Pegasus World Cup 2017 purse: Arrogate takes home $7 million for victory

Arrogate earned the lion’s share of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational purse with a victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. Shaman Ghost took home $1.75 million for finishing second, and Neolithic grabbed $1 million for third.

In its inaugural year and billed as the world’s richest race, the Pegasus World Cup’s winner’s share alone was higher than the total purse at several better known races. For instance, the 2017 Kentucky Derby, set for May, has a guaranteed purse of $2 million. The Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall had a total purse of $6 million with $3.3 million going to the winner, Arrogate.

Pegasus was a 1-1/8-mile, Grade 1 race run on dirt in perfect, fast conditions of 70 degrees and sunny.

Arrogate paid $3.80 to win on a $2 bet, $2.80 to place and $2.20 to show. Shaman Ghost paid $8.60 to place and $5.80 to show. Neolithic paid $6 to show.

Bettors saw the race as basically a tossup in a rematch of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Arrogate, on the rail, and California Chrome, starting on the outside, had 4-6 and 6-5 odds, respectively. Keen Ice, who finished third behind the pair in the Classic, entered at 12-1.