Michigan horse racing fans get their first taste of premier racing in 2022 this weekend.
The Pegasus World Cup will be held on Saturday. The featured race of the weekend is the Pegasus World Cup Invitational.
This year’s race could be a historic one, as 2021 champion Knicks Go is in the field and looking to become the first repeat winner.
If you’re new to horse racing, TVG has a great promo to use on this weekend’s big race.
How to watch the 2022 Pegasus World Cup
- What: 2022 Pegasus World Cup
- When: Saturday, Jan. 29
- Where: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Fla.
- Race Surface: Dirt
- Race Distance: 1 1/8 mile (9 furlongs)
- Post Time: 5:46 p.m. ET
- Purse: $3 million
- Broadcast: NBC, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET
- Online viewing: NBCSports.com
What is the Pegasus World Cup?
The Pegasus World Cup is an annual event that started in 2017.
In its entirety, the Pegasus World Cup has three races.
- World Cup Invitational
- World Cup Turf Invitational
- Filly and Mare Turf Invitational
The World Cup Invitational is the prized race, a Grade 1 event.
Who is favored to win the Pegasus World Cup?
2021 champion Knicks Go is the favorite heading into the weekend following Tuesday’s post position drawing, opening at 6-5.
| Post Position | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knicks Go | 6-5 | Joel Rosario | Brad Cox |
| 2 | Chess Chief | 10-1 | Reylu Gutierrez | Dallas Stewart |
| 3 | Stilleto Boy | 20-1 | Kent Desormeaux | Ed. Moger, Jr. |
| 4 | Life Is Good | 7-5 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Todd Pletcher |
| 5 | Empty Tomb | 20-1 | Paco Lopez | Robert Falcone Jr. |
| 6 | Sir Winston | 12-1 | Edwin Gonzalez | Mark Casse |
| 7 | Title Ready | 20-1 | Tyler Gaffalione | Dallas Stewart |
| 8 | Endorsed | 20-1 | Umberto Rispoli | Mike Maker |
| 9 | Commandeer | 30-1 | Julien Leparoux | James Toner |
Knicks Go will start from the first post, while Life is Good is right behind from the No. 4 post with 7-5 odds. The next closest horse sits at 10-1, that is Chess Chief.
Can anyone keep Knicks Go from a repeat?
History could be made in this year’s Invitational, as Knicks Go looks to defend its title from 2021.
The 6-year-old stallion is the slight favorite for this race, which features horses four years old and up.
Knicks Go is a top contender to be named 2021 American Horse of the Year as it amassed five wins last year. Along with the Pegasus World Cup, Knicks Go also won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.
Ridden by Joel Rosario and trained by Brad H. Cox, Knicks Go went wire-to-wire as the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner. As a 6-5 favorite last year as well, Knicks Go came in with a winning time of 1:47.89.
Life Is Good, a 4-year-old trained by Todd A. Pletcher, is clearly viewed as the biggest challenger and enters with 7-5 odds. It has won five of its last six starts and owns a pair of wins over Medina Spirit, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner.
How to bet on horse racing
If you’re new to betting on horse racing, the verbiage can look a little intimidating at first. However, it’s a rather simple process, especially online.
Straight Bets are pretty straight forward. You are betting on a horse to finish in a particular spot.
- Win: You bet on a horse to win
- Place: You bet on a horse to finish first or second
- Show: You bet on a horse to finish first, second, or third.
Exotic Bets provide a little more variety and is where you can land the big payout.
- Exacta: You bet on two horses to finish first and second, in that order.
- Quinella: You bet on two horses to finish first and second, in any order.
- Trifecta: You bet on three horses to finish first, second and third, in that order.
- Superfecta: You bet on four horses to finish first, second, third and fourth, in that order.
Boxing the exotic bets is also an option to cover your bases if you like certain horses, but feel unsure of the finishing order.
You can also Wheel your exotic bets. This has you fixing the finishing position of your top horses and adding bets with combinations of even more horses to the later finishing positions. It’s a way to save money over boxing while still getting additional chances to win.
