Since its inception in 2017, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Introduced by Baccarat at Gulfstream Park has efficiently bum-rushed the North American racing calendar and made an impression comparable with hoofprints from the large statue of the winged equine icon of Greek mythology that resides on the Hallandale, Fla. observe.
Eight-plus years in the past, The Stronach Group revised the present Donn Handicap at Gulfstream and inflated the race purse to a then-world report $12 million, and their choice was rewarded handsomely when the game’s two prime superstars of 2016, California Chrome and Arrogate, returned for a rematch of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional. Since then, the Pegasus purse has been raised after which lowered, however the race continues to attract a lot of the prime older grime horses in coaching. (The Donn Handicap, first held in 1973, was year-in, year-out, Gulfstream Park’s flagship race for older grime horses. Winners embody Forego, Silly Pleasure, Deputy Minister, Creme Fraiche, Cryptoclearance, Cigar (twice), Skip Away, Harlan’s Vacation, Medaglia d’Oro, Saint Liam, Invasor, and High quality Street.)
Beneath, I’ll have a look again on the eight prior winners of the Pegasus World Cup and begin some dialogue fodder by rating them so as of dominance. These rankings are primarily based roughly 50-50 on the horses’ respective performances within the Pegasus and their total profession accomplishments.
8. Mucho Gusto (2020)
Mucho Gusto entered the Pegasus as a four-time Grade 3 winner who had additionally completed second to Most Safety and Unbelievable, two of the highest 3-year-olds of 2019, in Grade 1 races. The son of Mucho Macho Man, making his first begin for brand spanking new proprietor Prince Faisal bin Khaled of Saudi Arabia, was despatched off as the three.40-1 second betting selection within the Pegasus behind favourite and 2019 TVG Pacific Traditional winner Greater Energy. Whereas Greater Energy completed a desultory final of 10, Mucho Gusto was proper within the combine from the beginning underneath Irad Ortiz Jr. and powered clear on the prime of the stretch to win by a dominant 4 ½ lengths over runner-up Mr Freeze. He earned a career-best 117 Equibase Velocity Determine with the victory, which turned out to be the final of his profession. The Bob Baffert trainee completed fourth abroad within the Saudi Cup a month after the Pegasus after which fourth once more in his ultimate begin within the San Antonio Stakes in December. He was getting ready for a Pegasus repeat bid however was retired in early January 2021 with a soft-tissue harm.
7. Artwork Collector (2023)
Wanting again, Artwork Collector was one of many extra underrated racehorses of the early 2020s. The son of Bernardini emerged as a proficient 3-year-old through the COVID summer time of 2020 and gained a very unusual operating of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, scheduled in July throughout a weekend meet held in entrance of empty stands. After operating fourth in that fall’s – sure, that fall’s – Preakness Stakes, he resurfaced in 2021 underneath Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott’s supervision and racked up some good stakes wins, topped by the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park. Artwork Collector continued on in 2022 to notch two extra stakes victories however drained badly to complete fifth within the Lukas Traditional Stakes that October. Because of this, he was ignored by many bettors in a aggressive January 2023 version of the Pegasus, through which he went off at odds of 15.50-1 in a 12-horse subject. Junior Alvarado, using for the primary time, located Artwork Collector in third through the early levels behind chief Stilleto Boy and pace-pressing Defunded, and the veteran 6-year-old took over at will coming into the stretch and coasted to a 4 ½-length victory over the latter foe. Artwork Collector jumped up the rankings of older grime horses after his Pegasus win, however he completed second in his subsequent two begins of 2023. Sadly, he developed a foot ailment adopted by the painful inflammatory illness laminitis and was euthanized in August of that yr. The Bruce Lunsford homebred gained 11 of 23 begins and earned greater than $4.2 million in his profession.
