Pegasus World Cup 2025 Contenders
By TVG Staff
Updated January 19, 2025
The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the first major handicap division race of the winter season in the United States, happens on Saturday, January 25, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The race covers 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt course, a middle distance that always draws a mix of milers, true nine-furlong runners, and even classic-distance runners on the cutback. With a mix of proven handicap-division stars and younger horses trying to make it at the top level, the race is exciting for fans and bettors alike.
The card features seven stakes, including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) for older handicap horses, the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) for older grass runners, and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf (G3) for older grass females. The day always provides a preview of the leaders, especially in horse racing divisions for runners aged 4 and over, for the rest of the year.
Key Pegasus World Cup Contenders
The final field for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup was drawn on Sunday, January 19. A full field of 12 were entered, as many as are allowed in the starting gate for this horse race. Keep reading to learn about the contenders, the form they bring to the races, and reasons why they will be strong contenders—or, on the other hand, underlays—in the first major handicap-division race of the year.
Post 1: Mixto (trainer: Doug O’Neill jockey: Frankie Dettori owner: Calumet Farm) - 10-1
He spent most of 2024 nibbling at the graded-stakes ranks, then had a breakthrough victory in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar in August. He regressed with an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, though he jumped back into some solid form with a close third behind Skinner in the Native Diver (G3) on November 23. The Native Diver is a 1 ⅛-mile race, same as the Pegasus, and his early speed will be a plus. But, he hasn’t been the most consistent, he is drawn directly inside likely speed-of-the-speed Saudi Crown, and he will be leaving California for a race for the first time.
Post 2: Saudi Crown (trainer: Brad Cox jockey: Florent Geroux owner: FMQ Stables) - 9-2
The name of the game for Saudi Crown is speed. If he is on the lead—or even near it, as he was last out when he won the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds—he’ll have a good day. If he isn’t, like when he finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year, he is done. Post draw day went pretty well for him: though he will have to deal with a lot of traffic outside him, he may well be faster than the rest and an inside post is better than an outside post in a route race at Gulfstream. Given how well this track plays to speed, too, he has a good chance to give trainer Brad Cox his second Pegasus win.
Post 3: Newgrange (trainer: Jose D’Angelo jockey: Emisael Jaramillo owner: Rockingham Ranch, David A. Bernsen, and Little Red Feather Racing) - 20-1
Racing out west since his juvenile season in 2021, he has been a perfectly solid Grade 2, Grade 3 type his entire career but has yet to break through at the top level. To his credit, both his top-level tries have come at 1 ¼ miles, whereas he is a two-time Grade 2 winner at 1 ⅛ miles, the Pegasus distance. He has some interesting wild card potential for new trainer Jose D’Angelo if he can tap into his tactical speed; that will be key, as he will probably not outgun Saudi Crown, directly to his inside, to the lead.
Post 4: White Abarrio (trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr. jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. owner: C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano) - 3-1
White Abarrio went on a tear in 2023: he hit the board in the Met Mile (G1), stretched out to win the Whitney (G1), and then win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. However, he went on the shelf after off-the-board finishes in the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Met Mile in 2024. His return has been promising: he won an allowance at Gulfstream on November 22 as easily as a horse of his quality should have, and then second was as well as he was going to do in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3), coming from last against a modest pace. Watch the price, though the extra distance, this cozy post draw, and a better start can help.
Post 5: Crupi (trainer: Todd Pletcher jockey: Luis Saez owner: ADD OWNER) - 15-1
Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Pegasus World Cup once already with Life Is Good in 2022. Pletcher is expected to have two in the 2025 edition, with Crupi the second-stringer. Though Crupi has only won once at the graded level, this late runner has made a career and over a million dollars) from mostly clunking up for underneath shares in major races. In fact, he rallied from last to nab third behind National Treasure in the 2024 edition of the Pegasus World Cup. If he comes back in similar form and gets some sharp pace in front of him, his best may get another piece.
Post 6: Stronghold (trainer: Phil D’Amato jockey: Antonio Fresu owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable) - 10-1
He didn’t win any of the classics in 2024, but he was still one of the classiest and most consistent of the three-year-olds. This Phil D’Amato charge did win the Santa Anita Derby (G1), giving him a top-level win at the same distance as the Pegasus World Cup. And, he is in good enough form that even turning back to seven furlongs for the Malibu last out, he finished a good second behind Raging Torrent, a true sprinter. He can also take his form around the country with him. Yes, he has to prove himself against older horses, but given his consistency, he has a lot of exotic appeal.
