Draw, jockeys, odds for $3 million race

Pegasus World Cup: Draw, jockeys, odds for $3 million race

Photo:

Gulfstream Park & Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire

The draw means everything in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Unless a Hall of Famer like Gun Runner walks through that Gulfstream Park paddock Saturday, getting hung out in posts 9-12 for the Grade 1, $3 million race is a virtual guarantee to lose.

That is why undefeated 4-year-old Disco Time, the 8-5 morning-line favorite who drew the rail, appears to stand more than a passing chance to win his first test against older horses. The 1 1/8 miles start with a frantic, 41-yard dash to the first turn on the main track. That includes the 18 yards added to the run-up last year. Post 1 is 9: 1-1-0 in the Pegasus, including Arrogate’s victory in the first edition in 2017.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

White Abarrio, the 4-1 second choice who tries to become the first repeat winner of the Pegasus, got caught on the wrong end of the draw. The $7,151,920 earner is stuck in post 11, which is 7: 0-0-2. If not for Gun Runner outclassing his opponents in 2018, posts 9-12 would be 0-for-30 in the first nine editions of the race that used to be the Donn Handicap (G1).

Pegasus posts
Best finish
Beaten favorites
1 – 9: 1-1-0 2017, 1st, Arrogate (4-5*) 2 – 9: 0-1-0 2018, 2nd, West Coast (7-2) 3 – 9: 1-0-3 2019, 1st, City of Light (9-5) 4 – 9: 3-1-0 2021, 1st, Knicks Go (6-5*) 2022, 1st, Life Is Good (4-5*) 2025, 1st, White Abarrio (5-2) 5 – 9: 0-2-1 2021, 2nd, Jesus’ Team (11-1) 2019, 3rd, Accelerate (3-2) 2023, 2nd, Defunded (5-2) 2020, 10th, Higher Power (5-2) 6 – 9: 1-1-2 2023, 1st, Art Collector (15-1) 7 – 9: 1-2-0 2024, 1st, National Treasure (5-2*) 8 – 9: 1-0-0 2020, 1st, Mucho Gusto (3-1) 9 – 9: 0-0-1 2025, 3rd, Skippylongstocking (9-1) 10 – 8: 1-1-0 2018, 1st, Gun Runner (1-1*) 2023, 6th, Cyberknife (2-1) 2025, 2nd, Locked (9-5) 11 – 7: 0-0-2 2023, 3rd, Stiletto Boy (45-1) 2024, 3rd, Crupi (34-1) 12 – 6: 0-0-0 2017, 9th, California Chrome (6-5) 2018, 9th, Giant Expectations (63-1) 2021, 9th, Math Wizard (57-1) *favorite

Disco Time, who has a 5-for-5 record, appears to be the best chance for trainer Brad Cox to get his first Pegasus win. The Juddmonte homebred colt by Not This Time has raced only once in a graded stakes, winning the Lecomte (G3) last January in the Fair Grounds slop. Last out he won by 9 3/4 lengths in the Dwyer on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct. This will be Disco Time’s first try going longer than 1 1/16 miles. Jockey Flavien Prat replaces regular jockey Florent Géroux.

Cox also entered Tappan Street (6-1), a 4-year-old who has run all four of his races at Gulfstream. Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC and Cold Press Racing, the Into Mischief colt most notably defeated likely horse of the year Sovereignty on March 29 in the Florida Derby (G1) over the same nine furlongs as the Pegasus. After a 9 1/2-month break, Tappan Street came back Dec. 19 to win a one-mile allowance in his first test against older horses. Luis Sáez will be up for the start from post 7.

White Abarrio makes his first start since Aug. 31, when he was promoted from fifth to fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga. Because of a veterinarian saw something off in the left front leg, he was pulled from the post parade Nov. 1 in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. The four-time Grade 1 winner owned by C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. will have his regular jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Skippylongstocking (15-1), another 7-year-old entire trained by Joseph, is set to make his fourth start in the Pegasus. He finished third last year. A 10-time graded-stakes winner owned by Daniel Alonso, the son of Exaggerator prepped with a narrow score Dec. 20 in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream. Trying for his first Grade 1 triumph, Skippylongstocking will break with Tyler Gaffalione from post 5.

Full Serrano (12-1), a winning long shot in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, travels east for California-based trainer John Sadler. A 10-month break followed that triumph as did a runner-up finish in the Goodwood (G1) and then a fifth in his try to repeat in the 2025 Dirt Mile. The Argentina-bred horse by Full Mast turned 7 on the North America calendar, but he is closer to 6 1/2. Owned by Kosta and Pete Hronis of Flightline fame, Full Serrano will go from post 12-1 with Joel Rosario.

Trainer Bob Baffert, a three-time Pegasus winner, entered Madaket Road (10-1) for the SF Racing partnership. Now 4, the Quality Road colt is 1-for-9 lifetime, breaking his maiden on second asking 13 months ago at Santa Anita. He finished a troubled fourth of seven Dec. 26 in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1). His best effort may have been his second-place finish to Patch Adams in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on June 7 in the Saratoga mud. This will be Madaket Road’s first race against older rivals and his second time going 1 1/8 miles, having finished fourth in last year’s Florida Derby. Mike Smith rides from post 6.

Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) runner-up Mika (10-1), H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) second-place finisher Captain Cook (15-1), Harlan’s Holiday runner-up Poster (20-1), Charles Town Classic (G2) winner Banishing (20-1), 5-year-old allowance victor British Isles (20-1) and Zia Park Derby victor Brotha Keny (30-1) also are in the main draw. Harlan’s Holiday third-place finisher Catalytic and repeat Sunshine Classic winner Lightning Tones are also-eligible entrants and were assigned 50-1 odds.

For the first time, the Pegasus is a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. It is carded as the last of 13 races Saturday with a scheduled post time of 5:39 p.m. EST. The first race is set for 11 a.m.

No.
Silks
Horse / Sire
Rating
Trainer / Jockey
Last start (HRN speed figure)
Morn. line
1