Remove ads

The Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race, by invitation for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf track, held annually in late January or early February at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $1,000,000.

Quick Facts Location, Inaugurated ...
Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational
Grade I race
LocationGulfstream Park
Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States
Inaugurated1986 (as Gulfstream Park Breeder's Cup Handicap )
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
SponsorBaccarat (since 2022)
WebsiteGulfstream Park
Race information
Distance1+18 miles
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationInvitation - Four year olds and older
Weight123 lbs.
Fillies and Mares allowed 5 lbs.
Southern Hemisphere Three-Year-Olds: 117 lbs.
Purse$1,000,000 (since 2020)
Close

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 2 March 1986, on the last day of a 71-day annual winter meeting as the Gulfstream Park Breeders Cup Handicap, the tenth race on the under-card of Florida Derby day. The event had additional sponsorship from the Breeders' Cup which gave the event immediate recognition and value. The event was won by Craig B. Singer's Irish-bred five-year-old Sondrio who started at odds of 7/1 and ran the 1+116 miles distance in 1:40.60 winning by 2+14 lengths.[1]

The following year the event was held on the dirt track due to the condition of the turf track. The event had additional sponsorship from Budweiser and this reflected in the name of the race.[2] Budweiser sponsorship continued for nine years ceasing after the 1995 running of the event.[2]

The event was upgraded in 1990 by the American Graded Stakes Committee to a Grade III race.[2] In 1991 the distance of the event was lengthened considerably to 1+38 miles and the following year the event was upgraded to Grade II classification.[3] In 1994 the event was transferred to the dirt track and held over a distance of 1+14 miles.[2]

After the 2007 running of the event the Breeders' Cup ceased to sponsor the event and the event was known as the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.[2] In 2009 the distance of the event was decreased by two furlongs to 1+18 miles.[3]

In 2019 Gulfstream Park Administration created a racing series called the Pegasus World Cup and this event was rebranded as the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. In the first edition, each entrant's connections had to pay a $500,000 entry fee with the organizer adding an extra $1,000,000 for a total purse of $7,000,000. In the 2020 edition, the race adopted the Invitational format and entry fees were suppressed, so the purse was limited to the organizer contribution.[4]

Remove ads

Records

Time record:

  • 1+316 miles: 1:51.60 – Zulu Alpha (2020)
  • 1+116 miles: 1:39.60 – Youmadeyourpoint (1990)
  • 1+18 miles: 1:44.45 – Warm Heart (IRE) (2024)
  • 1+38 miles: 2:10.73 – Yagli (1999)

Margins:

  • 4+34 lengths – Man from Wicklow (2003)

Most wins:

  • 2 – Einstein (2006, 2008)
  • 2 – Colonel Liam (2021, 2022)

Most wins by an owner:

Most wins by a jockey:

  • 7 – Jerry Bailey (1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003)

Most wins by a trainer:

