Gulfstream Pegasus World Cup Picks for Saturday 1/28/23

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park has quickly become one of horse racing's most anticipated events. And on Saturday, the Gulfstream Championship Meet continues with a huge day of racing featuring the $3 million Pegasus World Cup and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf - both televised on NBC from 4:30-6 p.m. ET.

FanDuel Racing has you covered for the biggest racing days and events. Check out the Pegasus World Cup field, and the picks for Gulfstream's two biggest races Saturday, which are both 1 1/8 mile races.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, monitor the weather and keep an eye on the track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Pegasus World Cup Picks

According to numberFire horse racing projections, these are the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. City Man and Wit, Race 12

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 8/1
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Race 12 is the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The numberFire data projects Lady Speightspeare (6/1) to win and Ivar (5/2) and City Man (4/1) as top win contenders.

Lady Speightspeare has won three of her last four starts and finished 3rd last race in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She faces the boys, and a tough pair starting with Ivar, who races at Gulfstream for the first time. Ivar finished 4th in his last race, the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, and was also runner-up in his two previous Grade 1 races.

City Man is a versatile runner and a son of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man. He's won four of his last five starts including at Gulfstream last month, but no Grade 1 wins.

City Man and Wit (8/1) are top win contenders, according to Top Race Reports. Wit is conditioned by leading trainer Todd Pletcher, and top jockey Jose Ortiz rides. Wit breaks from the rail and is healthy, sharp, and proven with eight in-the-money finishes in his last nine stakes starts.

2. O'Connor and Skippylongstocking, Race 13

FanDuel Racing Odds: 10/1 and 5/1
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Race 13 is the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational for older horses at 1 1/8 miles. The numberFire picks and order of finish are Cyberknife (5/2), Stilleto Boy (30/1), and Proxy (9/2) from the rail with strong stretch rider Joel Rosaro aboard.

Cyberknife makes his final start before going to stud. It's his first race against older horses, and the son of the great Gun Runner won Grade 1 races last year in the Arkansas Derby and Haskell before finishing runner-up in the Breeders' Cup dirt mile in his last race in Nov.

Proxy is a son of Tapit who won the Grade 1 Clark Stakes in November and has hit the board in six straight races. Stilleto Boy has never won a Grade 1 race, but hit the board four times. He finished 3rd in this race last year and is better than his big longshot odds.

Skippylongstocking (5/1) is a son of Preakness winner Exaggerator, and he's won twice at Gulfstream. Skippy finished 3rd in last year's Belmont Stakes and is a contender to consider with Jose Ortiz riding.

O'Connor (10/1) is a Group 1 winner in Chile, where he won 9-of-10 races as a long-distance specialist. He's an overlooked contender at double-digit odds, along with the galloping gray, White Abarrio (10/1), who both could add bigger payouts to the exacta, trifecta, and superfecta pools.