The eyes of the thoroughbred racing world will be trained on Hallendale, Florida in January 2018 as 12 of the best race horses in the world compete for an astounding purse of $16 million dollars. This will be the second running of the race that is the richest event in all of horse racing. EZ Horse Betting has your inside track to preparing for this event and also tips on attending the race in person.
About the 2018 Pegasus World Cup
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The 2018 Pegasus World Cup will be held on January 27, 2018 at Gulfstream Park in Hallendale, Florida. The event is the creation of racing mogul Frank Stronach. The Stronach group owns Gulfstream Park and other famous racing venues in the United States. They have previously created other events like the Sunshine Millions race card which combines a day of racing on the East and West Coasts.
Frank Stronach’s vision was to develop and event which would rival the Dubai World Cup in its scope. The first running of the Pegasus World Cup was conducted in January 2017 and was won by Arrogate. The purse for the 2017 Pegasus World Cup was $12 million. Not long after the race was concluded, the Stronach Group announced it would increase the purse in 2018 to $16 million dollars. This figure insures that the Pegasus will remain the richest race in the world.
The organizers of the Dubai World Cup which is held each March have stated that they plan to regain their richest race status, but this will be hard to do given the unique format of the Pegasus. It is a format which could see an increase in purse money each year. Basically, the owners of horses who are invited to run in the Pegasus must put up a share of the purse money to enter. They are essentially betting among themselves to see who has the best horse.
12 domestic and international horses will be permitted to enter the starting gate at Gulfstream Park. The participants are drawn from a pool of contenders whose owners have been invited. Each owner must put up $1 million of their own money to participate in the event. The other $4 million is provided by the Stronach Group.
This type of format is unheard of in American thoroughbred racing. While horsemen sometimes have to pay a nominating fee to be considered for stakes races like the Kentucky Derby, they are not required to provide a portion of the purse money. Doing this makes owners more likely to only enter a horse they think can capture the event. This in turn makes the event more competitive.
Attending the 2018 Pegasus World Cup
Those who wish to make a trip to Florida to attend the 2018 Pegasus World Cup in person will find that they are in for a pleasant experience. To begin, the Florida weather in late January can be very pleasant. Hallendale Beach and the racetrack are conveniently located between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. This puts the track in close proximity to a wide number of attractions and local sights.
Those who plan to stay in Hallendale near the racetrack can expect an average hotel room rate of $190 per night. Deals can be found on local dining but the costs are still considerable. Then there are the tickets to the event itself.
Tickets to attend the Pegasus World Cup range in value from $75 to $550 per person. The most affordable tickets permit access to the Grandstand area only while the most expensive include premium seating in the Clubhouse area. These expensive admission tickets can be nice if you like to rub elbows with celebrities. Many of them will be on hand for the Pegasus.
You may be accustomed to attending your local racetrack for free. Many tracks allow free general admission. This is not the case on racing’s biggest days. There are simply too many people who wish to attend the races and tracks must charge admission.
Watching the 2018 Pegasus World Cup On Television
An alternative to attending the race live is to watch the television coverage which is provided by major networks like ESPN and NBC. You should check your local programming to see which channels will cover the event.
When watching at home remember that there is a large undercard of races which will take place before the Pegasus World Cup. This is somewhat unfortunate for the television viewer. Most television networks will restrict their coverage to the main race. This means that you will not be able to watch the races which precede the main event. This can be significant if you are planning to make exotic bets like the Pick 3 or Pick 4.
Of course, there are some benefits to watching the race on television. You can do so in the comfort of your own home. Make a party of it. Invite a few friends that also like to watch and wager on horse racing. Oh! But wait. You won’t be able to wager unless you have an account with an online racebook.
The Best Way to Watch and Bet the 2018 Pegasus World Cup
The best way to participate in the 2018 Pegasus World Cup is to create an account with an online racebook like Twin Spires. It will only take you a few minutes to sign up for an account and you will also receive a nice welcome bonus when you join. But the best thing is that you will have access to a live simulcast feed of every race on Pegasus day and the ability to access a full menu of horse race betting options.
You can watch and bet the Pegasus World Cup on only device that has an Internet connection. This means you can use your tablet, smartphone, or computer to stream the races and make real time bets. Most racebooks will also give you free past performances so that you can handicap the races. This is a great value because past performances can cost as much as $3 per event.
The advantages of a horse betting account when it comes to the Pegasus World Cup are simply too great to ignore. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. 5Dimes review for folks anywhere! You should check out one of the racebooks we recommend and get started today!