Remove ads

Winners

More information Year, Winner ...
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref
Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational
2024 Warm Heart (IRE) 4 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerburg 1+18 miles 1:44.45 $952,300 I [5]
2023 Atone 6 Irad Ortiz Jr. Michael J. Maker Three Diamonds Farm 1+18 miles 1:46.19 $981,400 I [6]
2022 Colonel Liam 5 Irad Ortiz Jr. Todd A. Pletcher Robert E. & Lawana L. Low abt. 1+18 miles 1:47.48 $982,300 I [7]
2021 Colonel Liam 4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Todd A. Pletcher Robert E. & Lawana L. Low 1+316 miles 1:53.09 $981,700 I [8]
2020 Zulu Alpha 7 Tyler Gaffalione Michael J. Maker Michael Hui 1+316 miles 1:51.60 $982,300 I [9]
2019 Bricks and Mortar 5 Irad Ortiz Jr. Chad Brown Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence 1+316 miles 1:54.59 $6,708,329 I [10]
Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes
2018 Heart to Heart 7 Julien R. Leparoux Brian A. Lynch Terry Hamilton 1+18 miles 1:47.64 $300,000 I [11]
Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap
2017 Almanaar (GB) 5 Joel Rosario Chad Brown Shadwell Racing 1+18 miles 1:45.63 $350,000 I [12]
2016 Lukes Alley 6 Paco Lopez Josie Carroll Melnyk Racing Stables 1+18 miles 1:48.20 $350,000 I [13]
2015 Mshawish 5 Javier Castellano Todd A. Pletcher Al Shaqab Racing 1+18 miles 1:47.22 $300,000 I [14]
2014 Lochte 4 Orlando Bocachica Marcus J. Vitali Crossed Sabres Farm 1+18 miles 1:45.67 $300,000 I [15]
2013 Point of Entry 5 John Velazquez Claude R. McGaughey III Phipps Stable 1+18 miles 1:47.00 $300,000 I [16]
2012 Get Stormy 6 Ramon Domínguez Thomas Bush Mary Sullivan 1+18 miles 1:52.78 $300,000 I [17]
2011 Teaks North 4 Jose Valdivia Jr. Justin Sallusto Jules Boutelle 1+18 miles 1:46.39 $300,000 I [18]
2010 Court Vision 5 Robby Albarado Richard E. Dutrow Jr. IEAH Stables, Resolute Group Stables & WinStar Farm 1+18 miles 1:46.84 $300,000 I [19]
2009 Kip Deville 6 Cornelio Velásquez Richard E. Dutrow Jr. IEAH Stables, John A. & Andrew Cohen, Steve Cobb & Doug Robertson 1+18 miles 1:45.70 $300,000 I [20]
Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes
2008 Einstein (BRZ) 6 Jose Lezcano Helen Pitts Midnight Cry Stables 1+38 miles 2:12.87 $273,000 I [21]
Gulfstream Park Breeder's Cup Turf Stakes
2007 Jambalaya 5 Javier Castellano Catherine Day Phillips Todd & Catherine Day Phillips 1+38 miles 2:12.28 $289,000 I [22]
Gulfstream Park Breeder's Cup Stakes
2006 Einstein (BRZ) 4 Rafael Bejarano Helen Pitts Midnight Cry Stables 1+716 miles 2:23.91 $190,000 I [23]
Gulfstream Park Breeder's Cup Handicap
2005 Prince Arch 4 Brice Blanc Kenneth McPeek Ray Cottrell Sr. 1+38 miles 2:11.44 $230,000 I [24]
2004 Hard Buck (BRZ) 5 Edgar Prado Kenneth McPeek Team Victory I 1+38 miles 2:11.56 $190,000 I [25]
2003 Man from Wicklow 6 Jerry Bailey Richard A. Violette Jr. Richard A. Violette Jr. 1+38 miles 2:11.62 $194,000 I [26]
2002 Cetewayo 8 Cornelio Velásquez Michael Dickinson Dr. John A. Chandler 1+38 miles 2:17.44 $200,000 I [27]
2001 Subtle Power (IRE) 4 Pat Day William I. Mott The Thoroughbred Corporation 1+38 miles 2:13.50 $140,000 I [28]
2000 Royal Anthem 5 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott The Thoroughbred Corporation 1+38 miles 2:11.34 $194,000 I [29]
1999 § Yagli 6 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 1+38 miles 2:10.73 $200,000 I [30]
1998 Flag Down 8 José A. Santos Christophe Clement Allen E. Paulson 1+38 miles 2:12.59 $189,000 II [31]
1997 Lassigny 6 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Prince Sultan Modc Saud Al Kabeer 1+38 miles 2:11.33 $169,150 II [32]
1996 Celtic Arms (FR) 5 Mike E. Smith Rodney Rash Gary A. Tanaka 1+38 miles 2:13.90 $169,800 II [33]
1995 Misil 7 José A. Santos Christophe Clement Horafuki Kai 1+38 miles 2:12.41 $157,000 II [34]
1994 Strolling Along 4 Jerry Bailey Claude R. McGaughey III Ogden Phipps 1+14 miles 2:05.01 $149,250 II Off turf[35]
1993 Stagecraft (GB) 6 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Darley Stud 1+38 miles 2:13.24 $156,000 II [36]
1992 Passagere du Soir (GB) 5 Jerry Bailey Christophe Clement Paul de Moussac 1+38 miles 2:15.71 $158,550 II [37]
1991 Shy Tom 5 Craig Perret D. Wayne Lukas Overbrook Farm 1+38 miles 2:14.70 $158,000 III [38]
1990 Youmadeyourpoint 4 Douglas Valiente Eugene Navarro Stanley M. Ersoff 1+116 miles 1:39.60 $157,600 III [39]
1989 Equalize 7 José A. Santos Angel Penna Sr. A. J. Menditeguy Stable 1+116 miles 1:41.20 $155,350 [40]
1988 Salem Drive 6 Gene St. Leon Thomas J. Skiffington Jr. Virginia Kraft Payson 1+116 miles 1:40.60 $157,550 [41]
1987 Bolshoi Boy 4 Randy Romero Howard M. Tesher Arthur Belford & John Greathouse Jr. 1+116 miles 1:44.60 $133,810 Off turf[42]
1986 Sondrio (IRE) 5 José A. Santos Howard M. Tesher Craig B. Singer 1+116 miles 1:40.60 $134,620 [1]
Close

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry
† In the 2010 running of the event Take The Points was first past but was disqualified for interference in the straight and placed fifth and Court Vision was declared the winner.

See also

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.

Remove ads