Now that we’ve finished all the cookies and the last bars of Auld Lang Syne, the first major destination for 2018 will be January 27 and the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Last year’s showstopper featured California Chrome and Arrogate. With less than 4 weeks until racing’s version of the mega millions jackpot, the lineup is taking shape as each of the dozen $1 million starting spots solidifies.

Here’s the cast as it stands:

• Gun Runner, last out winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, who blazed 6 furlongs Sunday morning at Fair Grounds in 1:10-3/5;
• Collected, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up and winner of the G1 Pacific Classic;
• West Coast, the 2017 Travers winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic third-place finisher.
• Stellar Wind, multiple G1 winner and past Eclipse Award winner, now in the care of Chad Brown for the Coolmore group;
• Seeking the Soul, hero of the G1 Clark Handicap on Thanksgiving Weekend;
• War Story, the 6-year-old winner of the G2 Brooklyn and most recently fourth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic;
• Gunnevera, G2 winner of the 2017 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream;
• Toast Of New York, now age 7 but in 2014 the runner-up in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, making his second start since coming out of retirement and stud duty;
• Giant Expectations, winner of the G2 San Antonio, whose name was added to the list over the weekend and will run for The Stronach Group;

An additional three slots will be filled out in the coming weeks, and indications are one of those may be via super miler Sharp Azteca, who would add a phenomenal pace element to the Pegasus World Cup.

Arrogate won last year’s inaugural PWC off a layoff from the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the longest such inactivity of any horse in the field. Interestingly, Bob Baffert has gone two ways with his ’18 Pegasus hopefuls – taking the Arrogate route with West Coast, but opting to run Collected in last week’s G2 San Antonio, in which he ran a disappointing prep.

Be sure to check out the final workouts in the coming weeks for all the contenders at XBTV.com. I will be particularly interested to see how West Coast, my pick to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, concludes his preparations at Santa Anita before coming east.