Post 7: Steal Sunshine (trainer: Bobby DiBona jockey: Dylan Davis owner: Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone et al.) - 30-1
To his credit, he is a Gulfstream Park local who can pass horses without having to drop too far back. Depending on how much annoyance horses like Newgrange or Skippylongstocking are able to give Saudi Crown on the front end, this may actually work out well pace-wise for Steal Sunshine. The problem is class: he has been well beaten whenever he has tried top-level company, and he has yet to show he can beat the best in this on his day. If he has an excellent day, perhaps he can clunk up for a superfecta, but that seems like the ceiling.
Post 8: Vitality (trainer: Harold Ladouceur jockey: Rajiv Maragh owner: Stronach Stables and Joel B. Hunsburger) - 50-1
A win in the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie last year, going first-time dirt in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, showed that two turns on the dirt is where this son of Street Boss belongs. He ran a good second two back in a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs, but that was against straight three-year-olds. He was a well-beaten sixth in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) in his first start against graded foes and his first try against older, and he has yet to run a race that would make him a threat in the Pegasus.
Post 9: Mystik Dan (trainer: Kenny McPeek jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr. owner: 4 G racing, Valley View Farm, Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby, III) - 8-1
The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner was a no-show in his first race back, the Malibu (G1), on Santa Anita’s opening day. The worry is that he may be overbet because he’s a Kentucky Derby winner. But, on the other hand, Kenny McPeek has never been shy to race his horses back into form, even his top-notch horses. And, the 1 ⅛-mile distance of the Pegasus World Cup is in Mystik Dan’s wheelhouse in a way that the seven furlongs of the Malibu is not. The biggest question for him is pace, as Mystik Dan is going to be a few lengths back. He isn’t a deep closer, but will need a fair shake for horses rallying from midfield. In short, watch how the dirt track plays on Pegasus day.
Post 10: Skippylongstocking (trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr. jockey: Tyler Gaffalione owner: Daniel Alonso) - 10-1
The same big question lurks above Skippylongstocking this year as did last year and the year before, come Pegasus time: can he perform at this level? He still has yet to answer this question in the affirmative. He was seventh in the Pegasus World Cup in 2023 and did not finish last year. He bounced back well after pulling up, winning the Challenger (G3) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in his next two starts. But, despite some early-career Gulfstream Park form, it seems even his original home track isn’t enough to make him a Grade 1 type.
Post 11: Locked (trainer: Todd Pletcher jockey: John Velazquez owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm) - 5-2
The first-string entrant for Todd Pletcher, Locked comes into the Pegasus World Cup out of a strong-looking score in the Cigar Mile (G2) in November. It proved he is in the right form to take on strong older horses, though the Cigar only covers a one-turn mile and he now has to prove himself against top older horses going two turns. It isn’t impossible—he won the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland in 2023—but the price will be short and far-outside post positions in route races at Gulfstream Park do not tend to favor runners, so be careful.
Post 12: Power Squeeze (trainer: Jorge Delgado jockey: Javier Castellano owner: Lea Farms) - 30-1
No filly has won the Pegasus World Cup yet, and none has even tried other than Stellar Wind, who finished sixth in 2018. Power Squeeze will attempt to make history in 2025. This four-year-old comes off a second-place finish in the one-mile Rampart at Gulfstream, where she just missed against long shot Windy Walk but defeated Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Soul of an Angel. More distance will help: she won the 1 ¼-mile Alabama (G1) and the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks (G1) last year. However, she has yet to prove her class against older route horses and drew an extremely poor outside post, meaning despite some upside, she will be a deserved long shot.
Follow TVG for Your 2025 Pegasus World Cup Bets
You can watch and wager on the entire Pegasus World Cup Invitational card, including the Pegasus World Cup Turf and Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, right here at TVG! Visit TVG.com for updated information on the Pegasus all the way until race day.
And, don’t forget to stay tuned to FanDuel TV for expert betting advice from our team of racing analysts, and live coverage of the Pegasus World Cup, Pegasus World Cup Turf, and horse racing from coast to coast.
