As MiamiThe 2024 Pegasus World Cup ended with a $3 million victory for thoroughbred champion National Treasure and a DJ set from Calvin Harris. The post-race buzz was about how the event would turn into a West Coast version at Santa Anita Race Course. this autumn. The California Crown, taking place September 28, will be the premier entertainment-focused thoroughbred racing event on the historic grounds with The h. Wood Group and the owner of Runway 1/ST in partnership.
“You will see things that are similar to what we do at Pegasus. We will bring together music, entertainment and fashion, but it will be more of a vintage Hollywood vibe,” says Belinda Stronach, president and CEO of 1/ST, a technology, entertainment and real estate development company focused on purebred racing. -blood and the bet. -pari-mutuel betting. 1/ST also owns Miami’s Gulfstream Track and Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, home of the Triple Crown’s Preakness Stakes.
National treasure, winner of the 2024 Pegasus World Cup.
Nicole Thomas
Built in 1934, Santa Anita does not currently have a notable racing day. “Our plan is to grow it, and ultimately we have a huge infield there, so it can really be part of a California tradition,” Stronach says. “It will be at the end of the calendar year and will provide that opportunity for the best three-year-olds to compete and qualify for the Breeders Cup.”
Pegasus has sparked Miami’s winter social calendar since its debut in 2017. This year, Camila Cabello, Rick Ross, Isabela and David Grutman, Chrome Hearts’ Laurie Lynn Stark and beauty influencer Alix Earle attended the event, which draws 10,000 spectators and is broadcast on NBC. Super VIPs hung out in the Flamingo Room and private luxury suites with dishes from Groot Hospitality’s Gekkō, Komodo, Papi Steak, Swan and Casadonna. When it was time to watch the races from the rail, the Jardin Baccarat served guests champagne from Baccarat Mille Nuits flutes. Also in the garden are a rose gold Marie Coquine floor lamp and a rose gold thoroughbred horse sculpture with a Baccarat Solstice chandelier hanging from its mouth (valued at $85,000, with proceeds going to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance), were on display. display.
Alix Earle at the 2024 Pegasus World Cup presented by Baccarat at Gulfstream Park.
Alexandre Tamargo/Getty Images for 1/ST
As the races ended and the fun ramped up, the Carousel Club became the center of the party filled with Whispering Angel, Don Julio Rosado, Ketel One and Heineken Silver. Business collaborations ranged from Aviator Nation to Siegelman Stables and the hottest among the Miami social scene wore Suzy Buckley Woodward’s Shapoh Fancy Hats & Fascinators.
“Part of my mission was how to transform this traditional sport. Keep the traditions that people really love, but modernize the entire customer experience. What I like about Baccarat is that they have tradition, but they are not afraid to be innovative. So there is a convergence of minds there,” says Stronach. “We are a very forward-thinking team in an industry that is not traditionally open to change. We are driving this change forward, focusing on the safety of riders and jockeys, ensuring horses are respected and treated properly and modernizing the experience.
The event set a record $47 million in wagering via on-track betting with the 1/ST mobile app.
Next up on Miami’s social calendar
It’s not pickleball, it’s not tennis, it’s padel. Known for his annual Art Basel Miami Beach party, Reserve Padel CEO Wayne Boich is teaming up with Miami Heat player (and padel enthusiast) Jimmy Butler to launch the Reserve Cup presented by Richard Mille. From February 8-10, more than a dozen top padel players will compete over three days at the Reserve Padel Miami Seaplane, located on an island of reclaimed land beneath the MacArthur Causeway. Butler and Derek Jeter will serve as team captains during the tournament.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which brings together Food Network talent, musicians and more than 500 chefs for brunches and lunches, master classes, wine seminars and intimate dinners, returns to Miami from the 22nd to the 25th February for its 23rd edition. This year’s tribute dinner honors Massimo Bottura of Gucci Osteria and Campari President Luca Garavoglia, sponsored by Hexclad and hosted by Nadia The Pasta Queen. The evening will feature dishes from Alain Ducasse, Mauro Colagreco, Albert Adrià, Jordi Roca and more. Bottura’s Torno Subito restaurant in Miami opens in February.
Event founder Lee Schrager shares that what started on the beach expanded with moments happening all over the city, from Overtown and Wynwood to Hallandale Beach and the Miami Design District.
“In Coconut Grove, Grove Bay Hospitality Group is hosting an incredible new event at The Hangar – Casa Noble Tequila Presents a Sunset Feast featuring bites from Miami’s best chefs, tropical cocktails and waterfront views,” he says. “I am also excited about the return of FoodieConwhich brings together digital content creators from the food and beverage community for cooking demonstrations, panels and book signings.
Between SOBEWFF and its sister NYCWFF, more than $51 million has been raised to benefit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University.
Additional reporting by Melissa Gill.
