Pegasus finds its place among industry’s top-bet events
Photo:
Carlos Calo / Eclipse Sportswire
The real story of the Pegasus World Cup’s handle growth is not in the eight years covered by this chart, but in the eight years preceding it.
Formerly known as the Donn Handicap, the reimagined Pegasus, which includes a star-studded on-track experience to complement the blockbuster card of racing, has averaged an average of $42.1 million from 2017 to 2024, its first eight years of existence. The Donn did an average of $15.8 million in its final eight years, 2009 to 2016.
Average total handle @GulfstreamPark
2009-2016 Donn Handicap day: $15.8-million
2017-2024 @PegasusWorldCup day: $42.1-million pic.twitter.com/AiQQJVuXe6
— Ed DeRosa (@EJXD2) January 20, 2025
Looking at the top 12 events from 2024 and the trajectory from 2017, when Pegasus began, three race dates at Saratoga broke on to the list last year: Belmont Stakes eve, Jim Dandy and Alabama days. The power of Saratoga was on full display with the Belmont Stakes eve handle explosion, as there were some years it was not even in the top 20.
Other than a couple of jumps for the Belmont for Justify’s Triple Crown in 2018 and the move to Saratoga in 2024, no event has shown nearly the growth that the Kentucky Derby has.
The Breeders’ Cup, in particular, has looked to pattern its Friday-Saturday programs off the Kentucky Oaks-Derby, but neither of the Breeders’ Cup days’ trend lines could be described as anything but flat And although the Oaks has remained flat from 2022 to 2024, it now is firmly established as the fifth-most bet day of the year to overtake either Travers or Breeders’ Cup Friday in that regard.
| Event | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derby | $209,156,729 | $225,586,067 | $246,717,013 | $128,252,246 | $233,114,923 | $265,468,959 | $282,528,405 | $310,311,017 |
| Belmont | $93,673,257 | $137,975,292 | $102,180,037 | $67,765,392 | $112,725,276 | $98,772,795 | $118,309,762 | $125,766,186 |
| BC Saturday | $113,803,606 | $105,029,972 | $118,057,709 | $110,201,055 | $120,683,350 | $122,611,826 | $114,145,773 | $115,745,623 |
| Preakness | $97,981,906 | $93,686,097 | $100,683,929 | $50,380,967 | $111,051,916 | $103,436,961 | $101,268,451 | $100,030,448 |
| Oaks | $48,823,802 | $55,791,281 | $60,111,249 | $31,468,404 | $54,267,782 | $74,653,291 | $74,912,485 | $75,328,791 |
| Travers | $47,874,386 | $52,089,970 | $52,139,988 | $39,469,334 | $51,554,341 | $55,562,902 | $50,587,114 | $62,951,184 |
| BC Friday | $52,273,881 | $52,160,642 | $56,537,320 | $50,287,613 | $61,696,894 | $66,109,753 | $62,150,864 | $62,944,374 |
| Pegasus | $40,219,272 | $41,986,614 | $37,791,354 | $41,899,282 | $40,718,272 | $43,882,016 | $43,892,572 | $47,076,610 |
| Belmont eve | $20,833,144 | $20,866,849 | $20,006,944 | $12,492,254 | $19,447,261 | $21,630,244 | $26,080,012 | $38,584,638 |
| Jim Dandy | $27,715,808 | $23,957,288 | $29,325,102 | $35,843,780 | $31,900,792 | $33,619,664 | $32,206,816 | $37,255,894 |
| Alabama | $24,033,897 | $22,230,692 | $25,263,739 | $28,974,085 | $24,906,454 | $31,984,314 | $31,242,779 | $34,046,686 |
| Florida Derby | $30,616,524 | $49,989,651 | $47,521,606 | $53,841,165 | $41,901,800 | $37,314,640 | $38,049,743 | $33,727,084 |
The ninth Pegasus is Saturday at Gulfstream Park, and with a 13-race card and competitive marquee events, this could be the year it breaks the $50 million barrier.
Related
Derby works: Journalism has 1st drill since Los Al Futurity…
Photo: Jon Putman / Eclipse Sportswire Journalism, the co-second choice this week in Las Vegas futures for Kentucky Derby 2025 at 18-1
Facteur Cheval Aims for History in Al Maktoum Challenge
It will be quite the achievement if Facteur Cheval can land the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1) Jan. 24 at Meydan. Having won the Dubai Turf (G1T) last March,
Southwest: Render Judgment will be scratched with foot issue
Photo: Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire Render Judgment will be scratched from Saturday's Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn because of a fo
Oklahoma Sire Blueskiesnrainbows Dies at 16
Regional sire and multiple graded stakes winner Blueskiesnrainbows died last week due to complications from colic, according to Bad Boy Racing and Whizwa