By TVG Staff
Updated January 19, 2025
The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the first major handicap division race of the winter season in the United States, happens on Saturday, January 25, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The race covers 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt course, a middle distance that always draws a mix of milers, true nine-furlong runners, and even classic-distance runners on the cutback. With a mix of proven handicap-division stars and younger horses trying to make it at the top level, the race is exciting for fans and bettors alike.
The card features seven stakes, including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) for older handicap horses, the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) for older grass runners, and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf (G3) for older grass females. The day always provides a preview of the leaders, especially in horse racing divisions for runners aged 4 and over, for the rest of the year.
Key Pegasus World Cup Contenders
The final field for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup was drawn on Sunday, January 19. A full field of 12 were entered, as many as are allowed in the starting gate for this horse race. Keep reading to learn about the contenders, the form they bring to the races, and reasons why they will be strong contenders—or, on the other hand, underlays—in the first major handicap-division race of the year.
Post 1: Mixto (trainer: Doug O’Neill jockey: Frankie Dettori owner: Calumet Farm) - 10-1
He spent most of 2024 nibbling at the graded-stakes ranks, then had a breakthrough victory in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar in August. He regressed with an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, though he jumped back into some solid form with a close third behind Skinner in the Native Diver (G3) on November 23. The Native Diver is a 1 ⅛-mile race, same as the Pegasus, and his early speed will be a plus. But, he hasn’t been the most consistent, he is drawn directly inside likely speed-of-the-speed Saudi Crown, and he will be leaving California for a race for the first time.
Post 2: Saudi Crown (trainer: Brad Cox jockey: Florent Geroux owner: FMQ Stables) - 9-2
The name of the game for Saudi Crown is speed. If he is on the lead—or even near it, as he was last out when he won the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds—he’ll have a good day. If he isn’t, like when he finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year, he is done. Post draw day went pretty well for him: though he will have to deal with a lot of traffic outside him, he may well be faster than the rest and an inside post is better than an outside post in a route race at Gulfstream. Given how well this track plays to speed, too, he has a good chance to give trainer Brad Cox his second Pegasus win.
Post 3: Newgrange (trainer: Jose D’Angelo jockey: Emisael Jaramillo owner: Rockingham Ranch, David A. Bernsen, and Little Red Feather Racing) - 20-1
Racing out west since his juvenile season in 2021, he has been a perfectly solid Grade 2, Grade 3 type his entire career but has yet to break through at the top level. To his credit, both his top-level tries have come at 1 ¼ miles, whereas he is a two-time Grade 2 winner at 1 ⅛ miles, the Pegasus distance. He has some interesting wild card potential for new trainer Jose D’Angelo if he can tap into his tactical speed; that will be key, as he will probably not outgun Saudi Crown, directly to his inside, to the lead.
Post 4: White Abarrio (trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr. jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. owner: C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano) - 3-1
White Abarrio went on a tear in 2023: he hit the board in the Met Mile (G1), stretched out to win the Whitney (G1), and then win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. However, he went on the shelf after off-the-board finishes in the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Met Mile in 2024. His return has been promising: he won an allowance at Gulfstream on November 22 as easily as a horse of his quality should have, and then second was as well as he was going to do in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3), coming from last against a modest pace. Watch the price, though the extra distance, this cozy post draw, and a better start can help.
Post 5: Crupi (trainer: Todd Pletcher jockey: Luis Saez owner: ADD OWNER) - 15-1
Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Pegasus World Cup once already with Life Is Good in 2022. Pletcher is expected to have two in the 2025 edition, with Crupi the second-stringer. Though Crupi has only won once at the graded level, this late runner has made a career and over a million dollars) from mostly clunking up for underneath shares in major races. In fact, he rallied from last to nab third behind National Treasure in the 2024 edition of the Pegasus World Cup. If he comes back in similar form and gets some sharp pace in front of him, his best may get another piece.
Post 6: Stronghold (trainer: Phil D’Amato jockey: Antonio Fresu owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable) - 10-1
He didn’t win any of the classics in 2024, but he was still one of the classiest and most consistent of the three-year-olds. This Phil D’Amato charge did win the Santa Anita Derby (G1), giving him a top-level win at the same distance as the Pegasus World Cup. And, he is in good enough form that even turning back to seven furlongs for the Malibu last out, he finished a good second behind Raging Torrent, a true sprinter. He can also take his form around the country with him. Yes, he has to prove himself against older horses, but given his consistency, he has a lot of exotic appeal.
