Pegasus World Cup 2024 Picks

By TVG Staff
Updated January 26, 2024

The eighth edition of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) happens on Saturday, January 27, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. It is one of the newest events on the horse racing calendar, but it is also one of the most eagerly-awaited for fans and bettors alike. Stars like Arrogate, Gun Runner, City of Light, and Knicks Go have won it already, making it a great preview for the handicap division. But, it is also a race that smart bettors can profit from right now.

The field for the race has been drawn, and it is an exciting one: twelve invitees in the main field and one horse on the also-eligible list. Familiar faces like Preakness winner National Treasure will clash with new faces like First Mission, setting up for an exciting beginning to the handicap division.

The Pegasus World Cup will be one of seven stakes races on Gulfstream’s card, all of which will be open to 4-year-olds and up. Two other races on the card carry the Pegasus name, and will likely draw some of the top horses in the world: the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf (G3).

The best way for you to be a part of the action in all of Gulfstream’s rich races on Saturday is to bet the race on FanDuel. Keep reading and find out some of the angles and best bets, because an informed bettor is the best bettor!

Betting the Pegasus World Cup Races

Numerous wager types will be made available to you on this marquee day at Gulfstream Park, and this is the right place for information about the horses with the best chance in the Pegasus World Cup. The available bets include Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6, with minimum wagers ranging from 10 cents to $2.

The majority of casual horseplayers choose to go right on the nose with win bets, and many of the pros like to focus their opinions with straight wagers as well. Win, place, and show are still the most popular wagers out there, although exotics are available too. Whatever bet you choose to make, just keep in mind that pro handicappers and casual fans alike should never put money down on the Pegasus World Cup without being fully informed!

Betting the three main races is the best way to feel like you are fully involved and majorly invested in the day at Gulfstream. We have information available on the main Pegasus contenders to help you make your own mind up.

All the way until the race gets started, your best bet is to keep following the horses who may run in the race so you can be better prepared to assess their relative class and form on race day. Stay tuned to TVG, the best place for up-to-date news on the Pegasus World Cup and all other major races across the country!

Pegasus World Cup Prep Results

Historically speaking, Pegasus World Cup winners last raced in the Breeders’ Cup: either the Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. In the seven previous editions of the Pegasus, all but two of the winners most recently ran at that early-November festival.

Mucho Gusto was the first to break that trend: he won the 2020 Pegasus World Cup in his first race off a layoff dating back to a fourth-place finish in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington the previous September. Art Collector, like Mucho Gusto, won the Pegasus off of a layoff as well. He had most recently finished fifth in the Lukas Classic (G2), a Breeders’ Cup prep race at Churchill, the previous October.

However, most Pegasus winners still come out of the Breeders’ Cup. Though the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, White Abarrio, is pointing to the Saudi Cup instead of the Pegasus, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is also a traditionally live prep for the Pegasus, and several runners from that race are serious contenders. Winner Cody’s Wish has been retired to stud, but National Treasure finished a close second and is the likely favorite for the Pegasus. Even third-place Skippylongstocking fits well, though he has to contend with a tough post position.

Pegasus World Cup Handicapping

The field for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational is set, meaning we can draw up a pace scenario and identify the top contenders in the race. With the race taking place at Gulfstream, finding out the speed horses is a smart first step, since horse racing on or near the lead tend to do well over their surface.

Pegasus World Cup Frontrunners

Among the field of 12, Preakness winner and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile second-place finisher National Treasure appears most likely to find the lead if he comes in sharp. That is the question; though his trainer, Bob Baffert, has won the race twice before (the 2020 Pegasus World Cup with Mucho Gusto and the 2017 edition with Arrogate), National Treasure has yet to come off a layoff right on his best.

