Pegasus World Cup Field, Odds And 2025 Race Day Picks At Gulfstream

Posted by author January 23, 2025 Horse Racing

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Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides Atone, left, on the way to winning the Pegasus World Cup Turf … [+] Invitational horse race, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The first big racing day of 2025 is Saturday, Jan. 25 and features the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park. South Florida’s leading luxury sports and lifestyle event of the year has helped energize and modernize the sport of horse racing for a new generation of fans. Now in it’s ninth year, the Pegasus World Cup sets the stage with track announcer Pete Aiello calling the race for NBC Sports. Coverage of the two biggest races on NBC including the Pegasus World Cup Turf starts at 4:30 p.m. ET for races 12 and 13, and the broadcast will also stream live on Peacock.

Both Grade 1 races are for older horses at 1 1/8 miles, and Pegasus World Cup day features seven graded stakes on the 13 race card as the biggest racing day of the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet ahead of the March 29 Florida Derby.

Pegasus World Cup Invitational Field and Odds

With pari-mutuel wagering, the odds are not fixed and rather are determined by the amount bet on each number and horse. The opening odds change on race day as bets are placed, so there is an opportunity to leverage your opinion against the odds.

Understanding parimutuel odds and payouts

The FanDuelTV Network will also broadcast all the Pegasus World Cup day races with sister channel FanDuel Racing providing coverage from other race tracks plus a collection of promotions, tips and helpful content and picks through FanDuel Research. It’s all part of the coverage to get you out of the gate and into the winners circle for the biggest racing days and events including the Pegasus World Cup.

In addition, FanDuelTV will broadcast the 54^th annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards from The Breakers Palm Beach on Thursday, Jan. 23, starting with a red carpet show at 6:30 p.m. ET and then the awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m. ET.

FanDuel Racing also offers money back specials, like win bet insurance if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd in the Pegasus World Cup, Pegasus World Cup Turf or any of Saturday’s races at Gulfstream Park.

Check out the video for Pegasus World Cup race preview and more.

The list of Pegasus World Cup winners shows more favorites crossing the finish line first, but 2023 saw longshot Art Collector payoff more for bettors as the oldest horse (age 6) to win the race.

2024 – National Treasure (5/2)
2023 – Art Collector (15/1)
2022 – Life is Good (4/5)
2021 – Knicks Go (7/5)
2020 – Mucho Gusto (7/2)
2019 – City of Light (2/1)
2018 – Gun Runner (6/5)
2017 – Arrogate (4/5)

Trainer Bob Baffert has won this race three times (2024, 2020, 2017), but has no horses running this year. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. is a two-time winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (2022, 2020).

Pegasus World Cup Turf Field and Odds

Multiple Group-1 and graded stakes winning runner Nations Pride races for the first time at Gulfstream. He heads a full field having won 10-of-19 starts including the Arlington Million last summer.

Pegasus World Cup Day Picks

I turned to some of the FanDuel Racing analysts for their Pegasus World Cup insight, and America’s Best Racing for additional racing picks and tips on on the biggest races Saturday at Gulfstream. Top win contenders are provided, and additional value plays, longshots along with more race details and analysis is available in the the ABR cheat sheet.

How bet types work and bet horse racing on your phone

Race 13 – $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational

Locked (5/2)
Saudi Crown (9/2)
Skippylongstocking (10/1)
White Abarrio (3/1)

Locked (5/2) raced just two times last year for trainer Todd Pletcher, and won the Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct in December. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez rides the son of the great Gun Runner and brother of Sierra Leone, both Breeders’ Cup Classic champions. Locked was the race favorite and posted his fastest-ever speed figure in the Cigar Mile. He was injured last year which kept him off the Kentucky Derby Trail, and handicappers and race analysts love this horses talent, but not the far outside draw with the short run to the first turn.

The front-running galloping gray Saudi Crown (9/2) failed to fire in last Nov. Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, but he won races on either side of the BC race. At his best, trainer Brad Cox likes his chances, as he won two of his first four graded stakes starts with a pair of runner-up finishes as well.

White Abarrio (3/1) is another gray horse to watch who won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Clasic. He’s back in the care of original trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. with top jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding. “His wins in the 2023 Whitney Stakes and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic tower over the best efforts from most of the other Pegasus contenders,” America’s Best Racing notes, and “he showed tantalizing glimpses of returning to that level in his two lead-in races to Saturday’s Pegasus.”

Pletcher’s other runner in the Pegasus World Cup is Crupi (15/1), a son of the great Curlin who finished 3rd in this race last year but has won just 1-of-6 starts since. He’s a one-dimensional closer who may not get the needed speed on the lead to catch the top runners down the stretch.

Stronghold (10/1) ships in from California having won last year’s Santa Anita Derby (G1) at this same 1 1/8 mile distance. ABR says he’s “an intriguing longshot in the Pegasus as he’s only finished worse than second once in 10 starts.”

Mystik Dan (8/1) won last year’s Kentucky Derby as a 18/1 longshot, but has not won since in three starts with a best 2nd place finish in the Preakness.

Skippylongstocking (10/1) is clearly capable of contending and hitting the board running around two turns at his preferred distance for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. He’s won 5 times with four other in the money finishes in 13 starts at the distance, but not last year’s Pegasus when he pulled up and did not finish the race.

Race 12 – $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf

Nations Pride (2/1)
Integration (3/1)
Major Dude (6/1)
Win for the Money (12/1)

The Pegasus World Cup Turf includes 3-time North America Grade 1 winner Nations Pride (2/1) as the favorite and clear win contender. He won last summer’s Arlington Million for trainer Charlie Appleby, beating runner-up Integration (3/1), who finished 5th in this race last year as the favoritef for trainer Shug McGaughey. Longshot Battle of Normandy (20/1) is also entered for McGaughey with four straight wins (one graded stakes).

Major Dude (6/1) won the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale last out in December for his 7th win in 18 starts while posting his fastest-ever speed figure in a tight finish. He’s 2-for-2 in graded stakes starts at Gulfstream for trainer Todd Pletcher, who has jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding again.

Win for the Money (12/1) is a live longshot, according to America’s Best Racing. He won last year’s Woodbine Mile and was part of a recent three-way win photo in the Ft. Lauderdale, winding up third after chasing the pace.

Gulfstream Track Announcer

In the Sport of Kings, races aren’t made just by the animals that run them, but by the voices that call them. One of the very best track announcers is Pete Aiello – a favorite at Gulfstream Park. I met Pete at the 2023 Breeders Cup World Championships at Santa Anita. The South Florida native called a few Breeders’ Cup races that day, and he’ll be back home at Gulfstream providing fans a great racing experience calling the Pegasus World Cup Day races.

You can bet on it.