The soon to come nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup will bring together twelve horses with a $1 million buy in just to show up at Gulfstream Park.
The Pegasus World Cup is scheduled to be run January 28 and it would not be in conflict with either the Dubai World Cup or the Breeders’ Cup.
The movie the Dirty Dozen, a gritty war film starring Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland and the great Jim Brown among others, was about convicts being assembled to fight. They were there to fight for the Allied Forces with basically all or nothing on the line, and the Pegasus World Cup has a bit of that in its structure.
Under the format, the race would feature twelve starters, with each entrant required to pay $1 million to purchase a position in the gate. The entrant would then have the right to race, lease, contract or share a starter. They could also sell their place in the gate, and would have the first right of refusal for subsequent races. Entrants would also have an equal share in the net income from the race.
Think whatever you want about the controversial head of Gulfstream Park Frank Stronach, but he is still trying to promote this game. This was his concept and people got on the bandwagon immediately.
In addition to the winner earning a $7 million portion of the purse, there would be revenue generated from television rights and sponsorships, making this a marketing bonanza.
One week after the formal announcement, the Stronach Group announced that all twelve slots for the race had been purchased. Among the owners who immediately snatched up the golden tickets were Frank Stronach, of course, James McIngvale, who won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Runhappy in 2015 and Nyquist’s owner, Paul Reddam. Nyquist won this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Hollywood producers Jerry and Ronald Frankel will be looking for a hit in the Pegasus World Cup as will fund gurus Sol Kumin and James Covello. Mick Ruis Sr. and his family have been around racing for years and they will not miss this opportunity.
Dan Reeves will be hoping to repeat the excitement of his Mucho Macho Man, a Breeders’ Cup winner in 2013. The ownership of California Chrome threw their hat into the Pegasus World Cup ring as did Jack Wolf (who heads up the marketing of the race) and Donnie Lucarelli of Starlight Partners.
Jeffery Weiss, who raced successful runner Bashart, takes a shot in this event as will one of the most potent breeding operations in the world. Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor operate Coolmore Stud and they are a must player in this venture.
What is immediately interesting is that the race has also lured a gentleman that has never even owned horses.
A 32-year-old man in the pizza business named Dan Schafer will be making his first investment in the sport by putting up the $1 million to secure a spot in this race.
He is kind of a mystery man and even if this is no more than a person seeking publicity to sell a few more pies, it could turn out to be inspired. Schafer visited Churchill Downs 16 years ago, ran into Bob Baffert by happenstance, and then knew what he wanted to do.
This is a nice switch up to the racing scene if one looks at it liberally. Basically, the thoroughbred racing action is kind of bundled throughout the year.
There is the Triple Crown Series starting from the get go and ending in the Belmont Stakes. Even if there is no runner eligible to win the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes is still compelling.
In the summer, the beautiful niche venues of Saratoga and Del Mar hold down the fort and even though the racing landscape has changed in California, those meetings are extremely attractive.
And then the final build-up of the year is the run to the Breeders’ Cup, with the emphasis on the Juvenile champ, who will be billed as the next possible Kentucky Derby winner. Of course, the Breeders’ Cup Classic will bring together the best horses in the world with in all likelihood, Horse of the Year honors in the balance.
The Pegasus World Cup is a wild card and this sport needs wild cards.
