Pegasus World Cup Betting 2024

By TVG Staff
Updated January 26, 2024

The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) happens on Saturday, January 27, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The first major handicap race of the winter season, horses who run well in the Pegasus often continue to be factors in middle-distance and even Classic-distance dirt races through the season. The rest of the Gulfstream card is a blockbuster as well: it features seven stakes races, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf (G2). With big fields and competitive groups all day, it is one of the most exciting betting days of the year!

The field of Pegasus World Cup contenders has been drawn. It is an overflow field, with twelve invitees in the main field and one on the also-eligible list. The big field means it will be a lucrative betting opportunity. So, keep reading, get to know your wagering options, and get ready to bet like the pros on the winter’s most exciting day of horse racing!

Pegasus World Cup Betting Strategies

There are many betting angles to watch in this year's Pegasus before you make a wager. Those angles include the class of the horses: some of the entrants are familiar faces in Grade 1 races, while others more typically contest races at lower levels. Pay attention to how well they do at the 1 ⅛-mile distance of the Pegasus World Cup, as well as which horses are proven on the Gulfstream Park dirt course.

The way the Gulfstream Park track is playing during the meet will also be important before placing a wager. Look for horses that have natural early speed, as speed always plays well at Gulfstream Park. Look for those who draw inside the field, as well, since it is difficult to win at Gulfstream Park when breaking from the far outside gates in a two-turn race. Once you have your betting strategy in place, and have selected a few top contenders to wager on, that is when you need to choose which types of bets you will use.

What Bets Can I Place on the Pegasus?

Numerous wagers are offered to everybody who bets the Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, with most regular horseplayers electing to keep things simple and betting their horses on the nose with win bets. As long as you think your horse can score and is offering good value in the betting markets, then you could do a lot worse than simply bet to win.

If you would much rather have a little back-up, then you can opt for a potentially smaller payoff but have some insurance by betting your horse to place or show at the Pegasus World Cup. Placing means your horse needs to finish in the first two at the wire, while show means it must finish in the first three.

You may be feeling extravagant and confident, however, and if so, an exacta wager could be for you. Predicting the first two (exacta), the first three (trifecta) or even the first four (superfecta) past the wire is obviously not simple, but it can lead to major payouts if betting luck is on your side!

Aside from these choices, even more bet types are available from Future Wagering to the Pick 6, so looking at your choices and deciding what type of bet to place on the Pegasus can be as much fun as making your picks. Multi-race wagers from the Daily Double on out to the Pick 6 can be difficult to hit, but can produce life-changing scores. So, if you have strong opinions on races like the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1), or any of the other races on the card, these may be your best option at the windows.

Why Wager on the Pegasus World Cup?

It must be said that you don't have to wager to enjoy thoroughbred racing, but betting on the sport is one of the world's oldest pastimes, and gives the gambler a chance to take part in something great even for those who don’t breed, own, train, or ride horses. Betting on horse racing is so much more intensive than simply picking a favorite color or jockey, although that can be another way of participating! It can be as difficult or as complicated as you'd like, with mathematical strategies, past performances, and track biases all part of the betting equation.

The adrenaline kick as the field turns for the stretch is like nothing else, especially when you have a stake in the race. Betting the race gives you that stake! Being able to feel this rush and contribute to the sport is more accessible than ever thanks to the internet. If you can’t stand trackside at Gulfstream Park on January 29, you can still be part of the action by watching and betting online live with TVG!

Bet Types

Numerous wager types will be on offer on the big day. Here are some of the main ones to choose from for your betting consideration:

Basic Wagers

Win- Your chosen horse must win outright.

Place- Your horse must be in the first two to win the bet.

Show- Your horse must be in the first three past the wire.

Single-Race Exotics

Exacta- Your two nominated horses must finish 1st and 2nd in the right order.

Quinella- Bet the first two finishers in either order—this will pay off less than the exacta, but requires less risk since horses can finish in either order.

Trifecta- Predict the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd past the post in the right order.

Superfecta- Predict the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th at the wire in the right order.

Multi-Race Exotics

Daily Double- Bet the winners of two consecutive races to get a payoff.

Pick 3- Bet the winners of three consecutive races.

Pick 4- Bet the winners of four consecutive races.

Pick 5- Bet the winners of five consecutive races.

Pick 6- Bet the winners of six consecutive races.

Payouts on these wagers will change depending on how much money is in the overall pari-mutuel pool along with the implied degree of difficulty, i.e., it is more difficult to pick the winner than it is to pick one to finish anywhere in the first three.

Placing Your Bets

Wagering makes it feel as though your chosen horse is running for you, not just for the owner, trainer, and jockey. Betting is a great way to take your engagement on the Pegasus World Cup to the next level, so make sure you check out more of our cup wagering info here at TVG.

Choosing Your Pegasus World Cup Bets

Betting on the Pegasus World Cup is for everyone, not just for professional handicappers. While you can read the racing form, check out work times, and take note of preferred conditions for each horse, the easiest thing to do is check-in with us at TVG for up-to-the-minute information on every contender of the Pegasus World Cup, from now through post time.

The first two winners of the Pegasus World Cup—Arrogate and Gun Runner—went off as favorite. The next two winners—City of Light and Mucho Gusto—were second choice in the wagering. The fifth and sixth winners—Knicks Go and Life Is Good—were both the top betting choices. However, that trend went up in smoke in 2023: the seventh winner, Art Collector, was a 15-1 betting long shot despite his sparkling back class.

Though shorter-priced horses still make up most of the winners, it is always worth keeping up to cup date on the contenders and making a wager if you truly think a longer shot has a better chance to win than their odds suggest. After all, Art Collector proved it can be done, and even in chalkier years long shots have graced the trifecta and superfecta.

Check out our Pegasus World Cup contenders page regularly to see who is in with a shot of landing this huge prize.

Key Pegasus World Cup Prep Races

As long as a horse is at least four years old (or three, in the Southern Hemisphere), they can be under consideration to be invited to the Pegasus World Cup. In the first two years of this race, not too many milers were stepping up to the nine-furlong challenge, but after Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero City of Light won in style in 2019 and Knicks Go followed in 2021, this race is now on the calendar for milers as well as the Classic-division stars. 2022 winner Life Is Good continued that miler trend, though 2023 star Art Collector proved that horses who liked to go a little longer than that still had a good shot in the Pegasus. In fact, Art Collector may be the best example yet of the idea that a horse who does his best work at 1 ⅛ miles could score the most lucrative payday of his career in the Pegasus World Cup.

With both speed and stamina needed, results of the races below are historically important when deciding who has a chance in the Pegasus World Cup:

Dubai World Cup (1 1/4 miles, Meydan, March)

Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 miles, Churchill Downs, May)

Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 miles, Pimlico, May)

Stephen Foster Handicap (1 1/8 miles, Churchill Downs, June)

TVG Haskell Invitational (1 1/8 miles, Monmouth, July)

Whitney Stakes (1 1/8 miles, Saratoga, August)

Travers Stakes (1 1/4 miles, Saratoga, August)

TVG Pacific Classic (1 1/4 miles, Del Mar, August)

Awesome Again Stakes (1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita, September)

Woodward Stakes (1 1/8 miles, Saratoga, September)

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (1 mile, various, November)

Breeders’ Cup Classic (1 1/4 miles, various, November)