Pegasus Cup – The World’s Greatest Prize

Pegasus Cup - The World's Greatest Prize

Legendary Pegasus Horse | Pexels.com

The Pegasus Cup ran for the first time on January 28th, 2017, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The first winner was Arrogate. Arrogate holds the race record in 1:46.83, which also became the track record at Gulfstream Park.

The 2023 Pegasus Cup will return this January 28th, and it has already started making waves around the horse race world. What do you know about this new but prestigious horse race competition? Read on.

The Pegasus Cup— Brief Review

This horse race has been the race with the highest prize of all horse races worldwide for the last two consecutive years.

In 2017 the Pegasus Cup was created with a new model where 12 investors each pay $1 million directly into the prize pool. In 2018 the prize pool increased to $16 million, with the Stronach Group adding $4 million to make the prize even more attractive.

However, in 2019, the size of the bag decreased from 16 million dollars to 9 million dollars due to the non-sale of all spaces in the 2018 edition.

However, in the 2023 Pegasus Cup edition, the race winner will take 1 million dollars from the purse money. Even though it is a significant reduction from some of its previous editions, it is still huge and bigger than most horse race purse money worldwide.

Pegasus Cup Facts and Statistics

Going into the Pegasus horse race 2023, here are a few statistics and facts about the Pegasus Cup’s previous editions:

  • The grade I race is for horses four years or older.
  • They run 1 1/8 miles (1,800 meters) on land.
  • The Breeders’ Cup Classic is usually a rematch of first and second place.
  • The Pegasus Cup is, for many equines, the last race of their lives. After the race, many horses are withdrawn from competition to begin life as a stud.
  • No horse has won the Pegasus Cup twice since it started in 2017.
  • Only Irad Ortiz Jr (rider) has won the race twice in 2020 and 2022, but with different race horses.
  • The fastest winning record time for the Pegasus Cup was set in its inaugural year by Arrogate with a race record of 1:46.83.
  • Since the Pegasus Cup’s founding, only US racehorse riders have won the purse money.

Pegasus World Cup History Past Winners

The Pegasus cup has had six previous editions, which have offered exciting races. Below are the Pegasus Cup’s previous winners, their race-winning time, the horse rider, and the winning year.

 

Year

Winner

Horse Rider

Time

2017 Gunrunner Florent Geroux 1:47.41
2018 Arrogate Mike E Smith 1:46.83
2019 City Of Light Javier Castellano 1:47.71
2020 Mucho Gusto Irad Ortiz Jr 1:48.85
2021 Knicks Go Joel Rosario 1:47.89
2022 Life Is Good Irad Ortiz Jr 1:48.91

 

Conclusion

The Pegasus Cup is one of the most significant horse race events in 2023 and is a must-follow for horse race lovers. The competition, named after the legendary horse Pegasus, has drawn top racehorses globally and celebrities to the event, and we expect the same for this year’s edition. Would you be interested in watching or attending this prestigious cup competition? We will be happy to hear your thoughts.