Pegasus World Cup: Cyberknife Will Look To Close Out His Racing Career With His Biggest Win Yet

Check out our predictions and odds for the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park!

*Odds provided by Gulfstream Park.

Pegasus World Cup Predictions and Best Bets

Here are my plays ($60 in total)

$5 Exacta Box - Cyberknife, White Abarrio, and Proxy = $30

$5 Exacta Box - Cyberknife, White Abarrio, and Defunded = $30

If you're playing only to win, go with my top pick Cyberknife (5/2).

A two-time Grade 1 winner last year, Cyberknife will look to close out his racing career with his biggest win yet when he tops the field in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

When last seen the Brad Cox trainee was a gallant runner-up behind Cody’s Wish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on November 5. 

Victories in the Grade 1 Haskell and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby highlighted a 3-year-old season that saw him better $2 million in earnings. This will be his final career race before his new career as a stallion. 

Chief among his opposition in the 9-fulong Pegasus World Cup will be the Godolphin homebred Proxy. 

Trained by Michael Stidham, he had been knocking on the door in graded stakes before finally breaking through in his last start. 

A victory in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs to close out his 4-year-old season pointed out the son of Tapit as a player in the older male division this year.

A host of others in the 12-horse field merit serious consideration on Saturday. Graded stakes winners: Skippylongstocking, Defunded, Art Collector and White Abarrio lead the way among the rest.

Pegasus World Cup Predictions and Race Analysis

Cyberknife

The class of the race, this son of Gun Runner ran numerous very good races as a 3-year-old. He was first or second six times and won three graded stakes races. In fact, if not for a spirited close by Cody’s Wish, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile would have been his third Grade 1 score of the season. 

Trained by Brad Cox, he always showed ability in the mornings, so it was good to see him consistently develop throughout the year.

 Unfortunately, this will be the last race of his career, but given nearly three months since that last tough race, he should be ready for his absolute best on Saturday. With the ability to win from various early positions and proven at the distance, he is the top pick in this deep field.

Proxy

After hitting the top four in his first eight stakes attempts, this son of Tapit may have turned the corner last out when he showed a little more early pace and was able to run to victory down the Churchill Downs stretch to win the Grade 1 Clark. 

This is a stronger overall field than that was, but with plenty of early pace in this race, he looks like a good bet to once again hit the board. 

Off of that initial stakes victory, it remains to be seen whether he is ready to move to a top contender amongst the older dirt males, but it is certainly possible as a mature 5-year-old. He is not my top pick, but a must use in the exotics.

Skippylongstocking

The first of three from the Saffie Joseph, Jr. barn, this one comes in off a nice prep win over the track in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday. A repeat of that performance puts him in with a chance on Saturday, but the competition will be a step up. 

Third in the Belmont Stakes and a winner of the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby, he enjoyed a solid sophomore season, but was not quite able to truly contend in the biggest races in which he ran. 

He has good versatility with his running style and seems to like the Gulfstream Park track, so he is a threat, but I do prefer a few others on Saturday.

Defunded

Trained by Bob Baffert, this son of Dialed In has turned around his career of late with a pair of good-looking graded stakes scores in Southern California, including the Grade 1 Awesome Again two starts back. 

Having displayed flashes of talent earlier in his career, it looks like he may be ready to be a force within the division. Having said that, this will be his toughest test yet, and he will need to prove he can get it done away from Southern California tracks. 

Picking up Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the race is a plus, and he looks tactical enough to be well placed early. He is a contender.

Art Collector

It’s always wise to fear quality speed, and this Grade 1 winner qualifies on both accounts. A winner of half of his 20-lifetime starts, this son of Bernardini has amassed over $2.3 million in career earnings.

I believe the question with him is if he can win when there is another quality speed in the race. In many of his defeats, he was pressured early or was never able to get to the lead outright. I think that may be the case again here. 

He is certainly a danger to go gate to wire in here, but my belief is that this will be a race where he feels the pressure early and is fading late.

White Abarrio

This son of Race Day looks like the horse for the course in this year’s Pegasus field. He is a perfect 4-for-4 over the track, with two graded stakes wins, including last spring’s Grade 1 Florida Derby. 

