HorseCenter: Pegasus World Cup and Pegasus Turf top picks

This week on HorseCenter, Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman dive into an excellent Saturday card at Gulfstream Park highlighted by the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. The loaded afternoon program also features nine other stakes races topped by the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

The 10th edition of the Pegasus World Cup brings together a full field of older males in search of the top prize in one of America’s richest races. Leading the way in the 1 1/8-mile test will be the lightly raced Brad Cox-trained pair of Disco Time and Tappan Street, as well as the accomplished veteran and defending race champion White Abarrio.

Main track racing takes center stage in American racing, but Saturday’s big card at Gulfstream also offers excellent grass racing with the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) leading the way. The three-time Grade 1 winner Program Trading, making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Mile, looks like a legitimate favorite among a field of 13 older turf males.

Brian: Matt, it looks like we are in for a great day of racing Saturday at Gulfstream and with sunny skies in the forecast, the course conditions should be fast and firm. The Pegasus World Cup has been a highlight of early-season racing since its inception. Even without Sovereignty and Journalism this year, the rich race has attracted an interesting group and a big field. It should be a good betting race.

Matt: Though the field of the 2026 edition is not one of the strongest, the trainers and jockeys participating are the ones who have dominated this January race since its inception. Six of the trainers in this year’s race are previous Pegasus winners, led by Bob Baffert, who won the Gulfstream feature three times going back to Arrogate in the inaugural running in 2017.

Six jockeys in the 2026 field won eight of the runnings of the Pegasus. Irad Ortiz Jr. leads the way as a three-time winner of the race. Ortiz won for three trainers, last year for Saffie Joseph Jr. with White Abarrio, in 2022 with Life Is Good for Todd Pletcher and in 2020 with Baffert’s Mucho Gusto.

Brian: Perhaps the biggest question of this race is what we will see out of White Abarrio. In last year’s edition, he ran away and hid from his competition, winning off by more than six lengths. Very little has gone right for the son of Race Day since, however, and he has not raced since that crazy, troubled trip in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) nearly five months ago. 

Now 7, it is fair to wonder whether the defending race champion’s best days are behind him. Having said that, it’s difficult to discount the winner of $7.1 million, especially at the track where he has won eight times in 10 tries.

Matt: A Pegasus victory by White Abarrio in 2026 would mark a couple of firsts. White Abarrio would become the first horse to win the race for a second time, and as a 7-year-old he would be the oldest to get a Pegasus victory. Art Collector was a 6-year-old when he won in 2023.

It sure seems like a big ask for White Abarrio, who will come to the race after a five-month layoff that included missing the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as a controversial vet scratch. His last victory was in March in the Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream, although he raced in three Saratoga Grade 1 stakes since and was fourth each time. White Abarrio had only one victory from five starts at Saratoga in his career, and that was the 2023 Whitney (G1).

Brian: Clearly, the talented pair from trainer Brad Cox represents the biggest challenge to White Abarrio. Both Disco Time and Tappan Street were promising Kentucky Derby candidates a year ago but had to step off the Triple Crown trail because of physical setbacks. The former came back first and has looked terrific in overpowering his competition in the St. Louis Derby and Dwyer Stakes. This will be his biggest test to date. 

I’m not sure you can say the same about Tappan Street, who scored a win over Sovereignty on this track in the Florida Derby (G1) 10 months ago. Unfortunately, the handsome son of Into Mischief did not race again until December, when he came back to win a local allowance race by one length. All four of his career races have been at Gulfstream Park and you have to believe he will improve off the return effort.

Matt: In the Pegasus field of 12, only White Abarrio, Tappan Street and Full Serrano won a Grade 1 race. White Abarrio won the Florida Derby in 2022, the Whitney and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2023 and the Pegasus last year.

Disco Time is listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite based on his five-race undefeated record. In those five starts he won three stakes, including the Lecomte (G3) last year. Disco Time will be trying to win a Grade 1 in his first race at that level and in his first start at Gulfstream. Cox won the Pegasus in 2021 with Knicks Go.

Brian: The remainder of the Pegasus field is littered with accomplished runners such as Full Serrano and Skippylongstocking, as well as interesting dark horses such as Mika and Poster. This is also a race loaded with early speed types, which makes me pay extra attention to a horse who can be running late. 

That pace scenario could benefit Tappan Street and Poster. A promising winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2) as a juvenile, Poster also had his sophomore campaign cut short because injury. I like what the son of Munnings has done in his two races since returning, and with Junior Alvarado signed on to ride, I believe he could be ready for his best race yet on Saturday.

Matt: I agree that there should be plenty of early speed as the projector calls for a fast pace, with Full Serrano as the likely front-runner and Mika close behind. There are others who had their best results when they were close to the pace.

Last seen, Disco Time won the Dwyer at Aqueduct on the lead by almost 10 lengths. Full Serrano took the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on the lead in 2024. Captain Cook showed sprinter speed pressing the pace in the Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga this summer. Mika almost stole the Cigar Mile (G2) on the front end, putting up fast fractions.

