By Dennis Miller
It’s one of the biggest days of horse racing of the year as the Pegasus World Cup Day takes place at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday.
The day is capped with the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, which is scheduled to go off at 2:39 p.m. PDT and features a $3 million dollar purse.
Here is a look at the nine major stakes races scheduled for the day.
Grade III Christophe Clement
(5th race, 10:02 a.m.)
We get going with a long one as a group of fillies and mares head 1.5 miles on the turf.
Fionn (Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 5/2) is coming off an amazing 2025 where she won six of eight starts and almost $2 million. The last six starts have been graded races, with the last being the Jockey Club Oaks on November 15 at Aqueduct. She’s been off since then, but the barn does hit almost 30 percent coming off the break. She’s a closer so the added distance should not be a problem. This is the first start at Gulfstream and first time at the distance.
No Show Sammy Jo (Graham Motion, Jorge Ruiz, 9/5) is coming off a win in the Via Borghese Stakes, a race where three others runner entered here competed. That day she went to the back and saved ground, used the rail to take the lead on the turn, then drew off in the lane to win by over five. She has been a closer in every start, and the last win gave her two for the year along with two seconds in seven starts. Had one work since the race and it was more like a maintenance drill.
Gallant Greta (Michael Maker, Manny Franco, 12/1) was second in the Via Borghese. She bumped at the break, went to the rail to save ground, but had to go five wide to get clear and could never close on No Show Sammy Jo. She won three of nine starts and finished second five times in nine starts but most of the races allowance or optional claimers. It did take her six starts to break maiden.
Venencia (Saffie Joseph, Oisin Murphy, 12/1) got caught in an early duel in the Via Borghese then faded and finished sixth, beaten 10 lengths. Two back she did tackle the distance in the Grade III Dowager at Keeneland where she stalked the lead early, took the lead midway through the race and held on for the win by over two lengths.
$100,000 Handicap
(6th race, 10:33 a.m.)
This 4-year-olds and up going one mile, 70 yards on the Tapeta track. A field of 12 is signed up for this race.
Private Thoughts (Ronald Spatz, Tyler Gaffalione, 6/1) is an interesting runner. Six starts in 2025 resulted in four wins and a pair of seconds. He has also won four of his eight starts over the Tapeta at Gulfstream. The question is all off his starts have been and a similar level. Normally not a bad thing but you have some horses here that are dropping down from graded stakes races. His style is to sit mid-pack and move as they head for home. My advice – check the tote for clues.
Classic Mo Town (Martin Drexler, Junior Alvarado, 10/1) is one of those horses I was talking about above. He’s race in six graded races in his last six starts. On the flip side he’s hit the board once, winning six starts ago. Also all the races have been at Woodbine. He does have nine career starts over the track at Gulfstream and does have three wins. Not sure how the betting public is going to read this one.
Jokestar (Kevin Attard, Flavien Prat, 4/1) has two consecutive place showings in Grade III races at Woodbine, meaning he has seen better and ran solid, earning a 94 Beyer in both races. He has been a deep closer and there appears to be plenty of speed entered so it should set up nicely.
Horsepower (Joseph Orseno, Jose Ortiz, 9/2) might be my top pick in this spot. He has speed but doesn’t need the lead and could find a perfect trip here. Had nine starts in 2025, all in stake races and had three wins, three seconds, and one show. He has two starts over the surface, winning once.
Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint
(7th race, 11:04 p.m.)
Don’t blink or you will miss this one as the golf five furlongs on the turf for a purse of $175,000.
A field of 12 is set to go to post.
Coppola (Dale Romans, Irad Ortiz, 9/2) only has two wins in eight starts in 2025 but there is a lot to like here. This is likely the speed of the speed and there are other things to like. He has won four of eight starts on the turf at Gulfstream and is 6-of-12 lifetime at the distance. Concern is he gets locked up in a speed duel.
Incanto (Peter Eurton, Flavien Prat, 8/1) had a solid 2025, hitting the board six of his nine starts, sprinkling some stakes races along with some optional claiming races. His last start came in late November when he was second by a neck at Del Mar. He usually shows speed at this distance. He has some good works for the return.
Unconquerable Keen (Phil D’Amato, Umberto Rispoli, 4/1) had only three starts last year, running once in February, May, and the end of November. He did have a win and two thirds, winning his last start, the Stormy Liberal at Del Mar on Nov. 30. Another deep closer so will need some horses to be winging it out front. His last work was strong for his first start over the Gulfstream surface.
