Pegasus World Cup Turf favorite Warm Heart settles in at Gulfstream Park

Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) favorite Warm Heart had a low-key get-acquainted tour of Gulfstream Park Wednesday morning. In her career finale, Warm Heart is facing males again in the $1 million Turf Saturday at 1 1/8 miles.

With her regular work rider, Rachel Richardson, up, the 4-year-old Irish-bred filly went out for some light exercise at 9 a.m. Richardson trotted the daughter of Galileo to the one-mile pole on the main track, turned her around and had her canter seven furlongs to the wire.

Warm Heart, 9-5 on the morning line, trained by the legendary Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle in Ireland, was flown from Europe to Miami on Sunday and arrived at the track on Tuesday evening.

“She was in quarantine for two days and this was just to give her a look and see her surroundings and she was very relaxed,” Richardson said. “She looked at the surface. It worked very well. I was very happy.”

Pat Keating, who has worked for O’Brien for nearly 30 years and has accompanied horses to races all over the world, said Warm Heart is a very good traveler and handled the trip well. She has put on some miles in the past few months. After competing in Ireland and England in her first seven starts, Warm Heart followed her Yorkshire Oaks (G1) win with the trip to Longchamp in Paris on Sept. 10, where she won the Prix Vermeille (G1). Two months later in California, she finished second by a neck to Inspiral at Santa Anita Park in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1). Off the big performance in the Breeders’ Cup, she went to Asia in December and finished third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, against males in the Hong Kong Vase (G1).