2023 Pegasus World Cup odds, predictions: Surprising picks from horse racing expert who nailed Belmont

A world-class day of racing at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday culminates with the 2023 Pegasus World Cup, the last run for Cyberknife. The 4-year-old colt is a five-time winner and has a pair of Grade 1 victories after winning the Haskell Stakes and Arkansas Derby. He'll take on a loaded 2023 Pegasus World Cup field that will battle for a $3 million purse. Post time is set for 5:40 p.m. ET and the latest 2023 Pegasus World Cup odds list Cyberknife as the 5-2 favorite, with Proxy (9-2), Skippylongstocking (5-1) and Defunded (6-1) among the other 2023 Pegasus World Cup horses. Before locking in any 2023 Pegasus World Cup picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and bets from SportsLine's Jody Demling. 

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2023 Pegasus World Cup having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last fives years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also nailed Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic last November.

Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Pegasus World Cup 2023. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 14 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but four times in the last 14 years. He's also called nine of the last 18 Preakness winners, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset, and nailed the 2022 Preakness trifecta. Anyone who has followed him is up huge.

Now, he has handicapped the 2023 Pegasus World Cup field, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can only see them here.

Top 2023 Pegasus World Cup predictions

One surprise: Demling is fading Cyberknife, even though he's the race favorite at 5-2. The three-time graded stakes winner will be retired next month after a stellar 3-year-old season, but he's also come up short in his three biggest runs: the Kentucky Derby, Travers Stakes and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. 

Even if you throw out Cyberknife's disappointing 18th-place showing at Churchill Downs, where the horse faded late after running near the front for the fastest opening quarter-mile in race history, speed could be an issue. Cyberknife's best Equibase speed figure of 108 is the eighth-best of the 12 horses in the 2023 Pegasus World Cup lineup. Demling predicts that Brad Cox's top offering doesn't win or place and has much more lucrative offerings for exotics. See his picks here.

How to make 2023 Pegasus World Cup picks, bets

Instead, Demling's top pick is a sleeper who should go to the front early and whose jockey is the ultimate X-factor. He's also high on a big double-digit long shot who is "seemingly in good form." Demling is including these horses in his 2023 Pegasus World Cup bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.

So what horse wins the Pegasus World Cup 2023? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Demling constructed his wagers? Check out the latest Pegasus World Cup odds 2023 below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Pegasus World Cup.