Post 7: Steal Sunshine (trainer: Bobby DiBona jockey: Dylan Davis owner: Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone et al.) - 30-1
To his credit, he is a Gulfstream Park local who can pass horses without having to drop too far back. Depending on how much annoyance horses like Newgrange or Skippylongstocking are able to give Saudi Crown on the front end, this may actually work out well pace-wise for Steal Sunshine. The problem is class: he has been well beaten whenever he has tried top-level company, and he has yet to show he can beat the best in this on his day. If he has an excellent day, perhaps he can clunk up for a superfecta, but that seems like the ceiling.
Post 8: Vitality (trainer: Harold Ladouceur jockey: Rajiv Maragh owner: Stronach Stables and Joel B. Hunsburger) - 50-1
A win in the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie last year, going first-time dirt in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, showed that two turns on the dirt is where this son of Street Boss belongs. He ran a good second two back in a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs, but that was against straight three-year-olds. He was a well-beaten sixth in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) in his first start against graded foes and his first try against older, and he has yet to run a race that would make him a threat in the Pegasus.
Post 9: Mystik Dan (trainer: Kenny McPeek jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr. owner: 4 G racing, Valley View Farm, Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby, III) - 8-1
The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner was a no-show in his first race back, the Malibu (G1), on Santa Anita’s opening day. The worry is that he may be overbet because he’s a Kentucky Derby winner. But, on the other hand, Kenny McPeek has never been shy to race his horses back into form, even his top-notch horses. And, the 1 ⅛-mile distance of the Pegasus World Cup is in Mystik Dan’s wheelhouse in a way that the seven furlongs of the Malibu is not. The biggest question for him is pace, as Mystik Dan is going to be a few lengths back. He isn’t a deep closer, but will need a fair shake for horses rallying from midfield. In short, watch how the dirt track plays on Pegasus day.
Post 10: Skippylongstocking (trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr. jockey: Tyler Gaffalione owner: Daniel Alonso) - 10-1
The same big question lurks above Skippylongstocking this year as did last year and the year before, come Pegasus time: can he perform at this level? He still has yet to answer this question in the affirmative. He was seventh in the Pegasus World Cup in 2023 and did not finish last year. He bounced back well after pulling up, winning the Challenger (G3) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in his next two starts. But, despite some early-career Gulfstream Park form, it seems even his original home track isn’t enough to make him a Grade 1 type.
Post 11: Locked (trainer: Todd Pletcher jockey: John Velazquez owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm) - 5-2
The first-string entrant for Todd Pletcher, Locked comes into the Pegasus World Cup out of a strong-looking score in the Cigar Mile (G2) in November. It proved he is in the right form to take on strong older horses, though the Cigar only covers a one-turn mile and he now has to prove himself against top older horses going two turns. It isn’t impossible—he won the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland in 2023—but the price will be short and far-outside post positions in route races at Gulfstream Park do not tend to favor runners, so be careful.
Post 12: Power Squeeze (trainer: Jorge Delgado jockey: Javier Castellano owner: Lea Farms) - 30-1
No filly has won the Pegasus World Cup yet, and none has even tried other than Stellar Wind, who finished sixth in 2018. Power Squeeze will attempt to make history in 2025. This four-year-old comes off a second-place finish in the one-mile Rampart at Gulfstream, where she just missed against long shot Windy Walk but defeated Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Soul of an Angel. More distance will help: she won the 1 ¼-mile Alabama (G1) and the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks (G1) last year. However, she has yet to prove her class against older route horses and drew an extremely poor outside post, meaning despite some upside, she will be a deserved long shot.
Follow TVG for Your 2025 Pegasus World Cup Bets
You can watch and wager on the entire Pegasus World Cup Invitational card, including the Pegasus World Cup Turf and Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, right here at TVG! Visit TVG.com for updated information on the Pegasus all the way until race day.
And, don’t forget to stay tuned to FanDuel TV for expert betting advice from our team of racing analysts, and live coverage of the Pegasus World Cup, Pegasus World Cup Turf, and horse racing from coast to coast.