Some of the best thoroughbreds in the world compete in the Pegasus World Cup, a prestigious invitation-only race. This event, presented by Baccarat, will be held in the Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 28.
There is no doubt that fans have been anticipating the yearly event and keeping an eye on the list of contenders. With a good grasp of the runners, you can successfully predict the outcome of a horse race, the quickest competitive sport on the planet.
To help you decide where to place your wager, we prepared this backgrounder on the horses.
Cyberknife
It has been widely speculated that Cyberknife will compete in the 2023 Pegasus World Cup (G1). After finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Cyberknife was declared a probable by trainer Brad Cox, who noted the horse’s Grade 1 victories in the Arkansas Derby and the Haskell.
The 2019-born colt Cyberknife is already three years old. In 2022, at the age of 3, he began competing in numerous races at the Lecomte. Cyberknife came in sixth, but he won Alwoc and the 2022 Arkansas Derby (G1) with relative ease.
Charge It
His trainer, Todd Pletcher, hails from the United States, and his breeder is Whisper Hill Farm, LLC of Kentucky. He also has some experience in graded stakes races, having competed in them at Belmont Park and Gulfstream Park. He’s had five separate starts, two of which he’s won. Even though he was in second place twice, his Kentucky Derby finish was 17th.
Despite this setback, he bounced back to win the 2022 Dwyer (G3), making this his most recent stakes victory. Fans should expect to see him as one of the 2023 Pegasus World Cup contenders if nothing unexpected happens with his candidacy for that race.
White Abarrio
The most notable Joseph stablemate contender for the Pegasus was White Abarrio. The 3-year-old gray colt by Raceday, who finished third in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct earlier in December 2022, will return to a venue where he has never beaten.
Into Mischief’s Catching Diamonds is his dam, while Race Day is his sire. By the time he was three years old, this colt had raced at several tracks, including Monmouth Park, Churchill Downs, and Gulfstream Park. In April of 2022, he won the Florida Derby, one of the most prestigious horse racing stakes.
Proxy
After winning the Grade 1 Clark last November, Proxy will compete in Gulfstream Park’s Pegasus World Cup (G1) on January 28. Curlin, the sire, and Panty Raid, the dam, are his parents.
His breeder was Godolphin, and his trainer was Michael Stidham, both of whom worked for Godolphin, LLC in Kentucky, USA. Proxy has raced successfully at Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds and has also raced at Keeneland and Monmouth Park. His stakes victory came in the Clark Stakes (G1) in 2022.
Simplification
The 3-year-old colt Simplification made his racing debut in 2021. France and Irwin Weiner of Florida, USA, bred him, and Antonio Sano trained him. He has competed for Bobo, Tami, and De Meric, Tristan.
From 2021 to 2022, he participated in twelve races, three of which he won, one in which he came in second, and three in which he came in third.
With a 7.20 rating, Simplification comes in at #3, behind only Cyberknife and White Abarrio. In addition, he is one of the colts with a shot of competing in the 2023 Pegasus World Cup.
Informative
The 5-year-old colt Informative ran in races from 2019 to 2022. He has a long racing history, having competed in 36 events. Across his 36 starts and five years, he has four victories, three seconds, and three thirds.
Informative has won races at multiple tracks, including Aqueduct, Parx Racing, and Monmouth Park. He has also raced at Aqueduct, Churchill Downs, Charles Town, Laurel Park, Parx Racing, Monmouth Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Thistledown. Many of Informative’s supporters have been waiting for him to compete in the Pegasus World Cup, hoping he does so in 2023.
Brooklyn Strong
Brooklyn Strong ran in races from 2020 to 2022. Dr. Michael Gallivan and Cheryl Prudhomme bred him in New York, USA, and he competed for Mark Schwartz. Daniel Velazquez was his trainer.
He is one of the oldest horses on this list and is widely expected to compete in the 2022 Pegasus World Cup. No significant victories marred his 2022 campaign, but he did finish third in four of his six races (Claim, 2022 Evan Shipman, 2022 Saginaw, and 2022 Greenwood Cup). Nonetheless, fans can still expect Brooklyn Strong at Gulfstream Park.
Final Thoughts
In 2023, Hallandale Beach, Florida, will host an amazing new set of thoroughbreds, each one a specimen of speed and skill. Purchase your tickets while they are still available, and make the most of your experience by betting on one of the competitors on the list.
