These horses will be running next week for big payouts at Gulfstream Park’s Pegasus

With a purse of $9 million, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26 isn’t as rich as it once was.

But it remains the richest race in North America — three times richer than the Kentucky Derby — and continues to attract the best horses in training.

Such will be the case for the third running when West Coast-based Accelerate is expected to contest the 1 1/8 mile stakes against a field of thoroughbred racing’s top heavyweights.

The 6-year-old horse won six of his seven races in 2018, capped off with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November. The horse who finished second to Accelerate in the Classic, Gunnevera, is also expected to run in the Pegasus. Joel Rosario is scheduled to ride Accelerate while Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard Gunnevera.

Others expected to take part in the Pegasus include 2018 Preakness runner-up Bravazo, unbeaten Mexican star Kukulkan, and last year’s Florida Derby winner, Audible.

The purse for the Pegasus was reduced from $16 million to $9 million this year. But Gulfstream officials made up for the difference by adding a new race to the card, the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational for top grass horses.

The inaugural running of the 1 3/16-mile turf event is expected to attract of several top turf horses, including Japanese invader Aerolithe, Breeders’ Cup Mile runner up Catapult, and Irish-bred filly Magic Wand.

Yoshida, a Japan-bred horse who finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic behind Accelerate and Gunnevera, is expected to switch back to grass for the Pegasus World Cup Turf.

This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 12:59 PM.