A full field of 12 has lined up for Gulfstream Park’s Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup, which will serve as heavy favorite Omaha Beach’s career finale before heading off to stud in Kentucky.
The latest Lifestyle Daily Life news, tips, opinion and advice from The Sydney Morning Herald covering life and relationships, beauty, fashion, health & wellbeing. Jan 23, 2021 Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Invitational 2021 horse race at Gulfstream Park. Bet on Pegasus World Cup Invitational, get pps, race entries, results, Pegasus World Cup Invitational horse racing news. January 20, 2020: Arklow Fulfills Potential On Turf – Donegal Racing’s 6-Year-Old Ready For Pegasus Turf January 20, 2020: Tenfold Prepares For Pegasus With Relaxed Work January 19, 2020: Pegasus (G1) Favorite Omaha Beach ‘Ready To Go’ After Sunday Work – Baffert Confirms Mucho Gusto, Realm on AE. Jan 23, 2021 Since 2020, the two races run entirely medication free, including Lasix, a commonly used anti-bleeding medication. This year, the winner of the Pegasus World Cup will receive automatic entry into the $20 million Saudi Cup. Both races are for horses aged 4 years and older and are invitation-only. Related: How to watch 2021 Pegasus World Cup.
Post positions were drawn Wednesday for the Saturday event, which runs under different conditions than past renewals. Connections no longer stake a six-figure entry fee — hence the smaller purse — and contenders will run free of race day medication, including Lasix.
RELATED: Pegasus World Cup Turf entries and odds
NBC will broadcast the Pegasus World Cup won in the past by Arrogate (2017), Gun Runner (2018) and City of Light (2019). Here’s a look at the field with morning line odds, trainers and jockey assignments.
1. True Timber, 20-1 (Kiaran McLaughlin/Joe Bravo): Third in three straight graded races in New York, he’s seeking a first stakes win and doesn’t figure to get it here. True Timber ran evenly to be seventh in last year’s Pegasus. A similar effort seems likely Saturday.
2. Tax, 12-1 (Danny Gargan/Jose Ortiz): This gelding ran a sneaky-good second in Aqueduct’s Discovery Stakes (G3) on Nov. 30 to position him for the Pegasus. He beat some of the best in his class in the Jim Dandy (G2) last summer and seems to almost always hang around for a piece.
3. Diamond Oops, 20-1 (Patrick Biancone/Julien Leparoux): No doubt this gelding loves Gulfstream Park with a 5-for-6 record locally, but what about the distance? We don’t have a true gauge, as Diamond Oops stumbled at the break of his prior two-turn dirt try in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
4. Seeking the Soul, 30-1 (Dallas Stewart/John Velazquez): He won one of eight starts in 2019, that being the Stephen Foster (G2) over his favorite track at Churchill Downs. The form that got him a second in this race a year ago may be in the rearview mirror for the 7-year-old, who’s looked a step slower lately.
5. Omaha Beach, 7-5 (Richard Mandella/Mike Smith): The heavy favorite here has had just one hiccup on his way to the Pegasus, that being a foot bruise that shifted his work schedule but now seems behind the newly turned 4-year-old. Here, he’ll have to stretch back to 1 1/8 miles for the first time since April.
6. Higher Power, 6-1 (John Sadler/Flavien Prat): Since breaking out for new connections in the Pacific Classic (G1), he earned a pair of thirds in Grade 1 company out west, but only after stumbling at the start in the Awesome Again and breaking slow in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Wink bingo promo code 2018. If Higher Power can get away cleanly and repeat that Del Mar effort, he holds an upset chance.
7. War Story, 30-1 (Elizabeth Dobles/Joel Rosario): Just when you think this guy’s done, he delivers a winning performance in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) and is on to the Pegasus — for a third time — in a new barn. The 8-year-old no longer looks like a plodder, but rather a mid-pack runner who could get an earlier run on to the board.
8. Mr Freeze, 30-1 (Dale Romans/Luis Saez): The dominant winner of the 2018 West Virginia Derby (G3) hasn’t duplicated that effort, but there have been flickers, namely a victory in the 2019 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs. The thinking here is we haven’t seen his best lately. But can Mr Freeze get back to it?
9. Spun to Run, 7-2 (Jose Guerrero/Javier Castellano): The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner upset Omaha Beach that day, leading gate to wire under Irad Ortiz Jr., who hopped off to ride a Pegasus rival. Since then, Spun to Run chased Maximum Security in a respectable Cigar Mile (G1) runner-up effort.
10. Mucho Gusto, 9-2 (Bob Baffert/Irad Ortiz Jr.): He tailed off when fourth in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) last September but earned a pair of Grade 1 placings previously in the Haskell (G1) and Travers (G1). Better with maturity, Mucho Gusto learned to relax near the pace later in the season. Baffert usually brings them ready to run off the layoff.