Grade III Fred Hooper
(8th race, 11:41 a.m.)
This is a one-turn mile on the main track for 4-year-olds and up.
Life and Times (Todd Pletcher, Jose Lezcano, 8/5) is the least experienced horse in the race with only two starts. He has won both starts and had over 100 Beyer marks for both races. He broke on Nov. 5 at Aqueduct when he wired the field. He then came back Dec. 6, also at Aqueduct in allowance company when he started second, took the lead mid-way through and then drew off to win by over six lengths. He is a lightly raced 5-year-old that has thrown in bullet works in the last two morning sessions.
Tour Player (Whitworth Beckman, Javier Castellano, 20/1) won all three starts last year for two different barns. Won for both Bob Baffert and D Wayne Lukas and is now in another barn – Whitworth Beckman. This will be his first stakes race, but he has got speed and the last two works were quick. Pretty sure he will either be on the lead or right off it. Major player in the pace factor. Big time value play.
Knightsbridge (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 6/5) ended 2025 with a win in the Grade III Mt. Prospect over the Gulfstream track.  Also got a 103 Beyer that day and had a big work in preparation for this.
Nelson Avenue (Jorge Abreu, Flavien Prat, 8/1) has seen some good races and run well in them. The last start was the Grade III Forty Niner at Aqueduct where he started near the back then closed strong to finish second at 7/1. He will run off the pace and move when they turn for home.
Grade III William L. McKnight
(9th race, 12:13p.m.)
Zverev (Michael Maker, Irad Ortiz, 6/1) has three straight wins but two came in optional claimers and the third in $125,000 stake. Big step up here but he does know how to win races. The last race he came from well off the pace, while two back saw him wire the field. This is the first start at Gulfstream.
Act a Fool (Laura Cazares, Joe Bravo, 30/1) comes in with two straight wins, but like the horse above they come against softer. The two wins came in optional claimers with different running styles. Two back, he came from mid-pack early and closed strong and the last race he wired the field, dueling throughout. He has been on or pushing the pace most of the time in his 12-race career
Layabout (Patrick Biancone, David Egan, 10/1) has had three decent runs in his last three, all stakes races. Three back in the Gun Runner on September 6 at Kentucky Downs he came from well back to get up to fourth. Two back in the Showing Up at Gulfstream on November 1 he came from mid-pack to finish second. In the last start in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream on Dec. 13. He pushed the pace and got up to win by a nose.
Hammerhead (Kevin Attard, Jose Ortiz, 12/1) has the last race to prove he’s in the conversation to win. In the Grade III Valedictory at Woodbine on Dec. 6 he took the lead in the middle of the race, then held on for the win.
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Grade II Filly and Mare Turf Invitational
(10th race, 12:45 p.m.)
Caitlinhergrtness (Kevin Attard, John Velazquez, 8/1) has been no worse than second in her last four starts with two wins and two places. Two back it was a second in the Grade III Bessarabian at Woodbine he was second. In her last race she took the My Charmer at Turfway Park. Loves to be close but not on the lead early.
Whiskey Decision (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 9/2) won two of three starts in 2025 but her most recent start was Sept. 14 when she won the Athenia at Aqueduct. After that strong close to win it, she went to the shelf. The barn fires at 26 percent off this length of a break, a solid number in the industry. While not spectacular, the works have been solid and consistent and the connections certainly warrant respect.
Proctor Street (Brendan Walsh, Tyler Gaffalione, 12/1) has three wins in her last five starts. The last race was Nov. 27 at Churchill in the $300,000 Cardinal where he took the lead at the top of the lane and held on at 3/1. Wants nothing to do with the early lead and loves to close hard.
And One More Time (Mark Casse, Javier Castellano, 12/1) ran only two races last year, winning an optional claimer in September and a second in the Tropical Park Oaks in December at Gulfstream. In the win she pushed the pace while in the stake she came late from mid-pack.
Grade II Inside Information
(11th race, 1:18 p.m.)
Indy Bay (Saffie Joseph, Irad Ortiz, 9/2) had won four of six races last year until he eased in the Grade I Cotillin on September 20 and was sent to the shelf for the rest of the year. Before then she was real good, running third in the Grade III Victory Ride, then winning the Grade II CT Oaks. The works for the return have been strong and the connections tell me she is ready to come back a winner.
