was creeping up the rail under William Buick. “I just kind of waited for my spot and coming into the stretch I was able to work my way out and the horse did the rest,” Gaffalione said. Spirit of St Louis, owned by Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables and Richard Schemerhorn, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:44.50 and returned $17.80. Spirit of St Louis (102 Beyer Speed Figure) ran down Integration, who, under Frankie Dettori, raced an up-close third, made the lead over Win for the Money in midstretch, but just got nailed at the wire. “I wanted to be closer, because it didn’t read like there was going to be a ton of pace,” Dettori said. “Our horse can run longer, I wanted to be [closer] the way the turf has been riding today. No excuses.” Chasing the Crown rallied from last of 12 to get third by three-quarters of a length over Mi Hermano Ramon. He was followed, in order, by Fort Washington, Major Dude, Win for the Money, Grand Sonata, Nations Pride, Balnikhov, Battle of Normandy and Formidable Man. Buick, the rider of 5-2 favorite Nations Pride, said his horse broke a little slow and was a bit lethargic early, but ultimately he ended up in good position along the rail and in the third flight of horses down the backstretch. “I ended up in a good spot behind the leader on the rail, but I had to fight for a little bit of room in the straight, but his run flattened out gradually,” Buick said. Future plans for Spirit of St Louis are up in the air. Safe to say he won’t be facing New York-breds again anytime soon. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.