The first edition of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, which replaced the Donn Handicap, was held at Gulfstream Park in 2017 and won in dominant fashion by Arrogate. Saturday’s 10th edition of one of the richest races in North America drew a full field of 12 plus two also-eligible entrants. Seven of the entrants are graded stakes winners with the main body of 12 horses totaling more than $17 million in career earnings. This year’s Pegasus World Cup is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and headlines a strong Gulfstream card on Saturday featuring seven graded stakes races. White Abarrio, who won last year’s edition by 6 ¼ lengths, returns seeking a repeat victory against a strong lineup.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Disco Time is undefeated from five career starts. He drew the rail for trainer Brad Cox and gets a rider change to Flavien Prat. The 4-year-old Not This Time colt has won his last two starts by a combined 15 ¼ lengths following a nine-month layoff after his win in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes in January 2025. British Isles is seeking his first win on the dirt after a narrow defeat last time out to Nevada Beach in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes going this 1 1/8-mile distance at Del Mar in his main track debut. Full Serrano, the 2024 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner, will be making his first start outside of California since relocating to North America in 2024. Joel Rosario was aboard Full Serrano for both the 2024 and 2025 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile and retains the mount for trainer John Sadler. Banishing's last two races came in six-furlong sprints following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic Stakes in September going this same 1 1/8-mile distance. Jose Ortiz will be reunited with the 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding for the first time since June for trainer David Jacobson. Skippylongstocking, a career earner of more than $3.7 million who finished third in last year’s Pegasus World Cup, is fresh off a narrow victory in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes last time out at Gulfstream Park for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Tyler Gaffalione has four wins aboard the now 7-year-old son of Exaggerator and retains the mount following their win last time out. Madaket Road ships in from Santa Anita Park for trainer Bob Baffert, who has three Pegasus World Cup wins with Arrogate, Mucho Gusto (2020), and National Treasure (2024). Madaket Road will be making his eighth consecutive graded stakes appearance in search of his first stakes win. Tappan Street, a 4-year-old Into Mischief colt and Cox’s second entrant, has made all four career starts at Gulfstream. Following his win in last year’s Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, Tappan Street was sidelined for 8 ½ months and returned in December to win an allowance-optional claiming race, earning a career best 104 Equibase Speed Figure. Poster is fresh off a narrow defeat to Skippylongstocking in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream. Trainer Eoin Harty will add blinkers for the first time, and Junior Alvarado will ride the 2024 Remsen Stakes winner for the first time. Captain Cook returns to this 1 1/8-mile distance after three consecutive starts going seven furlongs on the dirt. Since joining the Todd Pletcher barn in August, Captain Cook has run second in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes and the Grade 3 Perryville Stakes. John Velazquez will ride Captain Cook for the first time in the Pegasus. Mika finished second by a neck in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap Dec. 6 at Aqueduct, where he earned a career-best and the highest last-out 114 Equibase Speed Figure in this field. The 4-year-old Catholic Boy colt will be making his second start for Mike Maker. Last year’s Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio drew post 11 as one of two entrants for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The now 7-year-old by Race Day has eight wins from 10 career starts at Gulfstream and lifetime earnings of $7,151,920. Barring no scratches, Brotha Keny rounds out the body of the field for trainer Jose D’Angelo and is fresh off a half-length win in the Zia Park Derby in November.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