6. Nationwide Treasure (2024)
When Nationwide Treasure introduced his “A” sport, he was top-of-the-line middle-distance grime horses of the previous couple of years, and his win in final yr’s Pegasus coupled with a tour de power blowout within the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap over the summer time may very well be sufficient to safe him an Eclipse Award as champion older grime male of 2024. The Bob Baffert-trained son of High quality Street examined his stamina as the two.60-1 favourite racing 1 1/8 miles within the Pegasus, and simply as in his 2023 Preakness Stakes victory at 1 3/16 miles, he confirmed admirable braveness deep within the stretch to carry off a late challenger on the end. Senor Buscador got here up a neck brief to Nationwide Treasure within the Pegasus, and turned the tables on him within the rematch when the pair each shipped to compete within the $20 million Saudi World Cup, successful whereas Nationwide Treasure completed fourth. After practically successful one other Grade 1 within the California Crown Stakes Introduced by SirDavis American Whisky, Nationwide Treasure was retired final November to face at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, ending his profession with a report of 4 wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 15 begins and greater than $5.5 million in earnings.
5. Metropolis of Gentle (2019)
Like Artwork Collector, CIty of Gentle was one of many extra underrated racehorses of latest classic, and he reached peak kind within the ultimate two begins of his profession for homeowners William Warren Jr. and Suzanne Warren and coach Mike McCarthy. Already a two-time Grade 1 winner in California sprints throughout 2017-’18, the High quality Street horse prolonged out to 2 turns and gained a Grade 2 stakes at Oaklawn Park in spring 2018 after which competed properly in each sprints and routes that summer time and early fall. However he turned it up a notch within the Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile that November at Churchill Downs, taking the one-turn occasion by 2 ¾ lengths and incomes a 126 Equibase Velocity Determine. Shipped to Gulfstream for the 1 1/8-mile, two-turn Pegasus, Metropolis of Gentle confronted a formidable subject headlined by 2018 champion older grime male and Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Speed up. Surprisingly, the race lacked a lot suspense in any respect, as 3-2 favourite Speed up couldn’t maintain his run and completed a well-beaten third. Metropolis of Gentle, despatched off because the 1.90-1 second selection, sat an ideal pace-pressing journey underneath Javier Castellano and romped to a 5 ¾-length rating within the slop over longshot and Pegasus World Cup common Looking for the Soul. Metropolis of Gentle earned one other spectacular Equibase Velocity Determine of 124 in what turned out to be his profession finale. He’s now a well-sought after stallion at Lane’s Finish in Central Kentucky whose first crop of horses started racing in 2022, and he broke by means of in an enormous means in 2023 when his son Fierceness captured the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by TAA and earned an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.
4. Life Is Good (2022)
Life Is Good entered the 2022 Pegasus as one of the crucial proficient racehorses in coaching, however to that time he had carried out his finest operating at one mile (he missed the Triple Crown races on account of a hind ankle harm and was transferred from Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher in the summertime). The Into Mischief colt had dominated his ultimate two begins of 2021, capped off by a blowout 5 ¾-length win within the Massive Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile, however had not competed on the Pegasus’ 1 1/8-mile distance earlier than. Plus, he was going through 2021 Pegasus champ Knicks Go (see under), who was days away from being voted Horse of the Yr primarily based on his 4-for-6 season and romp within the 1 ¼-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional. Because it turned out, the betting public was onto one thing, as a result of Life Is Good was favored at 4-5 odds within the Pegasus in opposition to Knicks Go at 9-10, and he made that shut disparity look silly as soon as the gates opened. Life Is Good and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aggressively went for the lead, taking Knicks Go’s common place, and had been by no means challenged in a 3 ¼-length runaway as Knicks Go settled for second in his ultimate profession begin. Life Is Good went on to win three of 5 begins in his ultimate racing yr, twice scoring once more at a mile and an eighth, however got here up in opposition to his personal brick wall of superiority when he was vanquished by Flightline within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Keeneland. Life Is Good is now standing at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.
