Pegasus World Cup Betting: Accelerate Solid Betting Favorite

The field is now set for the richest horse race in the U.S. with a field of 12 going to the post in the $9-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 26.

The John Sadler-trained Accelerate, coming off a championship season in 2018 that saw him win six of seven starts, is the early betting favorite at +150 at Sportsbook.

The six-year-old will be making his final career start in the Pegasus before starting his new job as a stallion.

He breaks from the five post with jockey Joel Rosario aboard for the ride.

He capped off a big year by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 3. His lone loss last year came in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April where he was beaten by a neck by City of Light.

City of Light second favorite at +300

City of Light is the second choice in early Pegasus World Cup wagering at Sportsbook at +300.

After defeating Accelerate, the Michael McCarthy trainee came up short in his next two starts. He was third in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1), beaten 5 ½ lengths by Accelerate.

He then cut back to a sprint where he ran second to Whitmore in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga in August. He came back in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) where he took the field gate to wire in one of the most impressive efforts during the two-day championship event.

Javier Castellano, who was aboard him for his Dirt Mile win, has the return call and will break from post three.

Gunnevera is the third choice in wagering at Sportsbook at +800. The five-year-old has lost his last nine starts against graded stakes company but has run well in most of those starts, including runner-up finishes in the Woodward (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has amassed over $4 million in earnings.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides and the Antonio Sano trainee breaks from post eight.

Saturday card includes $7M Turf Invitational

The Todd Pletcher-trained Audible is listed at +1000 at Sportsbook. The colt won the Florida Derby (G1) over the Gulfstream Park main track last March and rallied for third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Since the Run for the Roses, he has made just two starts. He won the Cherokee Run at Churchill Downs, going seven furlongs off a six-month layoff, and then was the beaten chalk in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) in the slop at Gulfstream Park in his final prep for the Pegasus.

The Gulfstream Park card on Saturday features nine stakes, including the first running of the $7-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The race drew a field of 10 led by the Bill Mott-trained Yoshida, who is back on turf after running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in his last outing.

Handicapper Michael Dempsey will be covering the Road to the Kentucky Derby for OddsShark and his full card reports with selections, analysis, fair odds line and wagering recommendations for major tracks can be found daily at turfnsport.com.

Odds as of January 24 at Sportsbook

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With just over a week to go, the field is nearly set for the $9-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 26.

Eleven of the dozen spots in the starting gate are spoken for. The Bob Baffert-trained McKinzie could fill out the field, but the Hall of Fame trainer has not committed and may point the colt toward the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita on February 2 instead.

McKinzie, who won the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita on December 26, is the current third choice in early Pegasus World Cup betting at Sportsbook at +800.

The colt won three of his five starts in 2018, his losses coming when he was disqualified for interference in the San Felipe (G2) last March and the dud he tossed in checking in 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Accelerate betting favorite at +150

Accelerate remains the solid betting favorite for the Pegasus at Sportsbook at +150. The John Sadler trainee won six of his seven starts in 2018, including a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The first two Sportsbooks of the Pegasus World Cup, Arrogate in 2017 and Gun Runner in 2018, both won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in their previous starts.

Accelerate’s lone loss in 2018 came in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last April where he was beaten by a neck by City of Light.

City of Light won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his last start and is the current second choice in Pegasus wagering at Sportsbook at +300.

Gunnevera is listed at +850. The Antonio Sano trainee was the runner-up in the Woodward (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic in his last two starts.

Audible won Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Audible, the 2018 Florida Derby (G1) Sportsbook over the main track at Gulfstream Park.

He followed up that win with a third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), then was not seen again until November when he won the Cherokee Run Stakes. He was the beaten favorite in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) in a runner-up finish on December 15 at Gulfstream Park in his last start.

The well-traveled Bravazo is listed at +1200. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the colt raced in each of the Triple Crown races last year, running sixth in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Preakness (G1) and sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He was second in the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs in his last outing.

Others pointing toward the Pegasus are Seeking the Soul (+1600), True Timber (+2500), Something Awesome (+4000), Tom’s d’Etat (+4000), Kukulkan (+6600) and Patternrecognition (TBA).

Handicapper Michael Dempsey will be covering the Road to the Kentucky Derby for OddsShark and his full card reports with selections, analysis, fair odds line and wagering recommendations for major tracks can be found daily at turfnsport.com.

Odds as of January 16 at Sportsbook