Pegasus World Cup: Tappan Street can start the season hot

Older dirt horses take the spotlight for the first time in 2026 with the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Saturday, January 24 at Gulfstream! The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race drew an overflow field of top dirt horses. With such a large and deep field, it will be one of the best horse racing betting opportunities of the season, and you have found the right place to find out how to get your piece of the action!

The Pegasus will be run for the 10th time in 2026. Its winners’ list already includes Hall of Fame inductees Arrogate and Gun Runner, as well as more Breeders’ Cup Classic winners in Knicks Go and White Abarrio. White Abarrio, who won the Pegasus last year, returns to the fray in 2026 to try and become the first two-time winner.

Keep reading to find out the best horses to bet this year in the Pegasus, and the best places to bet on sports, including horse racing, online!

Where to Bet the Pegasus World Cup

Before you dive into the Pegasus World Cup field, you should first find the best place to bet the Pegasus World Cup online. There are many options for online betting, but our experts are here to make it easy for you to make a confident and profitable decision.

All of the top online sportsbooks that our experts recommend have trusted payouts and market-leading odds. Each one also offers benefits you’ll never find at the track, which can include sportsbook sign-up bonuses and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even rebates that pay you in cash or free wagers for every bet you make! Taking a few minutes now to pick the best one for your betting style will supercharge your bankroll, so don’t miss out.

The Best Online Racebooks

These are the best online racebooks for betting the Pegasus World Cup online:

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Pegasus World Cup Horses and Odds

This is the official field for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:

  1. Disco Time (Brad Cox/Flavien Prat) – 8/5
  2. British Isles (David Fawkes/Diego Herrera) – 20-1
  3. Full Serrano (John Sadler/Josel Rosario) – 12/1
  4. Banishing (David Jacobson/Jose Ortiz) – 20-1
  5. Skippylongstocking (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Tyler Gaffalione) – 15-1
  6. Madaket Road (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) – 10-1
  7. Tappan Street (Brad Cox/Luis Saez) – 6-1
  8. Poster (Eoin Harty/Junior Alvarado) – 20-1
  9. Captain Cook (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) – 15-1
  10. Mika (Mike Maker/Manny Franco) – 10-1
  11. White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Irad Ortiz, Jr.) – 4-1
  12. Brotha Keny (Jose D’Angelo/Javier Castellano) – 30-1
  13. Lightning Tones (Jose Castro/Jose Morales) – ALSO ELIGIBLE
  14. Catalytic (Antonio Sano/David Egan) – ALSO ELIGIBLE

Keep in mind that the morning-line odds from the track can be a good guide for which horses are expected to take betting action, but they are no guarantee for a price. After all, on-track odds fluctuate all the way until post time, meaning late action on a horse can turn an overlay into too short a price.

There is a better way: playing the Pegasus World Cup at an online sportsbook. In addition to the bonuses, online betting is also better because sportsbooks offer fixed odds wagering on major races like the Pegasus. That means, if you see an overlay, you can lock it in just by placing a bet. Then, you know exactly what you’ll cash when your horse wins!

Bovada Sportsbook Review 2026BetOnline Sportsbook & Casino Review 2026BetUS Sportsbook Review 2026
Disco TimeTBA+180TBA
Tappan StreetTBA+275TBA
White AbarrioTBA+450TBA
Full SerranoTBA+850TBA
Madaket RoadTBA+1100TBA

Free Pegasus World Cup Picks

With your betting account at the ready, it is time to handicap the 2026 Pegasus World Cup!

Pegasus World Cup Best Bet

Tappan Street is the best bet in the 2026 Pegasus World Cup. The last horse to beat Sovereignty, he won the Florida Derby (G1) over this same course and distance last year. Though he was then sidelined with an injury, his return over the local course last month was a useful prep that showed he was in form, and still liked the dirt in Hallandale. With so much speed drawn in, expect him to track a couple lengths off and make a tough run in the lane.

Tappan StreetTo win the Pegasus World Cup
★★★★★
+275
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Pegasus World Cup Favorites

Among the other two horses who should get significant market interest, one is interesting and one is worth dismissing.

Take a stand against morning-line favorite Disco Time. He has yet to lose in five starts, but has never faced older and never faced top-level company at all. He has also never raced past 1 1/16 miles, meaning this is a new distance test. He’ll have to work out a trip hemmed in on the rail against a lot of other horses who have sharp early speed – in short, this is a lot to ask at a minuscule price.

White Abarrio, the defending champion, has reason to turn in another good effort over his favorite track. Though he hasn’t raced since August, he has been able to pop up sharp first off a layoff. He does his best work at Gulfstream: he has eight wins and a second in 10 local starts, including a pair of scores at the Grade 1 level. And, he has the versatility to handle the outside gate and work a good trip.

White AbarrioTo win the Pegasus World Cup
★★★★★
+450
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Longshot Special

Poster is the most intriguing longshot in the Pegasus World Cup. Though he missed by a head to Skippylongstocking last out, it was still a strong effort. He’ll get the right setup in this, with plenty of pace to rally into, though he has shown that he can win from either the clouds or just a few lengths back – just what a Gulfstream closer coming into a race with so much speed should have.

PosterTo win the Pegasus World Cup
★★★★★
+2200
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Furthermore, trainer Eoin Harty does well and can win at a price both with first-time blinkers and with horses coming third off the lay. These both give him upside to improve from two recent starts that have both been very good – and the return to 1 ⅛ miles is a plus as well, as he won a Grade 2 in his only dirt start over that distance.

Exotic Contenders

Full Serrano returns to the track for the first time since the Breeders’ Cup. He will have to bounce back from a defeat in his repeat attempt in the Dirt Mile, but his speed is an asset at Gulfstream – especially since, even though there’s so much other speed, he is game enough to do dirty work and still be in the picture at the end.

Two others who can fill out underneath exotics include Banishing and Skippylongstocking. Banishing is Grade 1-placed at seven furlongs in an absolutely loaded edition of the Churchill Downs (G1) last year, but has successfully stretched out to this route distance and could chase for a piece. Skippylongstocking, making his fourth attempt in this race, is still a consistent, Gulfstream-loving horse who could round out a trifecta or superfecta.

Pegasus World Cup Free Picks

You have your betting account, and you have gotten to know the top contenders. Now, it’s just time to start betting! These are the best bets for Saturday’s 2026 Pegasus World Cup:

  • $20 to win – #7 Tappan Street
  • $10 to win/place – #8 Poster
  • $1 exacta box – #7 Tappan Street, #8 Poster, #11 White Abarrio
  • $0.50 trifecta key – #7 Tappan Street with #3 Full Serrano, #4 Banishing, #8 Poster, #11 White Abarrio
  • $0.20 superfecta key – #7 Tappan Street with #3 Full Serrano, #4 Banishing, #5 Skippylongstocking, #8 Poster, #11 White Abarrio
Rowan Ward

They have been attending the races regularly for over ten years, since catching the horse racing bug at the 2013 Arlington Million. Since then their writing has appeared in their own blog and across the horse racing internet. They are still at Hawthorne for every day of live racing, and their focuses within horse racing include national stakes races, local C...

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