Undefeated disco time waves to Pegasus World Cup

There will be plenty of music Gulfstream Park January 24, a typically festive Pegasus World Cup Day.

The DJs in the catering industry will probably play a lot of pop and hip hop.

But on the track it could be Disco Time.

No, KC and the Sunshine Band will not be performing.

Instead, the favorite in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) is an undefeated four-year-old with a 5-for-5 record who will make his first appearance in a Grade 1.

Meet Disco time .

In a career that saw him miss both the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup, Juddmonte’s homebred son of Not this time will try to make up for lost time as the 8-5 favorite over 11 rivals in the 1 1/8 mile Pegasus.

“We’re hoping for a good trip and are excited about the opportunity with him,” said trainer Brad Cox, whose Post 1 horse will break with Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat. “His races have given us a lot of reason to be excited and it has given us the confidence to attempt this race.”

Trying to remember Disco Time’s only appearance on a rankings might tax the memory banks. It was again on January 18, 2025, when the fast son of the Springstart mare Disco Chick got off to an uncharacteristically slow start in the Lecomte Stakes (G3), rallying from 10th to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) prep by a neck in his third career start and become a top Triple Crown contender.

But then things went wrong.

“A year ago we were hoping we would get off to a good start on the Kentucky Derby route. But he came out of the Lecomte with some issues that we thought were minor, but after giving him a short period off he just wasn’t right so we knew he would be off the Triple Crown route,” said Garrett O’Rourke, manager of Juddmonte Farm USA.

Then the focus shifted to the Breeders’ Cup, but…

“When the Derby dreams are over, you start thinking about the Breeders’ Cup. But when we brought him back, it took a while to get back into the swing of things. Again, nothing major, but it put an end to the Breeders’ Cup thoughts,” O’Rourke said.

Disco Time returned with a 5 1/2 length score in the St. Louis Derby on September 19, followed by a 9 3/4 length romp in the Dwyer Stakes on Aqueduct racecourseboth of which recorded impressive speed figures.

That drew attention to the Saudi Cup (G1), but (there’s that word again) his international rating wasn’t high enough to earn an invite to the $20 million race in February.

“So that’s where we are now,” O’Rourke said. “Maybe sometimes things happen for a reason.”

The Pegasus is a rather lucrative Plan B and should answer some pertinent questions about whether Disco Time can extend its winning streak by meeting a Class 1 company for the first time and traveling as much as 1 1/8 miles for the first time in its career.

“We’ll find out if he’s the horse we think he is,” O’Rourke said.

Since the beginning of his career and through the stops and starts, his connections have never lost confidence in Disco Time.

“There’s a lot of talent there. He’s coaching the role,” Cox said. “He’s like a lot of the good guys. He gives you the good work you look for every week. The good ones are the ones who are consistent in the morning and afternoon. Since he’s been back, he’s matured the way he was supposed to.”

What happens in the Pegasus numbers will go a long way in deciding whether the connections leave Gulfstream Park with a major case of Saturday Night Fever over major Grade 1 stakes for the undefeated colt. A win could put the Dubai World Cup (G1) or Metropolitan Handicap (G1) into play. Or, if he’s struggling, lower hanging fruit will be on the menu.

Either way, it’s finally time for the dark bay or bay colt to hit the dance floor on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“He’s a good training horse in the morning. He’s an honest horse who gives everything. I think he’ll be ready for the race,” O’Rourke said. “He’s still undefeated and hopefully he can get into a good rhythm. We’ll find out if he’s able to produce what he’s been teasing us with.”

Madkekekekekeket by PEASUS, Lightning Toon in

The Bob Baffert trained one Madaketweg was scratched from the Pegasus after pulling post 6, causing horses pulling outside him to move one post closer to the rail.

Apostasy will allow this Lightning tones run and break from post 12.

A son of Tonalist Owned by JC Racing Stable and trained by Jose Castro, the 6-year-old gelding is coming off a second straight victory Jan. 10 at Gulfstream Park in the Sunshine Classic Stakes for Florida-bred horses.

The second-ranked veteran campaigner, who was also on the eligible list, has raced the Gulfstream main circuit 30 times with seven wins, seven seconds and six thirds.

Submissions: Pegasus World Championship Invitational S. (G1)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday January 24, 2026, race 13

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Filthy
• $3,000,000
• 4 years and older
• 5:39 PM (local)