The choice was easy for Hugo Palmer to target BC24 with Seagulls Eleven and The Waco Kid.
International Horses You Need to Know for the 2024 Breedersā Cup.
A truly international affair became even more international this year when the Breedersā Cup meeting attracted a record-breaking 80 international pre-entries Oct. 23, 20 more than the previous record.Each Breedersā Cup race has at least one international pre-entry, though the Big Ass Fans Breedersā Cup Dirt Mile is the second preference for probable Longines Breedersā Cup Classic runner Derma Sotogake.
USA Network and FanDuel TV will both televise the first day of this yearās World Championships with USA Networkās coverage taking place from 4-8 p.m. ET / 1-5 p.m. PT, concluding with the FanDuel Breedersā Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. FanDuel TV coverage will begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT and cover the whole card. Peacock will be streaming all the Breedersā Cup races as well.
On Saturday, USA Network and Peacock will air coverage of one undercard race and the first Breedersā Cup race from 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. ā 12:30 p.m. PT. NBC will air four Breedersā Cup races from 3:30 - 6 p.m. ET / 12:30 - 3 p.m. PT, concluding with the Classic, during a national telecast that also will be streamed on Peacock. Live coverage continues on USA Network and Peacock from 6-8 p.m. ET/ 3-5 p.m. PT.
FanDuel TV will televise the first three undercard races and all of Saturdayās Breedersā Cup races, except the Classic, with BreedersCup.com also streaming live races throughout the day. Breedersā Cup in the UK and Ireland can be found on ITV4, Sky Sports, and Racing TV; and racing fans in Japan can follow the action on Green Channel.
Before the fun kicks off, read below to learn about some of the international horses you should pay attention to during the Breedersā Cup.
Friday
$1 million Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
The Archie Watson-trained Aesterius looks to be a big threat in this race with all six of his starts coming at the same distance with four wins. His only non-top two finish came at Royal Ascot where he finished fifth against fellow European entrant Shareholder in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, but heās clearly put that behind him with three stakes victories since that race. A question mark is that he has never run on ground as firm as heāll be facing here and his two losses both came when he ran on ground labeled āgood to firm,ā which is even softer than heāll find in California.
Japan is careful in what they send to the Breedersā Cup, so any horse entered should be taken seriously. Ecoro Sieg is the countryās representative in this race and trained by Hideyuki Mori, who has plenty of experience at the Breedersā Cup with nine entrants since 2000 ā though none in this race and all but one coming on dirt. Ecoro Sieg is lightly raced with only two starts, but both were impressive with a combined margin of victory of 7 Ā½ lengths. He has only raced at six furlongs instead of the five here, but with his margins of victory, it doesnāt look like a shorter distance should be a problem.
A small rivalry is brewing between Whistlejacket and Shareholder with each taking away a win from their two head-to-head meetings. Shareholder won the first match up when he won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in June and Whistlejacket finished fourth. The duo met up in the six-furlong Group 1 Prix Morny in August with Whistlejacket taking home the win and Shareholder finishing ninth. Whistlejacket has much more experience with seven starts to Shareholderās three, though both have run just twice at five furlongs ā Shareholder won both of those and Whistlejacket has a win and a fourth at the distance. Firmer turf shouldnāt be a problem for Shareholder, but Whistlejacketās only two runs on good to firm ground have results in losses.
$2 million NetJets Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies
American Bikini represents Japan here, but her sire is a name most fans will recognize ā 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The filly is coming into the race off a 2 Ā½-length stakes victory in September going seven furlongs. That win came one start after winning by seven lengths in a five-furlong maiden race. She will be stretching out an extra furlong and a half in this race, but with American Pharoah as her sire, the distance shouldnāt be a problem.
Otomena Shacho also has shipped in from Japan after breaking her maiden by five lengths in September going six furlongs. She has the same distance questions herself, but her pedigree shows that she should be able to handle it. Her dam (mother) is by Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year who won the 2007 Breedersā Cup Classic, while her sire Speightstown is known to sire longer-distance runners as well.
$1 million John Deere Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
If youāre looking for a horse to finish second at this yearās Breedersā Cup, Fiery Lucy may be your girl. The filly broke her maiden back in June and has been consistent in her races since then, but possibly frustrating for her owners as well. She comes into the Breedersā Cup off of three straight runner-up finishes, including at the one-mile distance that sheāll run here. In fact, Fiery Lucy has finished second in four of her six starts overall and is rarely far behind the winner as sheās been within 1 Ā½ lengths of the winner in those four runner-up finishes.
Undefeated Lake Victoria is looking to give Aidan OāBrien his second win in this race after he won in 2022 with Meditate. It wonāt be a surprise if Lake Victoria ends up in the winnerās circle here. She hasnāt taken a step wrong with a pair of Group 1 victories on her record in her last two starts. The one question circling her past performances is if the one-mile distance will work for her. She hasnāt given any signs that an additional furlong from the seven furlongs sheās already tackled would be a problem, but that extra furlong between sprint distances and the mile has proved a challenge for other successful sprinters.
