Pegasus World Cup Field Set: Disco Time Favored at 8-5

Unbeaten Disco Time was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite for next Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park, with defending champion White Abarrio the second betting choice at 4-1.

A full field of 12 was entered on Sunday, along with two also-eligibles. While the 10^th running of the Pegasus World Cup does not include most of the star horses from the past year or two, the field seems competitive and should be a nice test for handicappers.

Disco Time is 5-0 for trainer Brad Cox and comes into the 1 1/8-mile race off a 9 ¾-length victory in the four-horse Dwyer Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 8. This will be his first race over the Gulfstream Park track and his first try at a Grade 1.

White Abarrio, meanwhile, is the most accomplished horse in the field, with more than $7.1 million in earnings and four Grade 1 wins, including last year’s Pegasus World Cup and the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). He also loves the track – he's won eight of 10 races at Gulfstream.

Cox also sends out Tappan Street (6-1), who is on the comeback trail after missing nine months with an injury. The 4-year-old was the only horse to beat Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty in 2025 (he won the Florida Derby), and comes into the Pegasus World Cup off an allowance optional claimer win at Gulfstream on Dec. 19.

Saffie Joseph, Jr., who trains White Abarrio, also sends out Skippylongstocking (15-1), the 7-year-old with more than $3.7 million in earnings. “Skippy’’ has run for some of the biggest purses in the world but is still looking for his first Grade 1 win.

Disco Time drew gate 1 and will be ridden by Flavien Prat; Tappan Street leaves from gate 7 under Luis Saez; White Abarrio departs from gate 11 under Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Skippylongstocking from gate 5.

The rest of the field includes Madaket Road (10-1), Mika (10-1); Full Serrano, the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner, at 12-1; Captain Cook (15-1); British Isles (20-1); Banishing (20-1); Poster (20-1); Brother Keny (30-1); and also-eligibles Lightning Tones and Catalytic.

The field underwent several changes since the early invitations were sent out a few weeks ago, with several top contenders withdrawn from consideration, including Bob Baffert-trained Goal Oriented, Bishops Bay, and Rattle N Roll. Baffert, though, trains Madaket Road, so he’s got a chance for a fourth victory in the Pegasus World Cup.

Pegasus World Cup Turf, Filly & Mare Turf favorites

Pegasus World Cup Day also features the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2).

Program Trading, who finished 10^th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the PWC Turf in a field of 12 with one also-eligible. Trained by Chad Brown, Program Trading was jostled at the start and blocked by horses with a furlong to go in the BC Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Cugino is the second choice at 7-2.

Whiskey Decision is the 9-2 morning-line favorite in the PWC Filly & Mare Turf, which drew a field of 12 with two also-eligibles. In Our Time is the 5-1 second choice.

A Closer Look at Pegasus World Cup Contenders

• White Abarrio had a shaky past few months, getting bumped around in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga in August and finishing fourth and then scratched minutes before the start of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar in November. Although he’s finished fourth in his last three races, he’s the most accomplished horse in the field with four Grade 1 wins.

• Skippylongstocking is set for a fourth appearance in the Pegasus World Cup – he was seventh in 2023, DNF in 2024, and third in 2025. He’s 4-for-12 at Gulfstream but won his last time out, taking the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3) by a head over Poster on Dec. 20.
  
  
• Banishing, a 6-year-old gelding, is making his 26^th career start. He’s won nine times, including the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) in August. Trained by David Jacobson, Banishing ran 12^th in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in November (Chad Summers was the trainer of record for that race) and finished second in the Ring the Bell Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 13, with Jacobson the listed trainer.

• Captain Cook is now in the capable hands of trainer Todd Pletcher. He looks to improve on a pair of runner-up finishes for the Hall of Fame conditioner. He ran second in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga, and most recently was beaten handily by Barnes in the Perryville Stakes (G3) at Keeneland in October.

• Full Serrano had his breakthrough win in 2024 in the BC Dirt Mile at 13-1 odds. Since then, the now 7-year-old Argentina bred went 1-for-3 in 2025, most recently running fifth in the BC Dirt Mile for trainer John Sadler.

• Brotha Keny needs seven starts to break his maiden while racing in Kentucky and Indiana. He finished third in the Indiana Derby (G3) and the West Virginia Derby (G3) this past summer and won the Zia Park Derby in New Mexico in November.

• British Isles and Mika are among the last-minute entries; British Isles, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Richard Baltas, and Mika, a 4-year-old colt trained by Mike Maker.

Winner Clinches Berth in Breeders’ Cup Classic

This may not be the most stirring field for a race with a $3 million purse, but it sure seems like bettors have a good chance to cash in if a few longshots can hit the board.

And ... for the first time, the winner of the Pegasus World Cup earns a fee-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.

Notes: Tappan Street and Disco Time both worked 5 furlongs Sunday at Payson Park; Tappan Street worked 1:01.60; Disco Time went 1:01.80 ... Madaket Road worked 5 furlongs in 59.20 at Sant Anita ... Full Serrano worked the same distance in 59.80 for trainer John Sadler ... British Isles breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 ... At Gulfstream, Cigar Mile (G2) runner-up Mika worked 5 furlongs in 59.22 ... Brotha Keny worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.05 at Palm Meadows.

The Field for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:

1. Disco Time (Flavian Prat Brad Cox), 8-5
2. British Isles (Diego Herrera, Richard Baltas), 20-1
3. Full Serrano (Joel Rosario, John Sadler), 12-1
4. Banishing (Jose Ortiz, David Jacobson), 20-1
5. Skippylongstocking (Tyle Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 15-1
6. Madaket Road (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert), 10-1
7. Tappan Street (Luis Saez, Brad Cox), 6-1
8. Poster (Junior Alvarez, Eoin Harty), 20-1
9. Captain Cook (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher) 15-1
10. Mika (Manny Franco, Mike Maker), 10-1
11. White Abarrio (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 4-1
12. Brotha Keny (Javier Castellano), 30-1

Also-eligibles

• Lightning Tones, Catalytic

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Richard Rosenblatt

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.