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Tappan Street is no stranger to the Gulfstream Park main track. Although he has been training at Payson Park this winter, the Into Mischief colt has never made a start outside of Gulfstream. Just before turning 3, he debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special weight and won by 1 ¾ lengths. Two months later, he stretched out to two turns for the first time in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and, despite going off as the favorite, finished second to Burnham Square while 9 ¼ lengths clear of third. Trainer Brad Cox bypassed the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes to aim for the 2025 Florida Derby. Sent off at 2.40-1 odds, Tappan Street settled in mid-pack before pouncing at the top of the stretch and drawing clear to win by 1 ¼ lengths over Sovereignty, the eventual winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. An untimely injury during a workout one week before the 151st run for the roses forced Cox to withdraw Tappan Street from the Derby. Still, he remains the only horse to have defeated Sovereignty during their 3-year-old campaigns, which elevates the significance of that Florida Derby victory. After nearly nine months on the sidelines, Tappan Street returned against allowance-optional claiming company going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream and won by a length while improving to a 104 speed figure. This “get-back” race indicated he returned in winning form and remains a Grade 1-caliber contender. Cox has excelled with runners making their second start off a 180-day layoff or more, winning at 26% over the last five years with this move. Another positive is the return of jockey Luis Saez, who was aboard Tappan Street in his first three starts, including the Florida Derby. Over the past year, Saez has won at a 26% clip from 57 mounts with a 30% return on investment when reuniting with a horse he previously won aboard but did not ride last out. While questions remain for this promising colt, particularly when facing older horses at the highest level, Tappan Street has excelled against elite competition and continues to trend forward in all the right metrics.

Skippylongstocking has built an impressive career, consistently facing many of the best horses in the country over multiple seasons. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator has made 27 graded stakes appearances, winning 10 and finishing in the money 18 times. His durability and class make him a threat in any Grade 1 event, especially at his home track of Gulfstream Park, where he has four wins. Skippylongstocking earned his first career win at Gulfstream in September 2021 and fittingly closed out his 6-year-old campaign with another Gulfstream victory in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Dec. 20. That performance was particularly noteworthy given his prior two starts, a seventh by 12 ¾ lengths in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes and a last-place finish, beaten by 39 ¼ lengths, in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. Skippylongstocking has repeatedly shown the ability to rebound from off-form efforts, including being pulled up in the 2024 Pegasus World Cup and then returning to win the graded stakes in his next two starts. His tenacity, consistency, and affinity for nine furlongs have resulted in four graded stakes wins at this distance. At 15-1 odds on the morning line, Skippylongstocking offers strong value for a veteran with a history of success at the highest level.

Disco Time. (Jason Moran/Eclipse Sportswire)

Disco Time has been perfect throughout his career, posting five wins from as many career starts, despite a nearly nine-month layoff in between his third and fourth starts. The Not This Time colt started his career at Churchill Downs in November 2024, winning a maiden special weight and an allowance-optional claimer that month by a combined margin of 7 ¼ lengths. He jumped up to graded stakes company in his 3-year-old debut last January, going two turns for the first time on a sloppy Fair Grounds track in the Lecomte Stakes and rallied on the extreme outside to win by a neck. Disco Time was sidelined until September after that impressive victory and returned with a dominant 5 ½-length win in the 1 1/16-mile St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park, improving to a 94 Equibase Speed Figure. He again improved his speed figure to a massive 112 last time out for his 9 ¾-length victory in the Dwyer Stakes at Aqueduct going a one-turn mile. While he has yet to run nine furlongs, his pedigree and past performances suggest he should have no problem stretching out another half-furlong. Prat has been named to ride for the first time, which can be seen as a notable positive considering he is winning at 34% so far in 2026 from 59 mounts. Trainer Cox and Prat have been highly successful together over the last three years, winning at a 33% clip from 291 starts in all races at all tracks. In the same timeframe, they are winning at a tremendous 27% from 98 graded stakes starts together and 55% in-the-money. Cox has also had much success with horses owned by Juddmonte. Over the last five years, he wins at 32% in graded stakes races with horses owned by Juddmonte from 85 starts. Disco Time has shown a keen ability to find the winner’s circle and has all the right connections. The question remains: how will he fair against older horses, especially at 8-5 on the morning line? He should run well on Saturday and is a major contender.

The rest of the field (with best Equibase Speed Figures in a similar race): British Isles (108), Full Serrano (115), Banishing (116), Madaket Road (109), Poster (106), Captain Cook (108), Mika (114), White Abarrio (122), and Brotha Keny (107).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Tappan Street

Skippylongstocking 

Disco Time