As much as parts of the country is looking at snow and freezing temperatures, the 2026 turf racing season will kick into gear with the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes, the first Grade 1 turf stakes of 2026. With a purse of $1 million on the line, it’s no surprise there’s a field of 12 well-matched turfers, plus one also-eligible entrant.

1. Test Score (8-1 morning-line odds): Highly consistent 4-year-old faces older horse for the first time. He has the rail but his speed figures come up short against the top older horses in the field.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Graham Motion

2. Program Trading (5-2): Fell too far back and then had traffic issues in the stretch of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF. Was only beaten by 5 1/4 lengths that day and should relish the added distance.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown

3. Beach Gold (15-1): Rallied for third in the prep for this, the Grade 3 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes. Has a chance to figure in the exotics if he fires his best race.

JOCKEY: David Egan; TRAINER: Patrick Biancone                             

4. One Stripe (12-1): Showed an unusual turn of early speed in the Breeders’ Cup Mile before tiring. Went back to his closing style and romped in an allowance-optional claimer after that. Could sneak into the picture late with a proper ride.

JOCKEY: Gavin Lerena; TRAINER: Graham Motion

5. Almendares (20-1): Has consistently placed in Grade 2 and 3 stakes on West Coast. Hasn’t been tested at a distance as long as 1 1/8 miles in his 10 starts in 2024-’25, so the distance is a question mark.

JOCKEY: Umberto Rispoli; TRAINER: Phil D’Amato

6. Call Sign Seven (15-1): Rallied from seventh in the final furlong to win the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap Nov. 29 at Del Mar off a layoff of more than 8 ½ months. Will need to take a step forward to be a top threat here, but it’s not out of the question.

JOCKEY: Ricardo Gonzalez; TRAINER: Michael McCarthy

Major Dude (Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos)

7. Major Dude (8-1): He was sixth in last year’s race at 5.80-1, so he has some back class based on the odds. Has hit the board in 17 of 26 starts but has not won a graded stakes in more than a year.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

8. Cabo Spirit (8-1): Speedy Californian looks like the one to catch. Despite the big field, he may get away with a moderate pace. Won the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita on the front end, so he’s capable of hanging around until the end.

JOCKEY: Mike Smith; TRAINER: George Papaprodromou

9. Chasing the Crown (20-1): Rallied from 12^th to finish third in last year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf. Has only raced three times since then, and failed to menace in a pair of graded stakes in his last two races.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Mike Maker

Cugino (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

10. Cugino (7-2): Was a game second in the Ft. Lauderdale and won the Grade 3 Red Smith Stakes before that. The post could be problematic, but he merits serious consideration.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

11. Astronomer (15-1): Has been competitive in Grade 2 and 3 stakes, but a career record of three wins from 22 starts does not bode well against Grade 1 competition from post-position 11.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Simon Callaghan

12. Fort Washington (10-1): Wound up a respectable fifth in last year’s race despite being fanned into the eight path for the stretch run after breaking from post-position 12. Captured the Arlington Million at 1 ¼ miles to become a Grade 1 winner but has not raced since early September when he was a nonthreatening sixth in a $2.5 million Kentucky Downs stakes. Capable of bouncing back with a big effort here, but landing post 12 again does not help his chances.

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

13. Balnikhov (Also-Eligible): Will need a scratch to run after finishing eighth in his last two starts against graded-stakes competition.

JOCKEY: Umberto Rispoli; TRAINER: Phil D’Amato

THE PICK: Program Trading

LIVE LONGSHOT: One Stripe 

SUPERFECTA: 2-8-10-4