The first older-horse dirt feature of the year happens this weekend: the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park, on Saturday, January 27! The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race offers a colossal $3 million purse and it drew an overflow field: 12 horses in the main field, plus one also-eligible entrant. This race is not only a great preview of the handicap division, but one of the most exciting betting events of the winter!
Being run for the eighth time this year, the Pegasus World Cup is named after the colossal Pegasus and Dragon statue at Gulfstream Park. In its short history, stars like Arrogate, Gun Runner, Knicks Go, and Life Is Good have all won the race.
Who will join this list in 2024? Read on to find out, and to see the best places to bet horse racing online!
Pegasus World Cup Field
This is the official field for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
- Nimitz Class (George Weaver/Edgard Zayas) - 20/1
- O’Connor (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Paco Lopez) - 8/1
- Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 15/1
- Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart/John Velazquez) - 12/1
- Trademark (Victoria Oliver/Fernando de la Cruz) - 15/1
- Senor Buscador (Todd Fincher/Junior Alvarado) - 20/1
- National Treasure (Bob Baffert/Flavien Prat) - 9/5
- First Mission (Brad Cox/Luis Saez) - 7/2
- Grand Aspen (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz) - 8/1
- Il Miracolo (Antonio Sano/Javier Castellano) - 20/1
- Crupi (Todd Pletcher/Frankie Dettori) - 20/1
- Skippylongstocking (Saffie Joseph/Tyler Gaffalione) - 8/1
- Castle Chaos (Robert Falcone, Jr./Tyler Gaffalione) - ALSO ELIGIBLE
Note that Castle Chaos will not race unless a horse scratches from the main field before the Saturday-morning deadline. Gulfstream Park did not assign morning-line odds for Castle Chaos.
Keep in mind that the morning line is not a guaranteed price on each horse, but rather the Gulfstream handicapper’s guess about how the tote board will look come post time. On-track odds shift until the gates fly open. Your best bet is to play the Pegasus World Cup online. Online sportsbooks allow you to lock in your odds on major races, meaning you can be confident on what you’ll win!
Pegasus World Cup odds at all of the top online sportsbooks for horses at the top of the market are featured below:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Treasure | +135 | +180 | +180 |
| First Mission | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Trademark | +900 | +900 | +700 |
| Grand Aspen | +1200 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Hoist the Gold | +1200 | +1200 | +900 |
| O'Connor | +1200 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Skippylongstocking | +1200 | +1400 | +1400 |
Pegasus World Cup Online Betting
To get in on these great Pegasus World Cup odds, all you need to do is sign up for an online sportsbook. There are many options, but we are here to make the choice easy. Our expert reviews make it easy to know your options and find the best place for you to bet the Pegasus World Cup online.
All of our recommended sites offer the basics: a smooth user interface, trusted money management, and real Vegas odds. Each one also provides great bonuses and incentives like referral offers, sign-up and deposit bonuses, and horse racing rebates. Taking a few minutes now to find out the best ones for your betting style can earn you hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Pegasus World Cup Handicapping
You have your betting account set up, so now it’s time to move on to the even more fun part: meeting the field and picking a winner of the 2024 Pegasus World Cup!
Pegasus World Cup Favorites
National Treasure will be the heavy favorite in the Pegasus World Cup, both because of his early speed and because of his strong performance in the traditionally live Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, though there are reasons to ask questions. He has never been the most consistent horse, and he does not tend to find his best off a layoff. At such a short price, be skeptical.
First Mission cedes experience but is going the right way. Though he missed the Preakness and his entire three-year-old summer, he came back in the fall looking better than ever, winning an allowance and just missing in the Clark (G2). If he can get his customary stalking style instead of fighting almost every step as he did in the Clark, he has a strong chance for Pegasus glory.
Pegasus World Cup Mid-priced Horse
Skippylongstocking has to overcome a difficult outside post. However, there are many other things to like about him at a good middle price. He has tactical speed and he is well proven over the surface at Gulfstream. Although he underperformed in this race last year, he has more experience under his girth this time around and should be better suited to handle this class of racing.
Pegasus World Cup Exotics Horses
Hoist the Gold is stretching out from sprint races, and still has to prove he can get the mile and an eighth. However, his pedigree makes him interesting at the trip. His running style also makes him interesting to run one of his better efforts at Gulfstream: he has real sprint speed but can win if he is stalking or even fighting, meaning he should be able to carve out the right trip at a big price.
Closers do not typically win at Gulfstream unless the pace falls apart, but expect Senor Buscador to make a smart late run for the exotics no matter what. He is a class-proven horse who can travel all over the country and bring his race anywhere, and can do so at this distance. Especially in deeper exotic wagers, depend on him to come pick up the pieces.
Free Pegasus World Cup Picks
These are your free expert picks for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup:
- $20 to win - #8 First Mission
- $5 to win/place - #4 Hoist the Gold
- $1 exacta key - #8 First Mission with #4 Hoist the Gold, #12 Skippylongstocking
- $0.50 trifecta key - #8 First Mission with #4 Hoist the Gold, #6 Senor Buscador, #12 Skippylongstocking
- $0.20 superfecta key - #8 First Mission with #4 Hoist the Gold, #6 Senor Buscador, #7 National Treasure, #12 Skippylongstocking
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