Expert Picks: 2022 Pegasus World Cup Invitational
There were nine horses entered in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park. However, two of them stood out to the staff of Horse Racing Nation.
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Sara Elbadwi, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: #4 Life Is Good
On the board: #1 Knicks Go
Long shot I like: #3 Stilleto Boy
Analysis: Life Is Good is faster early than Knicks Go, and has an exciting four year old campaign in front of him. Yes Knicks Go is more accomplished, but he needs the lead and won't get it easy here. Stiletto Boy runs big races without getting wins, should run another behind these two here.
Jarrod Horak, Best Bets
Winner: #4 Life Is Good
On the board: #1 Knicks Go
Long shot I like: #8 Endorsed
Analysis: Life Is Good has upside and can park himself right outside Knicks Go and wear that one down for the win. Knicks Go has no choice but to go hard early from the rail. The Breeders’ Cup Classic hero won this race last year and is deadly at this distance. Endorsed was clearly second best in both stakes starts at this trip.
Wagers: Trifecta Key 4/1-8, Trifecta 1-4/ALL/8
Chip Gehrke, On the Air with Dr. Derby
Winner: #1 Knicks Go
On the board: #3 Stilleto Boy
Long shot I like: #3 Stilleto Boy
Analysis: Knicks Go drew the inside post and figures to control the pace with his main rival, Life is Good, to his outside. If he can avoid a speed dual with Life is Good he figures to have enough to hold off his rival in the stretch. Life Is Good is certainly in with a big shot here, but will he be as fast speed figure wise at this nine furlong trip? To win this race I think he has to rate off of Knicks Go, and if he does that these two should put on a show in the stretch. Stiletto Boy has knocked heads with the big boys in his last three starts, he will come running in the stretch.
Brad Stephens, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: #1 Knicks Go
On the board: #4 Life Is Good
Long shot I like: #3 Stilleto Boy
Analysis: Life Is Good may be just as fast as Knicks Go. Take away Mike Smith's "overconfident handling," as the chart called it, in August at Saratoga, and he might be 6-for-6 entering this race. However, there is a significant seasoning edge with Knicks Go, who has nearly as many Grade 1 wins (five) as Life Is Good has career starts (six). Knicks Go has been unbeatable the last two years in two-turn races, and he will finish his career Saturday by winning another.
Ron Flatter, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: #1 Knicks Go
On the board: #4 Life Is Good
Long shot I like: #3 Stilleto Boy
Analysis: The big two are far and away the best horses both on merit and in their figures. My biggest concern is the 20-30 mph tailwind in the homestretch. That is a headwind on the backstretch, and that will work against frontrunners. Life Is Good never raced 1 1/8 miles and the wind could make it seem like 1 1/4 miles. Stilleto Boy seems to be the best of the rest, so it would not surprise me if he split the big two to make for a pricier exacta.
Mark Midland, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: #4 Life Is Good
On the board: #1 Knicks Go
Long shot I like: #3 Stilleto Boy
Analysis: I'm looking for Life Is Good to overpower Knicks Go in this matchup of Breeders' Cup winners. That being said, to get any value in the wagering, we're going to need a price, and the horse for this is Stilleto Boy. He's a 20/1 closer on the inside and he's got good speed figures, but he's not as well known as some of the others.
The play:
$10 Trifecta 1,4 with 1,4 with 3
$5 Trifecta 4 with 3 with 1,2
$2 Superfecta 1,4 with 1,4 with 2,3 with 2,3