Photo:

Carlos Calo / Eclipse Sportswire

Gulfstream Park announced estimates for its key Pick 5 and Pick 4 pools on Pegasus World Cup day. 

The racing card will consist of 13 races, starting at 11 a.m. EST. Post time for the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles is 5:40 p.m. EST. 

Gulfstream estimates the early Pick 5, covering races 1-5, to have a pool of $1.25 million, and the late Pick 5, on races 9-13, is estimated to have a pool nearing $2.5 million. Looking at last year’s pool sizes and this year’s field sizes, these estimates should be close. 

Here is a chart of last year’s pool numbers and this year’s estimates. 

Overall Pegasus day handle has grown steadily the last three years, reaching $47 million in 2024. This year’s card has drawn an average of 12.8 horses per race with also-eligibles included. Taking the also-eligibles out of the equation, there are 11.1 horses entered per race before scratches. 

Going back 15 years, we can see how Pegasus World Cup day jumped handle the first year in 2017, greatly exceeding previous levels from Donn Handicap day.