Somewhere in the seconds it took the field to enter and exit the far turn Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano put his faith in City of Light  and let the three-time grade 1 winner do his thing. 

Moving with momentum that, for the average runner, would have been impossible to maintain in the midst of a torrential rainstorm, City of Light made the trip look effortless. 

Splashing across the sloppy (sealed) track at the top of the stretch, the 5-year-old son of Quality Road  turned back a late challenge from Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Accelerate  and put serious distance between himself and the rest of the pack to win the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) by 5 3/4 lengths. 

“The way he did it today, you don’t really see too many horses that have the speed, the pounce, and the dimension,” Castellano said. “The horse did everything today. I just enjoyed the ride, to be honest with you. I think anyone could have ridden the horse.”

It was a jaw-dropping end to a career that spanned barely more than two years and 11 starts for owners William K. Warren Jr. and his wife, Suzanne, and trainer Michael McCarthy, and the tears flowed just as freely as the rain. 

“We’ve been in business five years, and we started with one horse,” McCarthy said, turning away from the mic in the post-race news conference to compose himself. “To have a horse like this come into your life … I can’t describe the emotions that go along with something like this.”

One of the two favorites in the field for the third running of North America’s richest race, City of Light broke well from post 3, and Castellano punched the gas to send him to the front. Guiding City of Light to the outside behind early leader Patternrecognition, Castellano tapped the brakes and settled in to stalk the pace, hoping to save energy for the battle to the finish. 

If the downpour and condition of the track had been a worry before the race, any doubts Castellano felt were soon put to rest when he realized City of Light was actually enjoying the slop and toying with his competition. 

“First of all, I think we were lucky the way we drew,” Castellano said. “I used my horse enough to get my position, let him get a little break. The way he kept the rhythm and the momentum … I think he loved the sloppy track. He was like a little kid who wanted to play and splash in the puddles, and I said, ‘Keep going, keep going.’

“Turning for home, we were very focused. They way he did it, I asked for a little bit going for home, but he took off again. What a feeling you feel in that moment.” 

Approaching the stretch, John Sadler-trained Accelerate challenged for the lead and came within a length and a half of City of Light before the eventual winner found his final gear and kicked for home. All Castellano had to do was flash the whip at his mount, but the gesture was unnecessary. City of Light was well clear and showed no signs of slowing down. Final time for the 1 1/8-mile test was 1:47.71. 

“It was so thrilling to watch Javier ride a masterful race,” said William Warren. “He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he executed the plan beautifully. I was filled with emotion for my trainer, Michael McCarthy, and for Javier. They got us here.”

Seeking the Soul emerged from last in the 12-horse field to take second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 3-2 favorite Accelerate. Bravazo claimed fourth, followed by Audible in fifth. Gunnevera, True Timber, Imperative, Tom’s d’Etat, Something Awesome, Kukulkan, and Patternrecognition completed the order of finish.

With City of Light having never finished worse than third in his career, the Pegasus was a bittersweet moment for the Warrens and McCarthy. It was announced last year that the son of a key Lane’s End stallion will join his sire and retire to stud duty at the Versailles, Ky., farm following his Pegasus foray.

In addition to the Pegasus, City of Light earned top-level wins in the Malibu Stakes (G1), Triple Bend Stakes (G1), and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). He leaves the sport with a 6-4-1 record in 11 starts, with earnings of $5,662,600. 

McCarthy, who broke out on his own five years ago having worked as an assistant to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, credited the Warrens for much of his success and for their unwavering faith in his abilities as a trainer. 

“I would like to thank the Warrens,” McCarthy said. “They’ve done a lot for me personally. They’ve done a lot for my family, and to come here for a day like today—I thought the Breeders’ Cup was almost like an out-of-body win, but to be able to go ahead and follow it up with something like this … I don’t know if it will happen again. If it doesn’t, I’m probably OK with it.

“A horse like this—a once-in-a-lifetime horse—watching him run through the lane, I don’t think there was a horse in the world who could have beaten him today,” McCarthy added. “He’s just a gift to everybody. Everybody that touches him, walks him, feeds him, bathes him … I wish I had a better way with words, but I’m speechless right now.” 

Bred in Kentucky by Ann Marie Farm out of the Dehere mare Paris Notion, City of Light was a $710,000 purchase by Walnut Green on behalf of William Warren from the Lane’s End consignment to the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was named City of Light by the Warrens as an homage to Paris, one of the couple’s favorite vacation destinations.