2026 Pegasus World Cup Turf Preview & Betting Picks

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Daily Racing Form Weekend Preview

Highlighting Top Contenders and Key Insights for Upcoming Races

The upcoming race features an intriguing group of horses, each with notable backgrounds and performances. Test Score, a horse trained by Graham Motion, steps up to challenge older horses after a strong performance throughout 2025, amassing close to $1.5 million in earnings. Despite facing predominantly 3-year-olds in his career, concerns about his recent declining performance suggest he needs improvement to compete effectively in this tougher race.

Program Trading emerges as a major contender, excelling at the 1 1/8 mile distance, which is considered optimal for him. Although his performance at the Breeders' Cup was not reflective of his capabilities due to the mismatch in race distance, he is seen as a top-tier player with a real chance to win if he runs his best race.

Beach Gold, trained by Patrick B. Cone, is another horse to watch. Coming off a race at Fort Lauderdale where he was just behind Cugino, Beach Gold has consistently been competitive, although his last race did not show significant promise for improvement in tougher competition.

One Strike, a South African Group One winner, has faced challenging races since arriving in North America. However, a recent drop in class led to a win, and with limited early speed in the upcoming race, adopting a front-running strategy might be beneficial, although this is not considered a top pick by the analysts.

Almandaris faces challenges with the race's distance, having not run 1 mile 18 for over two years without securing a win in eleven attempts at this graded stakes level. The lack of early speed in the race further complicates his chances, as he prefers to close from behind.

Call Sign 7, a surprise winner at 68 to 1 odds in the Seabisiscuit, is considered a sneaky play with potential upside as he is moving in the right direction, although doubts remain if he's ready to compete with this level of competition outside California.

Major Dude, present in last year's race, has not shown improvement and faces strong closers in the field, suggesting a challenging race ahead. Meanwhile, Cabo Spirit is highlighted as a major player due to his consistent top finishes and significant early speed, which could lead him to dominate the race.

Chasing the Crown and Cugino, both coming out of Fort Lauderdale, look competitive, especially Cugino who consistently finishes in the top two. Cugino's potential to catch Cabo Spirit makes him a strong contender in this race.

Astronomer continues to place but struggles to secure wins, while Fort Washington's history of not performing well post-layoff suggests he might need more races to return to peak form.

The race presents a dynamic field with varied strengths and challenges, making for a highly anticipated event with several horses having the potential to make significant impacts depending on their race-day performance.