Virginia horse bettors can wager on one of the first major races of the year this Saturday, Jan. 29. The sixth annual Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes gets underway at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
The first of seven races starts at 4:30 p.m. ET, and Virginians can place their bets through the TVG app. For horse bettors in Old Dominion, TVG is one of the only legal avenues to remotely wager on horse races.
Additionally, racing enthusiasts can get analysis and watch live interviews before the race starts through the Watch TVG app. Coverage will start at 11:30 a.m. ET, and the app will also stream the races as they take place.
NBC will also have a live broadcast starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. However, the television broadcast will lack the all-day coverage found on TVG.
Bettors think Pegasus World Cup is a two-horse race
Just a day before the races, bettors seem to think that the main attraction is going to come down to one of two horses. Books are listing Knicks Go at 6-5 odds, which makes him the current favorite for the Pegasus World Cup.
The thoroughbred is the front runner for the 2021 American Horse of the Year and is the defending champion. Last year, the thoroughbred jumpstarted his 2021 by winning Pegasus’ $3 million purse. He went on to win four more major races.
However, this year’s Pegasus World Cup will be the final race of the horse’s 40-race career. He will retire to a farm in Kentucky following the race.
The only other horse who isn’t listed at 10-1 odds or longer is Life Is Good, who is going off at 7-5 odds. Unlike Knicks Go, Life Is Good is just starting his career. This is the first year he is eligible to compete in the Pegasus World Cup since it is a Grade 1 race.
The highest levels of thoroughbred racing are classified as Grade 1. The average rating of the first four finishers in the race must be 115 or higher over a three-year period for the race to earn the title.
The Pegasus World Cup is just Life Is Good’s seventh career race, which could scare some bettors as an unproven horse. However, the up-and-comer already has an impressive resume.
In his first six starts, Life is Good has five victories and a second-place finish. As a result, he was an attractive choice for the betting market.
Just a week earlier, Life Is Good was the favorite and listed at 3-5 odds. By contrast, money flowed to Knicks Go, who was listed at 3-1 odds at the time.
Complete betting odds
Since bettors are piling their money on Knicks Go and Life Is Good, the books are listing the rest of the field as longshots.
Chess Chief has the third-best price at 10-1 odds. Commandeer, meanwhile, is at the bottom at 30-1.
Here is a look at the current odds via TVG for all nine horses in the 1 1/8 mile dirt race:
| Post | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knicks Go | 6-5 |
| 2 | Chess Chief | 10-1 |
| 3 | Stilleto Boy | 20-1 |
| 4 | Life Is Good | 7-5 |
| 5 | Empty Tomb | 20-1 |
| 6 | Sir Winston | 12-1 |
| 7 | Title Ready | 20-1 |
| 8 | Endorsed | 20-1 |
| 9 | Commandeer | 30-1 |
