2018 Pegasus World Cup Contenders

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On January 27, 2018, the Pegasus World Cup returns to Gulfstream Park. As of January 23, 2018, twelve contenders have been confirmed for the second running of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). With a record breaking $16 million USD purse, the world's richest Thoroughbred horse race will be contested on January 27, 2018, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

** 2018 Pegasus World Cup - Post Position & Odds updated after Post Position Draw on Wednesday, January 24.**

The twelve confirmed starters for the 2018 Pegasus World Cup Invitational as of January 23, 2018, are as follows (listed by Post Position):

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SINGING BULLET (Odds 30/1) - PP1

CONFIRMED - Dad was second in the Kentucky Derby, mom earned a cool million in her career, and his grandfather was undefeated. Singing Bullet joins the Pegasus World Cup as the twelfth and final contender! Campaigned by Stronach Stables, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun is trained by Dale Romans. He figures to be among the longest shots on the board when the gates open Saturday with the Pegasus field headed by prohibitive Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

Singing Bullet did place in Saratoga's Grade 2 Amsterdam last July. Since then, he has run in the allowance ranks, posting a victory Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Last out, the colt ran fourth on Dec. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Owner: Stronach Stables

Trainer: Dale Romans

Jockey: TBD

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WEST COAST (Odds 8/1) - PP2

CONFIRMED - Winner of the Travers Stakes and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic, this 3-year-old has won six of nine starts and has never finished worse than third. Currently training at Santa Anita.

The Pegasus is a unique race in which 12 of the starting horse's connections pony up $1 million each. The Stronach Group, a privately-held company that owns Gulfstream Park, will put up another $4 million. Each starter will receive at least $650,000, no matter where the horse finishes.

The Stronach Group bumped up the purse from last year's $12 million, because most of the slot holders lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, on their million-dollar investment.

The money alone should make it an interesting affair. Add in Gun Runner's swan song and a bunch of X-factors, and you have the recipe for great race.

Owner: Gary and Mary West

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Javier Castellano

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STELLAR WIND (Odds 30/1) - PP3

CONFIRMED - The lone filly or mare in Pegasus as of now, Stellar Wind earned an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year- old filly in 2015. She reeled off three consecutive Grade 1 victories earlier this year and is the daughter of two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin. The mare is currently in training at Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach.

Owner: Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith (Coolmore)

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Joel Rosario

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SHARP AZTECA (Odds 6/1) - PP4

CONFIRMED - On Sunday, Jan 7, Loooch Racing Stables' Ron Paolucci completed a deal to lease Sharp Azteca from owner Ivan Rodriguez for the Pegasus World Cup. Sharp Azteca just missed by a half-length in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar in early November and closed out his four-year-old campaign with a 5 1/4-length romp under Javier Castellano in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on December 2.

Owner: Ivan Rodriguez made a deal for the spot owned by Loooch Racing

Trainer: Jorge Navarro

Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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COLLECTED (Odds 8/1) - PP5

CONFIRMED - Hall of Fame trainer Baffert, who saddled Arrogate to victory last year, returns with two starters including Collected, a multiple-graded stakes winner who finished second November 4 at Del Mar in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The son of City Zip has won eight of 12 starts and is currently training at Santa Anita.

Owner: Speedway Stable LLC.

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Mike Smith

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GUNNEVERA (Odds 15/1) - PP6

CONFIRMED - Trained by Antonio Sana, the popular colt won the Fountain of Youth (G2) and was second in the Travers (G1) at Saratoga this summer and finished in a dead-head for fifth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He has three victories over Gulfstream Park and is training at Gulfstream Park West.

Owner: Venezuelan owner Salomon Del-Vallee has reached a deal with Pegasus stakeholder William Gallo of Gallo Stables and Bella Inizio Farm

Trainer: Antonio Sano

Jockey: Luis Saez

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FEAR THE COWBOY (Odds 30-1) - PP7

CONFIRMED - Well-traveled Fear the Cowboy, a three-time stakes winner at Gulfstream Park, has been confirmed as the 11th starter in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup.

Fear the Cowboy, co-owned by Raffaele Centofanti and Kathleen Amaya, will run in the Pegasus for the partnership of Stronach Stables, and Ronald and Jerry Frankel. The 6-year-old son of Cowboy Cal trained by Efren Loza, Jr. had a strong 2017 season compiling a 4-3-1 record in 10 starts. Two of those victories last year came in stakes at Gulfstream Park, the Skip Away (G3) on March 25 and the Harlan's Holiday (G3) on Dec. 16.

The Pegasus will be the first start in a Grade 1 race for Fear the Cowboy. Since Loza took over the training of the horse early in 2015, he has started at 12 tracks in nine states. Loza welcomes the opportunity to run his road warrior in the top-level international event.

Owner: Co-owned by Raffaele Centofanti and Kathleen Amaya

Trainer: Efren Loza, Jr.

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

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WAR STORY (Odds 25/1) - PP8

CONFIRMED - The son of Northern Afleet ran fifth in the inaugural Pegasus and last out was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. War Story was reportedly in contention for the spot along with a horse owned solely by Paolucci, Game Over, a graded stakes place son of Mineshaft. Both War Story and Game Over are trained by Jorge Navarro, who has a second Pegasus possibility in Sharp Azteca, the recent Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner who hasn't been declared to race Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Owner: Ron Paolucci and Ashley Quartarolo of Loooch Racing made a deal with The Stronach Group

Trainer: Jorge Navarro

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

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TOAST OF NEW YORK (Odds 20/1) - PP9

CONFIRMED - Toast of New York returned from a three-year layoff earlier this month to win at Lingfield Park in Surrey, United Kingdom. The 6-year-old was retired in 2014 after finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic for stallion duties in Dubai, but was returned to training in April. He has finished first or second in seven of his nine career starts. He remains in the United Kingdom.

Owner: Pegasus stakeholders Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, and Eric Young have reached a deal with Al Shaqab Racing

Trainer: Jamie Osborne

Jockey: Frankie Dettori

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GUN RUNNER (Odds 4/5) - PP10

CONFIRMED - Just two days before the running of Pegasus, Gun Runner is favored to be crowned 2017 Horse of the Year at the 47th Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream. Under the care of Hall of Fame horseman Asmussen, Gun Runner won five of six races in 2017, including four consecutive Grade 1 events. He capped off his season with a gate-to-wire victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The son of Candy Ride is training in New Orleans.

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Florent Geroux

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SEEKING THE SOUL (Odds 25/1) - PP11

CONFIRMED - Bred by Fipke, Seeking the Soul will enter Pegasus off his biggest win, a half-length victory in the Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs November 24. The son of Perfect Soul is currently training in New Orleans.

Owner: Charles E. Fipke

Trainer: Dallas Stewart

Jockey: John Velazquez

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GIANT EXPECTATIONS (Odds 30/1) - PP12

CONFIRMED - Eurton-trained Giant Expectations will indeed make a run at the $16 million Pegasus this month at Gulfstream Park, where he'll enter off a win in Tuesday's Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita Park. A soon-to-be 5-year-old son of Frost Giant, the colt wired the race, which included Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity and Collected, who had finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic in his last start.

The multiple graded stakes winner has won four of 13 starts and seems to be coming up to the Pegasus in the best form of his career.

Owner: The ownership group of Exline-Border Racing, Gatto Racing, and Garrett Zubok made a deal with The Stronach Group

Trainer: Peter Eurton

Jockey: Gary Stevens

2024 PEGASUS WORLD CUP RACE DAY SCHEDULE