A few others in the field can get a good forward trip if National Treasure does not show up on his best. First Mission is the obvious alternative here; the price will not be long, but he reliably shows up with early speed, and he can work out a nice stalking trip whether or not National Treasure is on form. Stretch-out sprinter Hoist the Gold has some interesting pedigree for adding distance, even if he has yet to prove he can handle it, and his relatively inside post should help him save ground. Skippylongstocking has the opposite challenge: he has to deal with a far-outside post, but his nine-furlong form is strong, and he has also shown he handles Gulfstream well.

Pegasus World Cup Late Runners

As favorably as Gulfstream tends to play for horses on the front end, you cannot ignore horses who run on late, especially to round out bets like trifectas and superfectas. Looking for the horses who will finish best down the lane can often add some extra money to those exotic wagers.

At 20-1 on the morning line, Senor Buscador belongs prominently in exotic wagers. He shows up reliably and can bring his A game to tracks all over the country. If the pace falls apart, he should be a major threat, and if it is merely honest, he is still a likely candidate for lower rungs of exotic picks.

Crupi is another late-running longshot who may have a place on some tickets. He does his best work as a real closer, so he is pace-dependent, but he would be an interesting choice, especially for players who want to play narrower on top in exotics and spread in lower rungs of trifectas or superfectas.

Pegasus World Cup Picks

These horses are the most important contenders for the 2023 Pegasus World Cup.

• Hoist the Gold: Though he has to answer the distance question, his speed makes him dangerous, and he has run well enough off a layoff to make him an interesting alternative to two short-priced horses.

• First Mission: Though he cedes experience to many of these runners he regularly finds a stalking spot and may do even better at 1 ⅛ miles if he can settle just off the leader instead of battle all the way like he did in the Clark.

• National Treasure: Especially if Gulfstream Park is playing extremely well for speed, his running style and his status as the top contender out of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile make him dangerous.

Pegasus World Cup Exotic Horses

These horses are your most important options for building exotic wagers in the Pegasus World Cup. They may not win, but underneath the top selections, they could make for excellent payoffs on tickets!

• Skippylongstocking: He has to overcome a bad post but often shows up with his best at Gulfstream; he is also a far more seasoned horse than he was when he tried this spot last year.

• Senor Buscador: He has yet to prove himself going quite this long, but he consistently makes up ground from off the pace and tends to fire with strong races off the layoff.

Exotic Wagers All Day

When considering which horses to include in the Pick 4, Pick 5, or Pick 6, it is worth looking at well-proven, classy horses. But, it also makes sense to include a few well-chosen longshots. After all, the best way to maximize your risk-reward rate on multi-race wagers is to go narrow in legs where you have a strong opinion, and spread out with some live outsiders in races that look more wide-open. You can often find quality longshots with trainers or jockeys who know Gulfstream well.

On the jockey side Luis Saez, Emisael Jaramillo, Paco Lopez, and Edwin Gonzalez are riding strongly at Gulfstream and likely to slip under the radar on Pegasus Day. Among trainers, Saffie Joseph, Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse, and Kathleen O’Connell have all had strong histories at the Gulfstream meet, and often run horses who can pay good value for bettors.

Keep It TVG for Your 2024 Pegasus World Cup Bets

You can watch and wager on horse racing with TVG all week long as we keep you informed on all things Pegasus World Cup. Take a look at the latest Pegasus odds to see what sort of value you can get for your wagers.

Some of the biggest stars in horse racing compete on Pegasus World Cup day every year. So, stay tuned to TVG to watch and bet the thrilling action today, and get a preview of horses who stand to be stars throughout the course of the year!

Keep it TVG for Your 2024 Pegasus World Cup Bets

You can watch and wager on horse races with TVG all week long as we keep you informed on all things Pegasus World Cup. Take a look at the latest Pegasus odds to see what sort of value you can get for your wagers.

Some of the biggest stars in horse racing compete on Pegasus World Cup day every year. So, stay tuned to TVG to watch and bet on the thrilling action today, and get a preview of horses who stand to be stars throughout the course of the year!