The richest and most important race of the year in Florida happens Saturday, January 25: the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup! One of Gulfstream Park’s signature races, it covers 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt, and it drew a full field of the best older dirt horses in the country.
The richest and most important race of the year in Florida happens Saturday, January 25: the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup! One of Gulfstream Park’s signature races, it covers 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt, and it drew a full field of the best older dirt horses in the country.
The Pegasus World Cup is one of Florida’s newest traditions, as it was only run for the first time in 2017. In just eight previous runnings its winners have included modern greats like Arrogate, Gun Runner, and Knicks Go. In 2024, the previous year’s Preakness winner National Treasure made his mark against older company.
Betting this top Florida horse race is something players all over the country look forward to every year. Keep on reading to find out the best horses to play, and to find out the best places to bet the race online in Florida.
Not everyone can make it down to Gulfstream Park to attend the Pegasus World Cup in Florida, but no matter where you are, you can be a part of the action by betting the Pegasus at an online racebook. You can bet from your phone, tablet, or computer - anywhere with an internet connection. And, in addition to the convenience, you’ll find lucrative bonuses that the track or the OTB never offers.
Every site we recommend has the basics: trusted payouts, market-leading odds, and a smooth user interface. Every site also offers racebook bonuses like sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even rebates that pay you in cash or betting bonuses for every wager you make on horse racing and sports all year long.
These are your best choices for betting the Pegasus World Cup online in Florida:
Now that you have your betting accounts set up, it is time to get to know the horses in Florida’s biggest horse race.
This is the official field for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
Morning-line odds are not a guarantee of the price you will get on race day. They can be a good guide to who may take money on race day, but odds at the track fluctuate all the way to post time.
You can maximize your profit on the Pegasus World Cup by betting at an online racebook. Online racebooks let you lock in your odds the moment you place a bet on major races like the Pegasus. That way, you can watch the race with full confidence that you know what you’ll get when your horse wins the race!
These are the Pegasus World Cup odds for horses at the top of the market:
Stronghold has significant upside coming into the Pegasus World Cup. Though it is his first race against older, he is a Grade 1 winner at 1 ⅛ miles and he has been able to bring his good form with him all over the country. With tactical speed from a favorable gate, Stronghold may be ready to join the upper echelon of the handicap division, and do so at a really nice price.
The likely favorite is Locked, but be wary of this one. He will be underlaid: he has to break from a far-outside gate, and he still has a lot to prove against top-class two-turn horses. Though he is on the upswing, the questions are big enough to make him a serious underlay as the likely shortest price in the field.
More attractive near the top of the market is 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio. He won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic and though his form swung down after that, he is on the rise again. He got a confidence-building allowance victory, and even though he lost his final Pegasus prep, it was only a seven-furlong affair and he had a poor start. A better beginning over this better distance should mean a better effort from this Gulfstream regular.
Saudi Crown, coming off a confidence-builder at Fair Grounds, also deserves a long look. Speed is always dangerous at Gulfstream, and he shapes as the speed of the speed. As long as he gets a decent start from that near-inside draw, he is a serious threat to jump to the lead and take advantage of an often speed-favoring track.
Two long shots to consider for underneath shares include Crupi and Power Squeeze.
Crupi has never been the biggest win type, but he is a closer who reliably fires and often cracks the exotics. He did exactly that in the Pegasus last year, finishing third. Coming off a tough trip last out, he looks to be in similarly good form, and should be running on well late for a piece of trifectas or superfectas.
Power Squeeze is a Florida regular: she won the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) last year and just missed in the Rampart at Gulfstream last out. Though she missed by a neck in that race, she crossed the wire a head of Breeders’ Cup winner and fellow Florida local Soul of an Angel. Her post is challenging, but Power Squeeze has tactical speed, stamina, and good local form at a price that makes the post forgivable.
You have your betting account. You know the horses. Now, all that’s left to do is place your bets on Florida’s richest horse race.
Here are the best bets for Saturday’s 2025 Pegasus World Cup:
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