11. Tenfold, 30-1 (Steve Asmussen/Tyler Gaffalione): This horse jumps up once in a while to deliver big efforts, such as his wins in the 2018 Jim Dandy (G2) and 2019 Pimlico Special (G3). But we’re past eight months since he’s hit the board. Works haven’t been especially sharp for this spot, either.
12. Bodexpress, 30-1 (Gustavo Delgado/Emisael Jaramillo): Despite moving through conditions with two post-Preakness Stakes victories, antics at the gate may have cost him again in the local Pegasus prep, the Harlan’s Holiday (G3). Surely, though, we haven’t seen his best, if at least he can get the mental side of the game down. He has speed, and he'll need it on a short run to the first turn.
Analysis: It’s tough to win big while playing with the general public, but is there really a scenario where Omaha Beach shouldn’t be keyed up and down your tickets?
You may have to find a way to cash using him with a pair I figure will go overlooked, Higher Power and Tax. Both enter with high ceilings and plenty of time between starts.
Meanwhile, Spun to Run hasn’t stopped in nearly a year — we’ve likely already seen his best — while Mucho Gusto, who also figures to take money, has a bigger prize in mind in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup.
Mr Freeze deserves attention at a price, as other recent results have flattered him. He may not be an exacta player, but if you’re playing the trifecta and superfecta, think of him to round out those wagers.
Playing the horses can be a rewarding but tough game. Exacta, trifectas, superfectas, Pick 4s, Pick 5s -- there are so many wagers to play, it can get overly confusing. How do you know how much to play or which wagers to try? Unfortunately, part of the learning process can include losing money. But we would like to help you shortcut that process by learning some of the most common mistakes that horseplayers make on a daily basis. Take a look at Horse Racing Nation’s newest eBook -- “Top 10 Mistakes Horseplayers Make” -- and see if it helps you avoid some common mistakes and win more playing the races!
Related Pages
Top Stories
6. Higher Power, 6-1 (John Sadler/Flavien Prat): Since breaking out for new connections in the Pacific Classic (G1), he earned a pair of thirds in Grade 1 company out west, but only after stumbling at the start in the Awesome Again and breaking slow in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Wink bingo promo code 2018. If Higher Power can get away cleanly and repeat that Del Mar effort, he holds an upset chance.
7. War Story, 30-1 (Elizabeth Dobles/Joel Rosario): Just when you think this guy’s done, he delivers a winning performance in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) and is on to the Pegasus — for a third time — in a new barn. The 8-year-old no longer looks like a plodder, but rather a mid-pack runner who could get an earlier run on to the board.
8. Mr Freeze, 30-1 (Dale Romans/Luis Saez): The dominant winner of the 2018 West Virginia Derby (G3) hasn’t duplicated that effort, but there have been flickers, namely a victory in the 2019 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs. The thinking here is we haven’t seen his best lately. But can Mr Freeze get back to it?
9. Spun to Run, 7-2 (Jose Guerrero/Javier Castellano): The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner upset Omaha Beach that day, leading gate to wire under Irad Ortiz Jr., who hopped off to ride a Pegasus rival. Since then, Spun to Run chased Maximum Security in a respectable Cigar Mile (G1) runner-up effort.
10. Mucho Gusto, 9-2 (Bob Baffert/Irad Ortiz Jr.): He tailed off when fourth in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) last September but earned a pair of Grade 1 placings previously in the Haskell (G1) and Travers (G1). Better with maturity, Mucho Gusto learned to relax near the pace later in the season. Baffert usually brings them ready to run off the layoff.
11. Tenfold, 30-1 (Steve Asmussen/Tyler Gaffalione): This horse jumps up once in a while to deliver big efforts, such as his wins in the 2018 Jim Dandy (G2) and 2019 Pimlico Special (G3). But we’re past eight months since he’s hit the board. Works haven’t been especially sharp for this spot, either.
12. Bodexpress, 30-1 (Gustavo Delgado/Emisael Jaramillo): Despite moving through conditions with two post-Preakness Stakes victories, antics at the gate may have cost him again in the local Pegasus prep, the Harlan’s Holiday (G3). Surely, though, we haven’t seen his best, if at least he can get the mental side of the game down. He has speed, and he'll need it on a short run to the first turn.
Analysis: It’s tough to win big while playing with the general public, but is there really a scenario where Omaha Beach shouldn’t be keyed up and down your tickets?
You may have to find a way to cash using him with a pair I figure will go overlooked, Higher Power and Tax. Both enter with high ceilings and plenty of time between starts.
Meanwhile, Spun to Run hasn’t stopped in nearly a year — we’ve likely already seen his best — while Mucho Gusto, who also figures to take money, has a bigger prize in mind in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup.
Mr Freeze deserves attention at a price, as other recent results have flattered him. He may not be an exacta player, but if you’re playing the trifecta and superfecta, think of him to round out those wagers.
