There are actually two Pegasus World Cup events on Saturday. The first, is the eleventh race of the day, and it is the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and the purse is $1 million. The second is the twelfth race on the card and is $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational run on the dirt track.
The Pegasus World Cup is a huge day in horse racing. It is the unofficial kickoff of the 2021 racing season. From here we will go into Kentucky Derby prep races and then, of course, the Triple Crown races of the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. Then we head to Saratoga, Del Mar, and the Breeders’ Cup. But first, it all starts with the Pegasus at sunny Gulfstream Park down in South Florida. The Pegasus is not just the kickoff event for the racing year, no, it is a major race, with a huge purse attached to it.
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Pegasus Races Become Automatic Qualifiers for Saudi Cup
Since the 2017 inaugural event, the Pegasus World Cup has become a premier event on the international Thoroughbred racing calendar and has been seen by millions of fans around the world. Adding to the excitement of this year’s event, the winner of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) will receive an automatic spot in the $20 million Saudi Cup.
The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Oct. 23 named four races as “Win and You’re In” events for the second Saudi Cup program, slated for Feb. 19-20, 2021, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
The “Road to Riyadh” includes the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23 and the Champions Cup (G1) at Chukyo Racecourse in Japan Dec. 6 as qualifiers for the $20 million Saudi Cup.
$1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational
The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) becomes an entry to the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Cup, and the Capella Stakes (G3) on the dirt at Nakayama Racecourse Dec. 13 is a ticket to the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Last year’s Pegasus World Cup winner, Mucho Gusto, finished fourth in the Saudi Cup. The Bob Baffert trainee, currently breezing at Los Alamitos Race Course, is pointed toward the same races in 2021.
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$3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Odds
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Miriam Lee has always been a horse racing fan thanks to trips to the tracks in her home state of Maryland with her father as kid. She owns an OTTB and is an advocate for promoting the sport among her peers. Miriam studies communication arts at Hood College and will receive her master’s degree in 2021, which she plans to use for a career in screenwriting. Her all-time favorite racehorse is Man O War.
