Skippylongstocking, a 7-year-old horse trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, overtaking stablemate and defending champion White Abarrio in the final stretch. Starting from post 5, Skippylongstocking moved from seventh place to claim victory by 1 3/4 lengths, finishing the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:48.49. This marked Skippylongstocking’s first Grade 1 win in 12 attempts and earned him $1.686 million, boosting his career earnings to over $5.4 million.

White Abarrio, who had won the Pegasus last year, finished second, adding $562,000 to his career earnings of $7.7 million. Trainer Joseph expressed pride in both horses, noting Skippylongstocking’s improved performance since a recent Grade 3 win and White Abarrio’s strong comeback despite limited preparation. The Pegasus World Cup, now in its 10th running, has evolved from a high-stakes entry-fee race to a traditional added-money stakes event with a $3 million purse.