Playing the horses can be a rewarding but tough game. Exacta, trifectas, superfectas, Pick 4s, Pick 5s -- there are so many wagers to play, it can get overly confusing. How do you know how much to play or which wagers to try? Unfortunately, part of the learning process can include losing money. But we would like to help you shortcut that process by learning some of the most common mistakes that horseplayers make on a daily basis. Take a look at Horse Racing Nation’s newest eBook -- “Top 10 Mistakes Horseplayers Make” -- and see if it helps you avoid some common mistakes and win more playing the races!
Related Pages
Top Stories
Richard Mandella‘s 4-year-old Omaha Beach, with Mike Smith set to ride, opens as the 7-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. (See the rest of the dirt entries, odds and post positions below.)
Omaha Beach won the Arkansas Derby last year to gain entry into the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched due to an entrapped epiglottis. After recovering from surgery, he went on to win the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes in October, took second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November and closed out the year with a win in the G1 Malibu Stakes. This is expected to be his last race.
The dirt field also includes Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Spun to Run and Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto, among others. Seeking the Soul and War Story, both 30-1 longshots, will be running in their third Pegasus World Cup.
Coolmore’s Ireland-based Magic Wand is the early favorite for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf at 7-2. Aidan O’Brien‘s globe-trotting turf queen saw multiple G1 wins on several different continents last year, but she’ll be facing tough competition in Florida. Youngster Mo Forza will look to stay undefeated since breaking his maiden last August, and Chad Brown fields four horses on the turf: Arklow, Instilled Regard, Sacred Life and 4-1 England-based Without Parole. (See the rest of the turf entries, odds and post positions below.)
The 2020 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series will take place on Saturday, January 25 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET. Watch live race coverage and analysis on NBC, NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app.
$3 million Pegasus World Cup post positions and odds:
- True Timber (20-1), trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, jockey Joe Bravo
- Tax (12-1), trainer Danny Gargan, jockey Jose Ortiz
- Diamond Oops (20-1), trainer Patrick Biancone, jockey Julien Leparoux
- Seeking the Soul (30-1), trainer Dallas Stewart, jockey John Velazquez
- Omaha Beach (7-5), trainer Richard Mandella, jockey Mike Smith
- Higher Power (6-1), trainer John Sadler, jockey Flavien Prat
- War Story (30-1), trainer Elizabeth Dobles, jockey Joel Rosario
- Mr Freeze (30-1), trainer Dale Romans, jockey Luis Saez
- Spun to Run (7-2), trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero, jockey Javier Castellano
- Mucho Gusto (9-2), trainer Bob Baffert, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Tenfold (30-1), trainer Steve Asmussen, jockey Tyler Gaffalione
- Bodexpress (30-1), trainer Gustavo Delgado, jockey Emisael Jaramillo
$1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf post positions and odds:
Pegasus Entries 2020 Free
- Zulu Alpha (12-1), trainer Mike Maker, jockey Tyler Gaffalione
- Arklow (6-1), trainer Brad Cox, jockey Luis Saez
- Without Parole (GB) (4-1), trainer Chad Brown, jockey Frankie Dettori
- Sadler’s Joy (8-1), trainer Tom Albertrani, jockey Javier Castellano
- Channel Cat (10-1), trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey John Velazquez
- Instilled Regard (10-1), trainer Chad Brown, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Admission Office (30-1), trainer Brian Lynch, jockey Flavien Prat
- Henley’s Joy (30-1), trainer Mike Maker, jockey Julien Leparoux
- Next Shares (30-1), trainer Richard Baltas, jockey Jose Valdivia Jr.
- Mo Forza (5-1), trainer Peter Miller, jockey Joel Rosario
- Sacred Life (FRA) (12-1), trainer Chad Brown, jockey Jose Ortiz
- Magic Wand (IRE) (7-2), trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore
The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series is a series of two invite-only Grade 1 races held annually at Gulfstream Park since 2017 (originally only offering a dirt race before adding the turf division last year). The $3 million Pegasus World Cup runs 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf runs 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Both races are for horses aged 4 years and older and are invitation-only.
Pegasus Entries 2021
This year, the Stronach Group, which owns Gulfstream Park and heads the Pegasus World Cup, announced major changes to the series. Both races will be run entirely medication free, as part of an industry-wide push for more safety and transparency in horse racing.
Pegasus World Cup Entries 2020
Additionally, all entry fees will be waived as purses drop. Entry fees for the Pegasus have peaked as high as $1 million in past years. The Pegasus World Cup’s purse was dropped from $9 million in 2019 to $3 million this year, and the Pegasus World Cup Turf also saw a $6 million purse decrease from $7 million to $1 million. The Stronach Group also announced that 2 percent of the purses will be donated to caring for retired Thoroughbreds ready to be retrained and rehomed.
Pegasus Cup Entries 2020
Watch the Pegasus World Cup on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app on Saturday, January 25 from 4:30 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET.
