The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) is Saturday, Jan. 25, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The race is for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. usracing.com is publishing profiles of the horses entered.
2025 Pegasus World Cup Contenders: MYSTIK DAN
He’s healthy, he’s training well, and he’s ready for his 4-year-old campaign. First stop for Mystik Dan is Saturday in the Pegasus World Cup, a tough ask for the 2024 Triple Crown warrior trained by Kenny McPeek.

Mystik Dan. G. Sonny Hughes/Coglianese Photo.
Last year’s Derby winner seeks to bounce back off a poor showing in last month’s Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita
The surprise Kentucky Derby (G1) winner (18-1) – prevailing in a three-horse photo with Sierra Leone and Forever Young – ran second in the Preakness Stakes (G1), eighth in the Belmont Stakes (G1), was given seven months off, and then ran sixth in the 7-furlong Malibu Stakes (G1) on Dec. 26 after vanning a few thousand miles to Santa Anita.
“That race in California we weren’t thrilled with,” McPeek said. “Maybe I’ll take the bullet for that. It was a long trip to get him out there. It was a two-day trip, truckin’ to California, and he didn’t do well at that distance.”
After a pair of solid 5-furlong workouts at Gulfstream Park, McPeek hopes Mystik Dan is ready for the 1 1/8-mile challenge against 11 rivals, many of them Grade 1 winners.
“Hopefully, he comes back and proves himself as an older horse,’’ McPeek said.
Bettors beware here: Mystik Dan has all of three victories in 10 career starts – a maiden win at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, a win in the slop in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and his gutsy Derby win on the first Saturday in May.
2025 Pegasus World Cup Contender Odds and Post Positions
Betting advice: Rolling the dice here, but don’t think he’s up to the task and can’t see him back in the winner’s circle. Pass.
Post position: 9
Odds: 8-1
Jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Owners: 4 G Racing, Valley View Farm, Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby III
Career record: 10-3-2-1
Career earnings: $4,161,860
Last race: Malibu Stakes (G1), Santa Anita, Dec. 26, 6th
Top Equibase speed figure: 110
Pedigree: Goldencents-Ma’am, by Colonel John
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notes: Mystik Dan will be the second Derby winner to run in the Pegasus World Cup – California Chrome, the 2014 Derby and Preakness winner, ran ninth in the first edition of the race in 2017 … McPeek became the first trainer to win the Derby and Kentucky Oaks (Thorpedo Anna) in the same year since Ben Jones in 1952 … Mystik Dan worked 5 furlongs in 59.95 at Gulfstream on Jan. 18.

The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.