Gulfstream Park's 2026-27 Championship Meet will offer a winter schedule of 66 stakes—27 graded—and will be highlighted by the 11th running of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) Jan. 30, and the 76th running of the Florida Derby (G1) March 27.
The track did not announce the purses for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, and Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T) in a release issued Oct. 9.
"We are finalizing the purse structure for the 2027 Pegasus World Cup and evaluating a few opportunities around the event that could impact the final purse," said Mike Rogers, executive vice president of 1/ST Racing, which owns and operates Gulfstream. "Rather than delay the release of the overall Gulfstream Park stakes schedule, we felt it was better to publish the schedule now and list the Pegasus purses as to-be-determined. We expect to announce the final purses shortly."
In 2027, the Pegasus World Cup will follow the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) by a week. This year, the Holy Bull was run on the final day of January, a week after the Pegasus World Cup.
The Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series has welcomed legendary Thoroughbred racehorses including Arrogate (Longines 2016 World's Best Racehorse and inaugural 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner), two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome , and Horses of the Year Gun Runner , Knicks Go , and Bricks and Mortar; 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure ; 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light ; and 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan .
Meanwhile, the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational has welcomed horses from Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom, South America, and South Africa.
Prep races for Pegasus day will take place Dec. 26 with the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G3T), the $150,000 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3), and the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes. The $150,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $150,000 Ginger Bew Stakes for 2-year-old fillies will also be featured.
The $1 million Florida Derby, which has produced four of the last 11 Kentucky Derby winners and a total of 26 overall winners, will be part of Gulfstream's popular 3-year-old series that includes the Holy Bull and the Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). Holy Bull day will offer five stakes, two graded, with purses totaling $850,000. Fountain of Youth day will offer nine stakes, eight graded, with total purses of $1.8 million, while the Florida Derby will be one of 10 stakes, five graded, with total purses of $2.45 million.
The earlier Holy Bull date gives participating horses extra recovery time before potential starts in the Fountain of Youth.
Gulfstream will also offer 3-year-old fillies a road to the 2027 Kentucky Oaks (G1) with the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) Jan. 23, Davona Dale Stakes (G2) Feb. 27, and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) March 27.
As in recent seasons, Gulfstream plans stacked stakes cards on Pegasus, Fountain of Youth, and Florida Derby days.
The Championship Meet begins Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, featuring two turf stakes for juveniles—the $100,000 Wait a While Stakes for fillies and the $100,000 Pulpit Stakes. Both will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs.
The meet continues through March 28.
MEET HIGHLIGHTS
Nov. 26: Opening day
Dec. 26: Pegasus Preview day
Jan. 23: Holy Bull day
Jan. 30: Pegasus World Cup day
Feb. 27: Fountain of Youth day
March 27: Florida Derby day
