Reigning Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will look to return to the winner's circle when he leaves the starting gate on Saturday in the 2025 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park just north of Miami. Since winning the Derby as an 18-1 longshot last year, Mystik Dan has lost his last three starts. He is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park. For Saturday, Mystik Dan is an 8-1 longshot in the 2025 Pegasus World Cup odds. The Todd Pletcher-trained Locked is the lukewarm 5-2 morning-line favorite among the 12 Pegasus World Cup horses. White Abarrio (3-1) and Saudi Crown (9-2) round out the top-three choices. Post time for the $3 million race is 5:40 p.m. ET, and the latest 2025 Pegasus World Cup forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s.
With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez, who crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday, has to say before making any Pegasus World Cup Stakes picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. And in November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 score! Anyone who followed his lead could have been WAY UP!
For Saturday, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Pegasus World Cup lineup, made his picks and constructed his tickets.
We can tell you that Menez's top pick is not Locked, even though he is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. "I love the horse, but I hate the post," Menez told SportsLine. "Facing a short run to the first turn, Locked is almost certain to lose ground around the first turn from this wide draw." Menez is using Locked only sparingly in his wagers.
Moreover, Menez's top pick is a horse who is "proven at nine furlongs." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who "figures to get a sweet mid-pack trip." Menez is including these horses in his 2025 Pegasus World Cup bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2025 Pegasus World Cup picks of your own.
So which horse wins the 2025 Pegasus World Cup? What double-digit longshot is a MUST-BACK? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get the top 2025 Pegasus World Cup picks and bets, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby and crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for $5,303!
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