Post time is bonus time for Pennsylvania horse-racing gamblers. On Jan 29, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Flordia shakes up the winter doldrums with an afternoon-long horse racing betting program, capped by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup at 5:45 p.m.
The feature race concludes a presentation of graded stakes worth $5.2 million, spread throughout a card that starts at noon.
Pegasus World Cup 2022 field and odds
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knicks Go | Joel Rosario | 6-5 |
| 2 | Chess Chief | Reylu Gutierrez | 10-1 |
| 3 | Stiletto Boy | Kent Desormeaux | 20-1 |
| 4 | Life is Good | Irad Ortiz | 7-5 |
| 5 | Empty Tomb | Paco Lopez | 20-1 |
| 6 | Sir Winston | Edwin Gonzalez | 12-1 |
| 7 | Title Ready | Tyler Gaffalione | 20-1 |
| 8 | Endorsed | Umberto Rispoli | 20-1 |
| 9 | Commander | Julien Leparioux | 30-1 |
How to bet on horse racing in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania online bettors can access the action via TVG. Many players will wager through their apps but gamblers also can participate at various OTBs throughout PA.
Pegasus World Cup 2022 races
Schedule of races:
- Pegasus World Cup 1 1-8 miles dirt – $3 million
- Pegasus World Cup Turf 1 1-8 miles, turf – $1 million
- Filly and Mare Turf 1 1-6 miles – $500,000
- Inside Information 7 furlongs – $200,000
- William McKnight 1 1-2 miles – $200,000
- La Prevoyante 1 1-2 miles – $150,000
- Fred Hooper 1 mile – $150,000
Pegasus World Cup Turf 2022 odds
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Space Traveler | J. Spencer | 12-1 |
| 2 | Atone | J. Castellano | 20-1 |
| 3 | Flavius | P. Lopez | 15-1 |
| 4 | March to the Arch | E. Gonzalez | 20-1 |
| 5 | Hit the Road | T. Gaffalione | 8-1 |
| 6 | Colonial Liam | I. Ortiz | 3-1 |
| 7 | Doswell | J. Alvarado | 10-1 |
| 8 | Sacred Life | J. Ortiz | 6-1 |
| 9 | Field Pass | U. Rispoli | 10-1 |
| 10 | Channel Cat | J. Rosario | 12-1 |
| 11 | Cross Border | R. Gutierrez | 15-1 |
| 12 | Never Surpirsed | L. Saez | 7-2 |
Pegasus World Cup analysis
The Pegasus features an intriguing matchup of two reigning Breeders Cup winners. Knicks Go, who captured the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic last November, will lock horns with Breeders Cup Mile champion Life Is Good. That emphasizes the race distance of 1 1-8 miles. Life Is Good has never run this far, creating a variable concerning pace and stamina. Both horses like to shoot to the lead. If they become locked up in a speed duel, will that compromise Life Is Good down the stretch?
Knicks Go will try to become the first repeat winner of the Pegasus. He won handily in 2021, later completed a banner season by taking the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic and is a shoo-in for an Eclipse Award as the nation’s top horse for 2021. This has been announced as his farewell race.
Life is Good has done little else but win, taking first in five of his last six races. That included the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile in November. The presence of the two Breeders Cup winners has discouraged some owners from entering their horses. The field will become finalized closer to the race draw, which occurs next week.
Colonel Liam, the 2021 Pegasus World Cup turf winner, will seek a repeat victory.
Pegasus World Cup history
The Pegasus is a relatively new phenomenon. Organizers sought to make this the world’s richest horse race with its 2017 launch. They succeeded via the $12 million purse and expanded the payout to another record, $16 million, in 2018.
That was short-lived. Officials realized the investment was difficult to recoup in fees and betting handle. They subsequently chose to spend less money, spread it across more races and propel betting activity throughout the entire card.
This has become a recent practice at many race tracks surrounding a major event: complement a seven-figure race with several six-figure ones and try to corner the gambling market.
Even with the reduction, the Pegasus matches the storied Kentucky Derby payout in only its sixth year. And it remains tied to the Dubai World Cup. Some owners will depart the Pegasus, train in the United States and ship their horses to Dubai for the lucrative event.
Connections for 2021 Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie took a different route. They shipped him to Dubai this week for a Feb. 4 prep race at the Meydan Race Course, the site of the March 26 blockbuster.
Whether to skip the Pegasus in favor of the Dubai World Cup or whether to use it as a springboard to the $12 million race is a consideration surrounding every Pegasus World Cup. This race has emerged as a major winter staple in the horse-racing industry. It links the fall and spring circuits, providing continuity for trainers, owners and bettors.
Lead image of Knick Go by Gregory Bull/AP