3. Knicks Go (2021)
The pleasure of Korea Racing Authority, Knicks Go ascended from a longshot Grade 1 winner at age 2 again in 2018, to a Grade 1-winning miler for brand spanking new coach Brad Cox in 2020, after which to a star racehorse who silenced all doubters about his potential to run an extended distance with an authoritative rating within the 2021 Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional. His win within the 2021 Pegasus served discover that certainly, Knicks Go might deal with added floor because it was his first victory at 1 1/8 miles. He led all the way in which as is his customized in that race with common jockey Joel Rosario within the irons and simply gained by 2 ¾ lengths over Jesus’ Group because the 13-10 favourite. Knicks Go’s ultimate Pegasus time of 1:47.89 ranks fourth amongst Pegasus winners up to now, however by way of sustaining elite kind he’s proper there with the 2 horses mentioned under … and his Horse of the Yr award nudges him forward of his 2022 Pegasus conqueror Life Is Good to rank third on this listing (Life Is Good had the misfortune of spending a lot of his peak-form months within the “Yr of Flightline,” however hey, life ain’t truthful).
2. Gun Runner (2018)
In truth, 2017’s Horse of the Yr is 1A to Arrogate’s 1 on this listing. Convincing arguments will be made for each horses as two of the highest 5 North American grime runners of this century’s second decade. Gun Runner was saved in coaching by Steve Asmussen and homeowners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm after successful 5 of six begins in 2017 together with the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional, and he was the 11-10 favourite in a race that additionally featured the the 2016 Travers Stakes winner (West Coast) and runner-up (Gunnevera). That pair would end second and third, respectively, to Gun Runner in a Pegasus that was by no means actually unsure. Jockey Florent Geroux saved his cost in contact of early pacesetter and Breeders’ Cup Traditional runner-up Collected by means of the backstretch earlier than taking on on the far flip and coasting to a 2 ½-length victory that netted a 128 Equibase Velocity Determine, tops on this listing. He had simply been honored as Horse of the Yr two days earlier at a ceremony held at Gulfstream Park, and with no extra worlds left to beat, the son of Sweet Experience went off to stud at Three Chimneys in Kentucky. Gun Runner’s first foals to race had been past spectacular in 2021, incomes him main freshman sire honors in North America, and he’s saved up that momentum since, rating third on the general sire listing for 2023 and second in 2024.
1. Arrogate (2017)
The late, nice Arrogate tops this listing by a nostril over Gun Runner, and his victory within the inaugural Pegasus occurred within the midst of top-of-the-line sequences of performances by a racehorse this century (Most would say, together with myself, that Flightline’s 2022 run surpassed it). The Juddmonte Farms-owned, Bob Baffert-trained son of Unbridled’s Tune had emerged from the California circuit to make nationwide information months earlier when he gained the 2016 Travers Stakes by an astounding 13 ½ lengths and set a observe report at Saratoga for 1 ¼ miles in addition. Subsequent up, he defeated the 2014 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Yr California Chrome by a hard-fought half-length within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional. When it was introduced that each Arrogate and Chrome would meet up as soon as once more within the premiere operating of the Pegasus, press protection and public curiosity within the showdown approached ranges commensurate with the Breeders’ Cup, if not Triple Crown. Because it turned out, Arrogate was just too good within the Pegasus, unleashing a wide ranging flip of foot nearing the highest of the stretch to win by a geared-down 4 ¾ lengths underneath Mike Smith because the 9-10 favourite (6-5 California Chrome completed ninth, however was nonetheless voted 2016 Horse of the Yr). Arrogate set a observe report for 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park of 1:46.83 that also stands, and he earned an Equibase Velocity Determine of 124. The very best was but to come back, nevertheless, as in his subsequent begin he shipped half a world away and overcame a dreadful begin to defeat Gun Runner by 2 ¼ lengths within the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airways. That victory capped Arrogate’s sterling successful streak, as he didn’t attain the winners’ circle in his ultimate three begins in California and ended his profession soundly overwhelmed by Gun Runner within the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Traditional. He tragically was euthanized after an sickness in June 2020 and is represented by solely three crops at stud, his finest runner being 2023 Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets and Travers Stakes winner Arcangelo. Arrogate’s prolonged run of brilliance throughout 2016-’17 gained’t quickly be forgotten.
