Buzz of the town: Pegasus comes to life in Hallandale

It soars as high as an 11-story building, weighs a hefty 473 tons and cost millions.

This ain’t your garden-variety yard gnome.

Meet Pegasus, the winged stallion of Greek myth, all ready for battle and with a dragon to slay. And he’s pretty hard to miss.

Rising from the entrance of Gulfstream Park, the massive $30 million bronze sculpture awes tourists and locals alike, many of whom can’t help but stop in for a closer look — or snap a selfie.

“It’s definitely eye-catching,” Mayor Joy Cooper said of the new landmark commanding the southeast corner of U.S. 1 and Hallandale Beach Boulevard. “Some residents think it looks like a phallic symbol from a certain angle.”

The entire structure, horse and dragon combined, weighs in at 715 tons and took two years to build, with nearly 5,000 custom cast pieces shipped from China and Germany.

A closer look will find two winged creatures in battle, with proud Pegasus pummeling a prone and flailing dragon with his forehooves. At 473 tons, Pegasus easily defeats the 242-ton dragon.

Some observers are scratching their heads, wondering what it all means.

A clerk at a nearby West Elm home décor shop says he heard the winged horse represents Gulfstream Park and the defeated dragon symbolizes a bad economy.

But Frank Stronach, Gulfstream’s owner and the man who came up with the idea for the statue, had something else in mind.

“Pegasus is a symbol of strength, elegance and good,” said Michael Stark, chief engineer for the project. “The dragon is a symbol of evil. It’s the fight of good against evil. And as you can see, the good is supposed to be winning. This is the story behind Pegasus and the dragon.”

Pegasus, touted by Gulfstream as the largest bronze equine statue in the world, is fast becoming the buzz of the town.

“I’ve never seen anything so big. It’s larger than life,” said resident Judith Lichtenstein, one of dozens of drivers who recently felt compelled to stop in for a closer look.

Fans see the 110-foot sculpture as a thing of beauty. Critics liken it to an ugly monster marring the landscape.

Either way, it’s turning heads.

Ira Rosoff, a visitor from Palm Harbor on Florida’s west coast, wasn’t sure what he was seeing at first.

“My first reaction was, ‘What is that?'” said Rosoff, who couldn’t resist playing art critic. “Its wings are too small. It will never fly.”

Rosoff, who stopped in for a meal at a diner across from Pegasus, considers the statue a distraction for gamblers.

“I think it’s something to look at before you give your money away to the casino,” he said.

A clerk at a fabric shop across the street said some customers love the statue, but are stunned by the millions that went into it.

“They’re blown away by the pricetag on that thing,” he said.

What possessed Gulfsteam’s owner to spend millions?

The short answer: He dreamed of creating a landmark designed to draw crowds.

“Mr. Stronach wants to brand the facility, give back to the community, and also, with the world’s largest horse sculpture standing at Gulfstream, it will attract visitors to the entire Fort Lauderdale/Miami area,” said Gulfstream President Tim Ritvo. “We believe there will be a positive economic impact for local shops and restaurants.”

Pegasus perches atop a dome that will eventually open as a theater. The statue will become the centerpiece of Pegasus Park, with a waterfall and landscaping coming as soon as this summer.

“Right now it’s a work in progress,” Ritvo said. “It will be a landscaped park with lights and water features and music.”

Commissioner Keith London says he loves the idea of the mighty Pegasus statue becoming what he calls the Eiffel Tower of Hallandale Beach. He believes it will become a global sensation, with tourists from around the world posting selfies on social media and sharing photos with friends.

“It’s catchy, it’s fun,” Mayor Cooper said. “It will put Hallandale on the map.”

Commissioner Bill Julian would make just one change.

He’d prefer to see a giant statue of another famous horse: Secretariat.

Monica Marraro, a waitress at the diner, doesn’t care for the super-sized sculpture.

“It blocks the skyline,” she said. “It’s very hard to ignore.”

Loly DeFreitas, a clerk at a home décor shop on the grounds of Gulfstream, tries to pretend it’s not there.

“Oh my God,” she said. “For me it’s terrible. That statue is not for this area. It’s more like Las Vegas. Hallandale is not that.”

Pegasus may have its naysayers, but it appears the mammoth statue isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Not even hurricane-force winds can tear it asunder, Fire Chief Dan Sullivan said. “I don’t think it’s going to fly too far,” he joked.

sbryan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4554

PEGASUS AND THE DRAGON

Cost: $30 million

Size: 110 feet tall, 200 feet long

Weight: 715 tons of steel and bronze

Pegasus: 330 tons of steel and 143 tons of bronze

Dragon: 110 tons of steel and 132 tons of bronze

Screws: 18,000

Location: Gulfstream Park and Casino, 901 South Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach