Fields for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races Friday and Saturday were drawn Monday at Del Mar, host site of the 41st edition of Thoroughbred racing’s championship event. The $7 million Classic headlines the two programs and will be part of the $20,000 Exacta-Thon promotion offered to Xpressbet and 1/ST BET customers over the championships.
For complete event coverage, access our free 1/ST Breeders’ Cup Wager Guide now (updates throughout the week).
Del Mar official morning line oddsmaker Jeff Siegel made Epsom Derby winner City of Troy the Classic’s projected 5-2 favorite in his first foray to American racing. International runners add much luster to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, including the UK’s brilliant 2-year-old filly Lake Victoria (Juvenile Fillies Turf), globetrotting ’22 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance, as well as Japan’s Classic prospects Ushba Tesoro, Forever Young and Derma Sotogake – part of a 19-strong contingent from the Far East.
Among the notable American names in the entries include 2024 Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna (Distaff), 2024 Travers winner Fierceness (Classic), marathon superstar Next (Classic), 2024 Preakness winner Seize the Grey (Dirt Mile) and 2024 world-record setter Cogburn (Turf Sprint).
As for some post-position draw winners and losers, Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies favorite Scottish Lassie will make her 2-turn debut from the far outside draw (10), a tough task given that experience deficit. The Juvenile Fillies Turf unbeaten favorite Lake Victoria could find trouble from the rail if she fails to break and the field of 13 rivals moves down on her. The rail for Juvenile favorite East Avenue, who has strong early speed, insures that he’ll be sent to the pace barring any missteps. Juvenile Turf major UK players line up in 11-12-13 with New Century, Aomori City and Henri Matisse and may be a one-go, all-go situation in that they either all get the trips together or they all don’t.
Saturday’s notable post draw winners and losers include Big Evs and Bradsell, the European stars, harpooned out in posts 11 and 12 of the Turf Sprint. Any doubt where Distaff favorite Thorpedo Anna would be placed was all but eliminated when post 2 was drawn. Expect her to force the tempo and play catch me if you can as the odds-on favorite. Love that for her. In the Classic, Next drawing the outside 14 with a long run to the first turn may be a blessing as jockey Luan Machado will be in by far the biggest ride of his career and he has the entire field to one side for him to take measure of and put his horse where he wants. Fierceness being inside that speed horse as well as Arthur’s Ride in post 12 could put the Travers winner Fierceness under pressure that’s not been his strong suit. In the Mile, the two European favorites Notable Speech and Porta Fortuna could not have asked for more with mid-gate starting spots. In the Dirt Mile finale, rail-drawn Saudi Crown and widest-drawn Skippylongstocking insure a hotter pace than anticipated with both having to use their early heat. Late-runners may benefit most.
Here’s the bulleted look at the Breeders’ Cup programs.
Friday races:
Juvenile Turf Sprint: 12 entries (+2 also-eligible), led by 7-2 morning line favorite Ecoro Sieg (post 7) from Japan.
Juvenile Fillies: 10 entries, led by 5-2 morning line favorite Scottish Lassie (post 10).
Juvenile Fillies Turf: 14 entries (+3 also-eligible), led by 8-5 morning line favorite Lake Victoria (post 1).
Juvenile: 10 entries, led by 5-2 morning line favorite East Avenue (post 1).
Juvenile Turf: 14 entries (+2 also-eligible), led by 5-2 morning line favorite New Century (post 11).
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Saturday races:
Filly & Mare Sprint: 10 entries, led by 5-2 morning line favorite Ways and Means (post 9).
Turf Sprint: 12 entries (+3 also eligible), led by 7-5 morning line favorite Cogburn (post 9).
Distaff: 10 entries, led by 4-5 morning line favorite Thorpedo Anna (post 2).
Turf: 13 entries, led by 5-2 morning line favorite Rebel’s Romance (post 11).
Classic: 14 entries (1 also-eligible), led by 5-2 morning line favorite City of Troy (post 3).
Filly & Mare Turf: 13 entries, led by 5-2 morning line favorite War Like Goddess (post 4).
Sprint: 11 entries, led by 3-1 morning line favorite Federal Judge (post 3).
Mile: 12 entries, led by 7-2 morning line favorite Notable Speech (post 6).
Dirt Mile: 14 entries, led by 7-2 morning line favorite Domestic Product (post 9).
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$7 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic | 1-1/4 miles on dirt | Race 8 | 5:41 pm ET
#1-Forever Young (Ryusei Sakai // Yoshito Yahagi) 6-1
#2-Highland Falls (Luis Saez // Brad Cox) 20-1
#3-City of Troy (Ryan Moore // Aidan O’Brien) 5-2
#4-Mixto (Kyle Frey // Doug O’Neill) 30-1
#5-Senor Buscador (Joel Rosario // Todd Fincher) 30-1
#6 Derma Sotogake (Christophe Lemaire // Hidetaka Otonashi) 20-1
#7-Ushba Tesoro (Yuga Kawada // Noboru Takagi) 12-1
#8-Pyrenees (Brian Hernandez Jr. // Cherie DeVaux) 30-1
#9-Fierceness (John Velazquez // Todd Pletcher) 3-1
#10-Tapit Trice (Irad Ortiz Jr. // Todd Pletcher) 30-1
#11-Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat // Chad Brown) 12-1
#12-Arthur’s Ride (Junior Alvarado // Bill Mott) 15-1
#13-Newgate (Frankie Dettori // Bob Baffert) 20-1
#14-Next (Luan Machado // Doug Cowans) 8-1
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