While the field for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) is still taking shape, bettors and racing fans are gearing up for one of the leading luxury sports events in South Florida.
Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida is Saturday, Jan. 24. The card is packed with 10 stakes races, including seven graded stakes with the Pegasus World Cup as the centerpiece.
Now in its’ 10th year, Pegasus World Cup Day is a betting bonanza for horseplayers seeking big payoffs in picking winners from competitive fields featuring some of the world’s top horses beginning their 2026 campaigns.
It’s also the first huge-purse event that can lead to bigger and better things such as the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in February, the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in March, and eventually the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland.
A year ago, Pegasus World Cup Day generated $41.7 million in wagers on the 13-race program, including more than $7 million on the Pegasus World Cup itself, a 5% increase over 2024.
The other top graded states on the day included the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2).
And, it should be noted that for the first time, the winner of the Pegasus World Cup will earn a fees-paid, automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic as part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ Challenge Series, yet another incentive for owners and trainers planning out their horses’ campaigns.
The early nominations were announced Jan. 2 and White Abarrio, the 2025 winner, is back to go for two in a row for Florida-based trainer Saffie Jospeh, Jr. The striking 7-year-old gray has earned more than $7.1 million in his 24-race career, including a win in the 2024 BC Classic.
Since the post-position draw isn’t until Jan. 18, there’s already been some changes, with a probable field of 10. Banishing, trained by David Jacobson, is a new edition after Bishops Bay was withdrawn from consideration by trainer Brad Cox. Also no longer under consideration are Rattle N Roll and Chunk of Gold.
White Abarrio won’t be the only Breeders’ Cup race winner in the field. Also probable is Full Serrano, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
While White Abarrio has been training steadily for this race at his home track, there are questions: He was a veterinarian scratch minutes before the 2025 BC Dirt Mile and then scratched from the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) to train up to the Pegasus.
In fact, White Abarrio has not raced since the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 31, when he was unplaced in a race that involved several horses being bumped, and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., unseated from his horse, Mindframe.
The 7-year-old Full Serrano won the BC Dirt Mile at 13-1 odds, but in 2025 he was 1-for-3, winning an allowance race, running second in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) and fifth in the 2025 BC Dirt Mile.
A bunch of 4-year-olds invited could be ready to step into the winner’s circle, too. Among them are graded stakes winners Captain Cook (2025 Withers Stakes); unbeaten Disco Time (2025 Lecomte Stakes), Goal Oriented (2025 Malibu Stakes), Poster (2024 Remsen Stakes) and Tappan Street (2025 Florida Derby).
Goal Oriented is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has won the Pegasus three times. The Not This Time colt ran fourth, third, third, and fifth, respectively, in the Preakness Stakes (G1), Haskell Stakes (G1), Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and BC Dirt Mile (G1) before his breakthrough in the Malibu on Dec. 28.
Disco Time is 5-0, including three in a row in stakes races, for trainer Brad Cox. He won the Dwyer by 9¾ lengths at Aqueduct on Nov. 8. Tappan Street, also trained by Cox, won an allowance race at Gulfstream on Dec. 18. It was the colt’s first start since defeating Sovereignty in the Florida Derby (G1), the only loss suffered in 2025 by the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner.
Others in the field include 7-year-old Skippylongstocking, also trained by Joseph, and Touchuponastar.
Several Pegasus World Cup contenders posted workouts on Friday in South Florida, including Captain Cook for trainer Todd Pletcher (he’ll also send out Major Dude in the Pegasus World Cup Turf). Captain Cook worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.65 at Palm Beach Downs ... Unbeaten Disco Time worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 at Payson Park ... Skippylongstocking worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.65 at Palm Meadows as he preps to run in the Pegasus for the fourth time.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
