Pegasus World Cup
| Grade I race | |
| Location |
Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2017 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-year-olds and up |
| Weight | 124 pounds (56 kg) with allowances |
| Purse | $12 million (2017) $16 million (2018) |
The Pegasus World Cup is an American Thoroughbred horse race whose first running was on January 28, 2017 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. With a purse of $12 million for its inaugural running, the Pegasus World Cup surpassed the Dubai World Cup as the richest horse race in the world. It is run over the dirt at the distance of 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) and is open to horses four years old and up. The Grade I rating has been assumed from the Donn Handicap.
The race is named for the mythical horse, a 110-foot statue of which stands at Gulfstream Park.
Frank Stronach first proposed the idea for the race during the Thoroughbred Owners Conference at Gulfstream in January 2016. His original proposal called for an annual 1 1⁄4-mile (10 furlong) race to be run at either Gulfstream or Santa Anita Park in mid to late January, which would not interfere with the Breeders' Cup or the Dubai World Cup. The timing also makes it possible for a horse to run one last race before retiring to stud, as the North American breeding season begins in mid-February. "I think racing usually has a little lull this time of year – we have to wait for spring for something to happen," said trainer Bob Baffert in January 2017. "When I heard about the idea last year, I thought wow, American Pharoah probably would have been in there for one more try at it."
The Stronach Group officially announced plans for the race in May 2016, with the distance shortened to 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs). Entrants carry 124 pounds (56 kg) with a three pound allowance for fillies and mares. Horses that run without the use of the pre-race medication furosemide (more commonly known as Lasix) receive an allowance of five pounds.
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