The older male dirt division sees its first major race on Saturday, January 27 with the $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park! The race covers 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt, and the winner gets the driver’s seat for the handicap division. The race drew twelve main invitees plus one also-eligible entrant, and it is an intriguing mix of proven top horses and newer faces.
The Pegasus World Cup is one of the newest races on the calendar, but it has already established itself as one of the most exciting and important betting horse races of the year. With illustrious winners like Arrogate, Gun Runner, and Knicks Go, everyone will be watching to see who the next superstar winner of the Pegasus World Cup will be.
Keep reading to find out the horses with the best chance, and to find out the best places to bet the Pegasus World Cup online!
Before you start handicapping the race, make sure you know the best places to bet the Pegasus World Cup online in New York. All of the expert-recommended choices in our New York racebook reviews offer the basics of a great experience: smooth user interfaces, trusted payouts, and market-leading odds on horse races all year long.
You can maximize your Pegasus World Cup bankroll by taking a few minutes to compare racebook bonuses. Each site offers benefits you’ll never see at a track such as sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even horse racing rebates that pay you for every bet you make. Taking a few minutes now to find out which site’s offering works best for your betting style can earn you hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars!
This is the official field for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
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.
The morning-line odds can be a great guide to which horse are expected to take money, and seeing who is hot or cold on the board can help you make smart betting decisions. However, they are no guarantee of a price. Odds on track or at OTBs can vary all the way until the gates open up.
Your best bet for the Pegasus is to play at an online racebook. Since online racebooks offer fixed-odds betting on major races like the Pegasus, you can lock in your price simply by placing your wager. Then, you can be confident that you will get the best price when your horse wins, no matter the late shifts in the on-track markets.
These are the odds at the top of the market in the best New York racebooks:
Now that you have your online betting account all set up, it is time for the best part: picking a winner of the 2024 Pegasus World Cup!
National Treasure is the morning-line favorite and should continue to hold heavy favoritism come post time. It makes sense: he comes out of the traditionally live Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, trainer Bob Baffert has won the Pegasus twice, and his speed should play well. However, he hasn’t raced since the Breeders’ Cup and does better with a race off the lay. Given his inconsistency last year, this adds up to an underlay.
A better option is the likely second choice, First Mission. He came back strong last fall with an allowance win and a second-place effort in the Clark (G2), proving he could keep up with good older horses. If he can stalk the pace in the Pegasus instead of doing the dirty work like he did in the Clark, he could get the winning trip.
Hoist the Gold is a proven sprinter. The nine-furlong distance is an unknown quantity for him, but he has pedigree on both top and bottom to suggest he could take to it. He can get a good forward trip, and he can run a good race whether he makes the lead or has to prompt the likes of National Treasure. For Dallas Stewart, a trainer no stranger to upsetting big races, he has the chance to spring a surprise.
Skippylongstocking has to handle a post draw in the parking lot, which may lead to some ground loss. However, other than that the signs are quite good. He is a better horse than he was when he tried the Pegasus last year. He has good tactical speed, strong form at nine furlongs, and plenty of experience running well at Gulfstream. It would be no surprise for him to find the frame.
Senor Buscador may be up against it from a pace perspective, as closers can struggle at Gulfstream Park. However, he is a consistent horse who frequently runs on late for a piece against foes of just this quality. With enough speed to make the pace at least honest, Senor Buscador’s customary late run should be enough for him to prop up the price of exotic wagers.
Now that you have your betting account set up and you’ve met the runners, it’s time to place your wager! Here are the best bets for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup:
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