Pegasus World Cup joins Breeders' Cup challenge series

Breeders’ Cup Limited and 1/ST announced Thursday that the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational will be included in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series for the first time.

The series features 94 stakes in 15 countries. Winners receive automatic berths and paid fees for corresponding races in the 2026 Breeders’ Cup world championships on Oct. 30–31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The Pegasus, set for Jan. 24, 2026, at Gulfstream Park, becomes a qualifier for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The winner gets an automatic spot plus pre-entry and entry fees paid, worth $150,000. The nominator of the winner receives a $10,000 award.

All Challenge winners get travel allowances to the championships: $10,000 for North American runners based outside Kentucky and $40,000 for international starters.

Since starting in 2017, six of the nine Pegasus World Cup champions have also won a Breeders’ Cup race. 

“The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is designed to celebrate and connect premier racing on a global stage,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Including the Pegasus World Cup is a perfect fit – it’s a first-class event that now becomes part of an elite journey to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

“This partnership connects two of the sport’s most powerful stages,” said Aidan Butler, president of 1/ST. “The Pegasus World Cup Invitational’s 10th anniversary will serve as a true gateway to the Breeders’ Cup Classic – linking our passionate fans, horsemen and international audience in a new and meaningful way.”