Sterling Silver (Anthony Margotta, Javier Castellano, 8/1) hit the board in seven of eight starts in 2025. Has won the last two starts, taking the Iroquois October 25 at Aqueduct, then went to bench for a bit and changed barns. She came back strong, winning the $125,000 Rampart on December 26 at Gulfstream.
One Magic Philly (Brendan Walsh, Tyler Gaffalione, 10/1) has started at six different tracks in her six races in 2025 and run well so shipping has not been a problem. She was fourth in the Rampart behind three other horses entered here. She was in a good spot to win it but bumped in the lane and finished fourth. In the Grade III Chilukki she chased the leader all the way around the track and finished second. She loves to push the pace and will be part of the pace factor here.
Verity (Eoin Harty, Vincent Cheminaud, 12/1) had trouble two back in the Grade II Eight Belles on the Derby undercard, finishing fifth and went to the bench. She came back Nov. 27 and was second in a $100,000 optional claimer, closing strongly to make up two spots.
Grade I Turf Invitational
(12th race, 1:54 p.m.)
Program Trading (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 5/2) only ran three times in 2025 and was on the shelf for over a year. In August of last year he was second by a neck in the Burt Bacharach at Saratoga. He followed that with a second in the Turf Mile on October 4 at Keeneland. Nov. 1 of 2025 was his start and he found all kinds of trouble, finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. At 6-years-oldhe doesn’t appear to be the horse he was at four but a strong series of works throws him in the mix.
Gugino (Claude McGaughey, John Velazquez, 7/2) has two wins and a second in his last three starts. He won the Red Bank at Monmouth on Sept. 1, then came a month later to win the Grade II Red Smith by a nose at Aqueduct. The most recent start was in the Grade III Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 20 at Gulfstream. In the last three he also pushed the pace, always keeping within striking distance.
Cabo Spirit (George Papaprodromo, Mike Smith, 8/1) ships out from the West Coast where he has been making a living in graded races in Southern California. He has hit the board in seven of his nine starts this year, winning twice, running second twice, and showing three times. In his last start he wired the field in the Grade III San Gabriel, earning a 97 Beyer in the process.
Fort Washington (Claude McGaughey, Junior Alvarado, 10/1) won three of six starts last year but ended on a disappointing note when he was sixth in the Grade II Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs. That was September 6 and he went to the bench at that point until this spot. He did win the Grade I Arlington Million and the Grade III Dinner Party last year. He has been burning up the track in the morning for this.
Grade I Pegasus World Cup
(13th race, 2:39 p.m.)
This is the big dog. There are 12 horses set to go 1-1/8-miles with a $3 million purse. It’s a great field with some great story lines.
Disco Time (Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 8/5) is always exciting to watch and is a perfect 5-for-5 in his career. Last year as a 3-year-old he was on the early Derby list, winning the Lecomte with a thrilling stretch run but after the race he was sent to the bench until September, but when he came back – wow! First came the St. Louis Derby, an over five-length win, and a 101 Beyer. Next up was the Dwyer at Aqueduct on Nov. 8 where he won by over nine lengths and a 107 Beyer. Since then, he’s been drilling and doing so sharply, racking up a pair of bullet works in January alone. There is no secret as to what to expect – he will be with the leaders out of the game.
Tappan Street (Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 6/1) another big dog from the Cox barn, he was second in the Holy Bull and won the Florida Derby to put his name the Kentucky Derby favorite mix. But he went to the shelf as well, not coming back until December. He came back to an optional claimer at Gulfstream and got the win. His work has been sharp as well in January.
Captain Cook (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 15/1) is one I am throwing in as a value play to have on your ticket. Yes, only one win in six starts last year, but he ran second twice and third twice. His last start was Oct. 18 at Keeneland in the Grade III Perryville where he fought through to finish second.
Mika (Michael Maker, Manny Franco, 10/1) is another value play consideration. The last start was a second in the Grade II Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and he got a 106 Beyer. He’s a speed burner with all three wins coming by double digits.
White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph, Irad Ortiz, 4/1) is the defending champion and what a race that was, crossing the line over six lengths ahead of second place. The warning signs – the last three starts have been less than impressive with two fourths and a fifth in three Grade I races, the last of which was the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup August 31 of last year at Saratoga
Full Serrano (John Sadler, Joel Rosario) would have been the one to beat if this race was last year as he closed 2024 by running second in the Pacific Classic, then winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He tried to defend the BC title in 2025 but was fifth, beaten 12-lengths.