There have been some spotty races since then, but his last race, a third in the Cigar Mile, was solid and he has been working well at Gulfstream Park since. The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trainee also has the versatility to be right there early, or to come from off it a little if the pace is fast.  

This Pegasus field has plenty of potential winners, but this one looks like a good bet to be in the mix at attractive odds. He is the top longshot.

O’Connor

This import from Chile looked the part of a graded stakes horse when he rolled to an easy victory in his American debut for new trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. 

A Group 1 winner in his native land, he then moved up to graded stakes company last time but could do no better than fourth behind stablemate Skippylongstocking in the Harlan’s Holiday.

A classy horse in South America, he is eligible to improve in his third start in the country, but the last one does not inspire enough confidence to play him against this Grade 1 field.

Get Her Number

Trained by Peter Miller, this Dialed In 5-year-old comes into the Pegasus in very good form. Two starts back, he got up late to defeat a strong pair in Ginobili and Forbidden Kingdom going six furlongs, then last time he just missed when stretched out for the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. 

Now he gets another furlong, as he ships to the East Coast again. It’s a concern, but he was a Grade 1 winner back as a juvenile going two turns. 

He’ll have to work out a good trip stalking what should be a strong early pace, but as good as his recent form is, he is certainly one to consider on Saturday.

Simplification

This son of Not This Time is another who cannot be dismissed. A graded stakes winner at Gulfstream Park, he was good enough last spring to finish 4th of 20 in the Kentucky Derby. 

Trained by Antonio Sano, his record has been a little spotty since then, but he comes in off a good prep over the track. Never out of the money in seven career tries over the track, he has some things to like as a longshot. 

His recent form, however, suggests that he is a cut below the best here. I like too many others better to strongly consider using.

Last Samurai

A stakes winner each of the last two seasons, this son of Malibu Moon comes in off a sharp second-place finish last out. 

That performance, as well as both of his career stakes wins, came at Oaklawn Park The 5-year-old doesn’t seem quite as strong away from that Arkansas oval. Two starts back he was well beaten when fourth behind Proxy in the Clark. 

He has a versatile running style and has kept good company, but anything more than a minor share against this deep field would be a surprise.

Ridin With Biden

This Parx shipper has proven to be a pretty consistent runner for trainer Butch Reid. He’s collected three stakes wins in his last four races, and four in his last six. 

Most recently he was a game, nose winner of the listed stakes race three weeks ago. The problem is that all of his wins have come against a few levels of a class below what he will deal with in the Pegasus World Cup. 

He does have enough early speed to perhaps be close early, but after that, I do not like his chances to be there when the race is decided.

Stilleto Boy

At his best, this son of Shackleford has run some very good races. He was actually third in this race last year, and not all that far behind Knicks Go for the second. 

On the other hand, he has only one win in his last 12 starts and seems like a horse more comfortable being an also-ran than a win contender. 

Once again, it looks to be a tough spot for him, but a performance where he fills out a spot in the bottom of the exotics is not out of the question for this graded stakes winner.

Hoist the Gold (AE)

As part of the Also Eligible list, he will only run in the event of a scratch from the field. If he does draw in, he looks like an unlikely candidate to be a contender. 

He was third in the recent Grade 1 Malibu, but that came rallying past tired horses while not threatening the winner. He also is a sprinter who would be trying distance where he is completely unproven.

Endorsed (AE)

As part of the Also Eligible list, he will only run in the event of scratches from the field. If he does draw in, I would find him hard to recommend. 

Although he does have a pair of wins at Gulfstream, those came against far lesser competition than he would face here. His graded stakes form is not good, and this looks like a deeper overall field than the one he was beaten in this race last year by nine lengths at 85/1 odds.

How to Watch the Pegasus World Cup

Pegasus World Cup Race Information

• What: Pegasus World Cup (Grade1)

• Location: Gulfstream Park

• Time: Saturday, January 28 -- 5:40 pm Eastern time

• How to Watch: FanDuel TV

• Purse: $3,000,000