Stronach Group introduces G1 turf companion to Pegasus World Cup
2018 Pegasus World Cup winner Gun Runner, here winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Photo by Ting Shen/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup.
From a Stronach Group release
The Stronach Group, owners of the Pegasus World Cup, announced today an exciting new element to what has become, in just two short years, one of the premier events on the Thoroughbred racing calendar. The Pegasus World Cup 2019, to be held on January 26, will be adding a Grade 1 turf stakes to this year’s race-day festivities.
The addition of the turf race, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles, aims to attract and showcase twelve of the best older turf horses from around the world turning the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational into a Championship Invitational Series. The total purse for the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational will sit at $7 million with $3 million awarded to the winner. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, to be contested on the dirt at 1 1/8 miles, will offer a $9 million purse with a $4 million prize waiting for the winner of the twelve-horse field.
“The appetite for a turf race is strong and the decision to include a premier turf race is part of the ongoing evolution of the Pegasus World Cup,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairman and President, The Stronach Group. “We are excited to expand this event for both horse owners and fans, adding to what is already an incredible day of entertainment and world-class racing at Gulfstream Park.”
Any horse owner who purchases a spot in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational will be given preference to purchase a spot in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. The cost to secure an entry spot and enter a horse is $500,000 per race.
“As an international owner I am thrilled that the Pegasus World Cup will include a turf race,” said John Magnier, Founder of Coolmore. “Coolmore, like The Stronach Group, believes in growing our sport and there is no better way to do that than to provide a new platform to showcase the world’s best Thoroughbreds.”
As an added incentive and as part of the commitment to provide new, lucrative opportunities for horse owners, The Stronach Group will offer a $1 million bonus to the owner who wins both the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.
The Stronach Group will also introduce a new wager, the Pegasus Pick 24. The Pegasus Pick 24 will offer up the chance to bet on the exact finish order for both the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, adding another layer to the race-day excitement. A whopping $5 million bonus awaits the lucky fan who hits on the Pegasus Pick 24.
Blending entertainment, innovation and Thoroughbred horse racing like no other event of its kind, the Pegasus World Cup has captured the attention of the racing industry, celebrities and fans from around the world. Past winners include Arrogate, the Horse of the Year for 2017 and the top-earning Thoroughbred of all time, and 2018 Horse of the Year, Gun Runner.
