There’s a party coming to south Florida, and the guest list is loaded with star power.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, the international Thoroughbred racing community will converge on Gulfstream Park for the renowned Pegasus World Cup.
Regarded as one of the most thrilling events on the global racing calendar, the Pegasus World Cup is a vibrant celebration of the sport’s finest veteran racehorses.
This year’s edition of the dynamic race day features an all-star set of festivities – headlined by the 8th edition of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational – on and off the track.
Running alongside the marquee contest is the Pegasus World Cup Championship Turf Invitational (G1), and the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2).
There are 13 total races on the docket for Pegasus Day 2025, including 10 of the stakes variety. Together, the stakes tilts boast a collective purse value of $5.5 million.
That patented Miami flare and energy will also be on full display off the track, courtesy of post-race performances from DJs Black Coffee and Diplo, as well as country/pop star Dasha.
But before you take your betting talents to South Beach, get in tune with all things Pegasus right here on bet365.
The 2025 Pegasus World Cup will be run on Saturday, January 25.
Post time for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup is 5:40 PM ET.
The 2025 edition of the Pegasus World Cup will be held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
As the crown jewel of Pegasus Day, the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational carries the largest purse of any race on the program ($3 million).
The race has held a purse of $3 million since 2020 and is one of the premier Thoroughbred events in North America both in purse and star power.
The 2025 Pegasus World Cup will be broadcast live on Sportsnet ONE via Ignite World Racing and NBC.
Television coverage begins at 4:30 PM ET on both networks.
Live streams will also be available on NBC.com and Peacock.
The flagship card on Gulfstream’s calendar is, in simple terms, loaded. A grand total of 13 races, including 10 stakes – seven graded – will headline the south Florida oval’s sensational Saturday program.
Consult the list below for the specs of each stakes tilt, including post times for the three main events, running on Pegasus Day.
Saturday, January 25
Carousel Club Overnight Handicap
Purse: $100,000
Distance: 1 mile
Age: 4+
Surface: Synthetic
South Beach Overnight Handicap
Purse: $100,000
Distance: 1 mile
Age: 4+
Surface: Synthetic
Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint
Purse: $150,000
Distance: 5 furlongs
Age: 4+
Surface: Turf
La Prevoyante
Purse: $150,000
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
Grade: 3
Age: 4+
Surface: Turf
Fred W. Hooper
Purse: $150,000
Distance: 1 mile
Grade: 3
Age: 4+
Surface: Dirt
William L. McKnight
Purse: $200,000
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
Grade: 3
Age: 4+
Surface: Turf
Inside Information
Purse: $200,000
Distance: 7 furlongs
Grade: 2
Age: 4+
Surface: Dirt
Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational – 4:06 PM ET
Purse: $500,000
Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Grade: 2
Age: 4+
Surface: Turf
Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational – 4:40 PM ET
Purse: $1 million
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Grade: 1
Age: 4+
Surface: Turf
Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational – 5:40 PM ET
Purse: $3 million
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Grade: 1
Age: 4+
Surface: Dirt
It didn’t take long after its inauguration in 2017 for the Pegasus World Cup to gain status as one of the premier dates on the North American Thoroughbred racing calendar.
Launched as part of an initiative to modernize the sport and galvanize a new generation of fans, the Pegasus World Cup immediately attracted the world’s top performing horses, jockeys, and trainers.
Featuring a jaw-dropping $12 million purse at the time of its maiden running, the Pegasus World Cup surpassed the Dubai World Cup as the world’s richest horse race in 2017. It held that coveted title again in 2018 when the event’s purse rose even higher to $16 million.
While changes in the race’s entry fee structure led to subsequent declines in purse value, the Pegasus World Cup brand has remained a powerful draw for some of the most recognizable names in racing and pop culture.
Past attendees of the Pegasus World Cup include Rick Ross, Jennifer Lopez, Gene Simmons, Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Vanessa Hudgens, Vin Diesel, and Venus Williams.
All that glitz and glamour has also resulted in impressive wagering outputs for the race named after Pegasus – a 110-foot statue of the Greek mythological figure stands in a can’t-miss position on the Gulfstream Park property.
The 2024 installment of the Pegasus World Cup produced a record-setting handle with more than $47 million wagered throughout the 13-race program. It surpassed the previous high of $43.9 million achieved in 2023.
Gulfstream Park first opened its doors on Feb. 1, 1939. Four days of racing later, the very same doors closed after the racetrack went bankrupt.
Another five years had passed before James Donn Sr., a creditor of the track, reopened Gulfstream for a 20-day meet in December 1944. This short but sweet trial run paved the way for the Hallandale Beach, Florida facility to experience remarkable growth in both size and popularity in the years that followed.
The 1950s were an especially important decade for Gulfstream’s development. In 1952, the track added a clubhouse as well as an addition to the grandstand. The Florida Derby (G1), which to this day represents an integral stop on the path to the Kentucky Derby, also debuted in ’52.
Seven years later, in 1959, Gulfstream introduced turf racing.
The 1970s and 80s can be characterized as Gulfstream’s modest renovations era, as a handful of improvements and additions were made around the property. Several large-scale, more comprehensive projects were launched in 2004, highlighted by a $130 million revamp of the clubhouse and grandstand.
Through swift and effective investments in the premises and its on-track product, Gulfstream rebounded from its rocky start to assert itself as one of North America’s most iconic Thoroughbred racing venues.
Today, the track recognized as a wintertime star for its warm weather and striking scenery, boasts three courses, each with a unique racing surface: A 1 1/8-mile dirt track (site of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational), a synthetic Tapeta track measuring 1-mile and 70 yards, and a 7-furlong turf course.
2024: National Treasure – Flavien Prat – Bob Baffert
2023: Art Collector – Junior Alvarado – William I. Mott
2022: Life Is Good – Irad Ortiz Jr. – Todd A. Pletcher
2021: Knicks Go – Joel Rosario – Brad H. Cox
2020: Mucho Gusto – Irad Ortiz Jr. – Bob Baffert
2019: City of Light – Javier Castellano – Michael W. McCarthy
2018: Gun Runner – Florent Geroux – Steven M. Asmussen
2017: Arrogate – Mike E. Smith – Bob Baffert
Most wins: No horse has won the Pegasus World Cup Championship more than once
Fastest time: 1:46.83 by Arrogate in 2017 (4 ¾-length victory)
Most wins by a jockey: 2 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2022, 2020)
Most wins by a trainer: 3 – Bob Baffert (2024, 2020, 2017)
Read about the 2025 Pegasus World Cup field here.
Read the latest horse racing news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Woodbine Entertainment Group.