Brian: Turning to turf, trainer Chad Brown does very well when returning horses after a layoff and after nearly 15 months away, Program Trading came back with three solid performances last summer and fall. Following two good runner-up finishes, note that he had plenty of trouble when 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile while beaten only 5 1/4 lengths. 

A winner of three Grade 1 races in his career, he clearly is a major threat on class. If he fires his best shot Saturday, he has a big chance for the win. On the side of caution, the 6-year-old has not won a race in nearly two years. He has had limited chances, however, and has not run poorly in four losses since winning the Turf Classic (G1) in May of 2004.  

Matt: Program Trading is a distinguished member of the full field in the eighth running of the Pegasus Turf, which in some ways is a more impressive group than the featured Pegasus dirt race. The Chad Brown runner is one of three Grade 1 winners in the Turf, which has four other graded-stakes winners. Program Trading is also one of six million-dollar earners in the field. This will be the horse’s first appearance on the Gulfstream turf course as his trainer tries to win this race for a third time. Brown won last year with Spirit of St Louis and in its inaugural running in 2019 with Bricks and Mortar.

Brian: Cugino, one of two in the race from the barn of Shug McGaughey, is a strong second choice on the morning line. The 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy is a consistent runner with good tactical speed. Most recently second in the local prep for this, he has won four of his last six starts, but this promises to be a strong test. With Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez hopping aboard, he will need to work out a good trip from the 10 post to prove best in this $1 million race.

Matt: Cugino is one of several turfers who have to be considered win contenders. He is a past winner on the Gulfstream turf, with three other second-place finishes to his credit. The projector is showing a race with a neutral pace, which makes it much harder to eliminate horses from handicapping consideration. Getting a clean trip becomes even more important with this scenario. John Velazquez gets the mount after his recent rider Flavien Prat opted to ride Program Trading for Chad Brown, for whom he is often the first-call jockey.

Brian: A case can be made for every other horse in the race. Chasing the Crown, for example, might go off as the biggest price in the field, and he ran a huge effort in this race last year. This year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf could have a little less early speed than last year’s running, which would make the California shipper Cabo Spirit a real threat. He is going good, and if he can bring his best race to Florida, he could get very brave on the front end Saturday.

If Cabo Spirit is pressured early, which is also quite possible, Fort Washington might be one to benefit. The veteran runner has been freshened by McGaughey after winning three graded stakes races last season, including one at Gulfstream Park. At 10-1 on the morning line, I certainly believe the late runner is worth a look.

Matt: Chad Brown is not the only trainer in the Pegasus who is going for his third victory. Todd Pletcher won in 2021 and 2022 with Liam’s Map. He has Major Dude entered after an October layoff. He is a three-time Grade 2 winner with two career wins at Gulfstream. Last year he was sixth in the Pegasus Turf. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride for Pletcher as he seeks his fifth victory in this race. Ortiz won four times between 2019 and 2023.

Mike Maker is also a two-time winner with victories in 2020 with Zulu Alpha and in 2023 with Atone. He has the 20-1 long shot Chasing the Crown, who is looking for his first graded stakes win.

Brian: I came close to tabbing the long shot Poster as my top choice in the Pegasus World Cup, but instead he will be my horse with odds to spice up the exotics. Instead, I landed on the less preferred Cox runner Tappan Street as my most likely winner. I respect the two favorites, but I like the pace scenario better for last year’s Florida Derby winner. He has done nothing wrong in his career and is certainly right at home at Gulfstream Park. With this race being the goal, I fully expect him to move forward off his return. With a strong pace, going nine furlongs, I like his chances. Tappan Street is my top pick.

Matt: Here we are again, Brian, when we seem to agree on one of the horses as top pick in our races of the week. Undefeated Disco Time has the rail and that means he could get out to the lead, which is where he likes to be. But he is trying too many things for the first time against a full field, so I’ll look elsewhere. Tappan Street is 6-1 on the morning line and should go off at odds close to that. Tappan Street is my top pick in the Pegasus World Cup.

Brian: With so many interesting options in this edition of the Pegasus World Cup Turf, I did not want to land on the favorite. Having said that, I do see Program Trading as the most likely winner. With a big gap in odds, however, I will be looking elsewhere for my top selection. Despite the TimeformUS Pace Projector suggesting it will not be strongly contested up front, I don’t believe that this big field is going to let Cabo Spirit get away with anything. I see a solid early pace unfolding, and that could set it up for the consistent late run of Fort Washington. The other McGaughey will be my top pick for the upset. 

Matt: As I said earlier, there are so many legitimate win contenders in the Pegasus Turf field. The winner is probably going to be a horse who gets a clean trip. I have a soft spot for Test Score, which might go back to his victory in the Belmont Derby (G1) at Saratoga last year. Since then he raced only in graded stakes and hit the board four times with a win in California in the Twilight Derby (G2). Last time in the Hollywood Derby (G1) he was a half-length from a Grade 1 victory after getting stopped twice in the stretch run. Test Score can get a ground-saving trip from the rail, and I like the rider change back to Manny Franco, who will not shy away from being aggressive down the stretch. With odds above his 8-1 morning-line expected, Test Score is my top pick in the Pegasus Turf.