The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes is a 1 1/8 mile horse racing event for horses four-year-old and up. The fifth edition of the prestigious race was held on January 23, 2021, live from Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino, located in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
It is one of the first horse racing events of the 2021 calendar, assembling twelve veteran horses to compete for the prize purse of $3,000,000. Entry in the Pegasus World Cup is by invitation only, and the runners must be free of medication on the race day.
Have you missed this year’s Pegasus World Cup? Don’t worry! Below are the main takeaways of the race.
Post-Position Order And Odds
Here is the official post-position order of the runners and their corresponding odds.
| Post-position Order Number | Horse Name | Odds | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | Sleepy Eyes Todd | 8-1 | Jose Ortiz | Miguel Silva | Thumbs Up Racing |
| 2 | Coastal Defense | 15-1 | Corey Lanerie | Dale Romans | Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust and Albaugh Family Stables |
| 3 | Independence Hall | 20-1 | Flavien Prat | Michael McCarthy | Kathleen and Robert Verratti, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners |
| 4 | Knicks Go | 5-2 | Joel Rosario | Brad Cox | Korea Racing Authority |
| 5 | Jesus’ Team | 8-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Jose D’Angelo | Grupo 7C Racing Stable |
| 6 | Kiss Today Goodbye | 10-1 | Mike Smith | J. Eric Kruljac | John Sondereker |
| 7 | Tax | 5-1 | Luis Saez | Danny Gargan | Hugh Lynch, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and R.A. Hill Stable |
| 8 | Harper’s First Ride | 10-1 | Angel Cruz | Claudio Gonzalez | MCA Racing Stable |
| 9 | Last Judgment | 20-1 | Paco Lopez | Mike Maker | Nice Guy Stables, Bethlehem Stables, Steve Hornstock, and Michael Dubb |
| 10 | Code of Honor | 9-2 | Tyler Gaffalione | Shug McGaughey | Will Farish |
| 11 | Mr. Freeze | 15-1 | John Velazquez | Dale Romans | Gerald Isbister and Jim Bakke |
| 12 | Math Wizard | 20-1 | Edgard Zayas | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Bassett Stables, Ioannis Zoumas, Collarmele Vitelli Stables, LC Racing, Cash is King, Khalid Mishref, and John Fanelli |
The Winners
Knicks Go dominated the 2021 Pegasus World Cup, where he revealed another display of class and sheer brilliance to grab hold of the massive prize purse. The Korea Racing Authority (KRA), the owner of Knicks Go, indeed made the smart move when it transferred the gray horse to the care of trainer Brad Cox.
Knicks Go quickly went to the lead and challenged the other runners to catch him right out of the starting gate. However, nobody came close. The public-favorite horse won his fourth consecutive victory and did so with ease.
According to trainer Brad Cox, excellent horses do excellent things, and Knicks Go just did something amazing in the Pegasus race. The KRA plans to keep Knicks Go running throughout 2021 and will be set up for stud next year.
Jockey Joel Rosario has a lot of faith and confidence in the gray horse. According to him, Knicks Go is a very special horse, and he just goes faster and faster. He set the pace in the race’s early stages, running past his opponents for a determinedly and tenaciously triumph in this year’s annual Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.
The past winners of the Pegasus World Cup prepped for the meet with a Breeder’s Cup victory. And Knicks Go joins them as he continues the trend after winning the Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile.
Moreover, Jesus’ Team finished second place, and Independence Hall was third. Knicks Go paid $3.00 to show, $3.60 to place, and $4.60 to win. On the other hand, Jesus’ Team paid $4.80 to show and $8.60 to place, while the third-place finisher paid $10.00 to show.
Jesus’ Team didn’t get enough pressure to steal the lead from Knicks Go. He did not have the advantage to win because Knicks Go ran the stretch alone in front. Independence Hall proved that he belonged in the Pegasus World Cup with a third-place win.
Additionally, below is the finishing places of the rest of the runners in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup.
● Sleepy Eyes Todd for the 4th place
● Code of Honor for the 5th place
● Coastal Defense for the 6th place
● Kiss Today Goodbye for the 7th place
● Last Judgment for the 8th place
● Math Wizard for the 9th place
● Tax for the 10th place
● Mr. Freeze for the 11th place
● Harper’s First Ride for the 12th place
Final Thoughts
The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes always brings out avid fans, influencers, and celebrities together. Attendance at this year’s annual event was capped at 1,800 people in compliance with the COVID-19 safety regulations. Social distancing and masks were mandatory, on top of other protocols.
Despite the low number in attendance, many people still enjoyed the race thanks to different betting sites and tvg coverage of pegasus world cup. Knicks Go was dominant from the front, seemingly transformed since moving to the barn of trainer Brad Cox.
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