Expert picks: Pegasus World Cup 2019 predictions, longshots
RELATED: Free Pegasus World Cup past performances
Jeffrey Byrnes, Byrnzzze's Corner
Winner: #3 City of Light
On the board: #5 Accelerate, #8 Gunnevera
Longshot I like: #1 Bravazo
Analysis: City of Light is in the best form of his career. Coming off his win in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, he stretches back out to two turns and has trained aggressively. He has settled well at Gulfstream and moving nicely over the track with a bullet work last weekend. He will get a good inside trip and will likely among the leaders. City of Light sports a win over Accelerate at this distance, a major advantage in my opinion. Accelerate enters in top form as well. He shows aggressive workouts and shipped to win the Breeders' Cup Classic last time. He will get a good pace to chase, with a ground saving trip, he can win. Gunnevera loves Gulfstream Park, and always fires on the biggest days. He ran arguably his best race last time out to be second in the Classic. Training forwardly, he will need a hot pace but should run late. Finally, Bravazo is ultra consistent. He rarely runs a bad race and is always around at the end to pick up a check. With an inside post, he will get a ground-saving trip. He might be a cut below this group, but he could hit the board at a price.
The play: 3-5-8-1 superfecta box
Jarrod Horak, Pick 6 Blog
Winner: #4 Seeking the Soul
On the board: #3 City of Light, #5 Accelerate
Longshot I like: #8 Gunnevera
Analysis: Seeking the Soul was fifth (beaten 14 lengths from post 11) in this race last year. In his last three starts, he won Churchill Downs' Ack Ack (G3), finished second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and landed the show in the Clark Handicap (G1). City of Light was handled beautifully by Javier Castellano from the inside post in the Dirt Mile. He beat the Pegasus favorite Accelerate at this distance in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last year and he did it from post 11. Accelerate was sensational last year with five Grade 1 victories, but four of those were at 10 furlongs. Speed figures dipped in his last two starts. Gunnevera was a distant third in this event last year. He likes this oval and is in the best form of his career after back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Woodward Stakes (G1) and Classic.
The Plays: #4 to win; exacta 4/3-5-8; exacta 3-5-8/4; trifecta 3-5/ALL/4-8
Casey Laughter, The Tattooed Tracksider
Winner: #3 City of Light
On the board: #5 Accelerate, #8 Gunnevera
Longshot I like: #1 Bravazo
Analysis: The first two runnings of the Pegasus were won by a Breeders' Cup hero. This year, however, we have two championship race winners coming in, and I'm siding with the Dirt Mile hero. City of Light is the only horse to defeat Accelerate in the last year, and the win came at this distance distance. Both have to ship to yet another new track, but only City of Light breezed at Gulfstream. Will they both handle the surface?
Reinier Macatangay, Setting the Pace
Winner: #3 City of Light
On the board: #5 Accelerate, #8 Gunnevera
Longshot I like: #1 Bravazo
Analysis: Accelerate is arguably in declining form due to lower speed figures, even though he won the Awesome Again (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic. Visually and on paper he did not look like the same horse that won the Pacific Classic by a record 12 1/2 lengths. City of Light is the logical alternative, as he defeated Accelerate before at nine furlongs in the Oaklawn Handicap last April.
Jasen Mangrum, Handicapper's Corner
Winner: #3 City of Light
On the board: #5 Accelerate, #4 Seeking the Soul
Longshot I like: #4 Seeking the Soul
Analysis: City of Light should get a fairly easy lead with the other main speed drawn to the far outside. Accelerate will be forwardly placed and is an obviously threat. It comes down to whether the top pick conserves enough energy in the early stages. Seeking the Soul drew horribly in this race last year, so expect a much better effort at a square price.
Olivia Newman, The Final Stride
Winner: #3 City of Light
On the board: #8 Gunnevera, #5 Accelerate
Longshot I like: #1 Bravazo
Analysis: Accelerate, City of Light and Gunnevera are the standouts, and it would not surprise me to see any of them win. City of Light is training fantastic at Gulfstream. He's such an imposing horse and offers a ton of speed. After that last bullet work at Gulfstream, he galloped out full of energy and could not be coming into this race any better. The last time he met Accelerate at this distance, City of Light prevailed. I think this race will set up just as well if he can sit right off the pace. Gunnevera likes his home track. Should the pace melt down, he'll be waiting to capitalize. The fan favorite deserves a big score at some point. Should Accelerate carry the same form he showed in the Breeders' Cup Classic, he will certainly be tough to beat. His running style should suit this race well. Also, it is impossible to leave Bravazo off your tickets. He shows up every time, and you can never count out "Coach" D. Wayne Lukas in the big spots.
Kate Richards, Racing Hearts
Winner: #5 Accelerate
On the board: #3 City of Light, #12 Patternrecognition
Longshot I like: #8 Gunnevera
Analysis: The top two choices certainly stand out here. Accelerate and City of Light both boast top connections and looked good in their final works. Patternrecognition could set the pace and looks ready to bust a move as he moves up in class. Play the big-name jockeys. I'll add Audible to my trifecta box.