$2 million FanDuel Breedersā Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Japan has a strong contingent headed to the Breedersā Cup this year and fields two runners in the Breedersā Cup Juvenile.
Ecoro Azel is the more experienced of the two with two starts. He does come into this race off a fifth-place finish in which he finished behind Juvenile Fillies entrant American Bikini, but he won his career debut in July by 2 Ā½ lengths. He is by a Breedersā Cup runner-up in 2019 Breedersā Cup Sprint second Shancelot, so the distance may be a problem, but his dam did win at just over a mile, so she gives him some added stamina.
Shin Believe will be the most inexperienced runner in the World Championships with just one start, but that one race was an impressive one. The colt bred in Kentucky broke his maiden at an even farther distance than this race, and he did it winning by five lengths. Shin Believe is the only horse pre-entered in this race to stretch past the Juvenile distance.
$1 million Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf
Aomori City is one of two pre-entries for Godolphin in this race as they look for their fourth Juvenile Turf victory, the most recent coming with Modern Games in 2021. This Oasis Dream colt will be stretching out to a mile for the first time, but he did win a Grade 2 at seven furlongs two starts ago. His first attempt at a Group 1 win came last out when he was fourth, but Godolphin seems to be willing to put that behind him and entered him alongside Al Qudra, who was second in the Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes going a mile last out at Woodbine.
Highly regarded in Europe, Henri Matisse wasnāt a fan of soft ground last out when he finished outside the top two for the first time in his fifth race. The colt finished second in his first Group 1 attempt before that but had registered wins in each of his first three starts to kick off his campaign. This will be his first attempt at a mile, but that shouldnāt be a worry as his sire won this race last year with Unquestionable.
New Century comes into this race with an advantage over other European runners. He won the Grade 1 Summer Stakes in Canada last out to get both experience and a victory in a North American race. If heād been targeted here even without that start, he would have been an interesting prospect because he already had a win at a mile on firmer turf in Europe. This also is the next installment of a budding rivalry between this runner and Al Qudra. Al Qudra finished second to him in the Summer Stakes, but had defeated him both times they faced each other in England.
Noriyuki Hori-trained Satono Carnaval is the Japanese representative in this race and comes into it off a four-month break. He is an interesting entrant because he will be going past seven furlongs for the first time. He showed plenty in his debut going seven furlongs with a seven-length win in June before winning by 1 Ā¼ lengths in the Grade 3 Hakodate Nisai Stakes on July 13, prevailing as the favorite in both starts.
International Horses You Need to Know for the 2024 Breedersā Cup
Saturday
$1 million Prevagen Breedersā Cup Turf Sprint
The consistent Believing is still searching for her first Grade/Group 1 victory and is hoping to find it here. The George Boughey trainee has had plenty of chances to break through at the top level this year with six Group 1 runs and has been second in two of her last three attempts but just hasnāt been able to break through. Unfortunately for her, the horse who beat her both times she was second, Bradsell, is also running here.
Another horse who beat Believing this year is Big Evs, who is looking to win his second Breedersā Cup race after a victory in the Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last year. If he pulls off the double, heāll be the second Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-Breedersā Cup Turf Sprint winner after Golden Pal in 2020 and 2021. Big Evs has made four starts this year with two victories and a third-place finish. His only unplaced finish came last out when he was eighth behind fellow pre-entrants Bradsell, Believing, and Starlust.
This race will be the swansong for Bradsell, who will retire to stud after the Breedersā Cup. Bradsell has been one of the best sprinters in Europe this year with two Group 1 victories in three Group 1 starts this year and three wins from four starts overall. Heās coming into this race off a second-place finish in a French Group 1, but that was on soft turf ā something he almost certainly wonāt see in California ā so can be easily forgiven.
$2 million Longines Breedersā Cup Distaff
Japan is a perfect one-for-one on winners to starters in the Breedersā Cup Distaff and this year their Awesome Result holds first preference in the race. A daughter of Justify, Awesome Result is following her sireās lead by staying undefeated and is aiming to keep that record intact after Saturdayās race. Awesome Result has raced exclusively in stakes since last November and won all four of those ā including a five-length victory in the Breederās Gold Cup to round out her Breedersā Cup prep.
Japan also has Alice Verite holding second preference here and first in the Makerās Mark Filly & Mare Turf. The 4-year-old filly has made all her starts on the turf and comes into the Breedersā Cup with three wins and two seconds in six starts this year ā including a two-length victory in the Group 3 Mermaid Stakes two starts ago.
$5 million Longines Breedersā Cup Turf
Emily Upjohn was originally given first preference in the Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but trainer John Gosden announced that sheād compete in the Turf instead due to race distance. Emily Upjohn isnāt a stranger to the 1 Ā½ miles sheāll be tackling, sheās raced at the distance in nine of her 15 career starts with five top-three finishes at it. Taking on males also wonāt be a concern for the 5-year-old Sea The Stars mare, who won against them in a Group 1 at this distance in Europe.
Luxembourg is one of those horses who can show up with a big win ā¦ when heās in the mood. But even if heās not, you can usually count on him to finish well. The 5-year-old has finished in the top three in 11 of 18 starts and has won a Group 1 in each of his four seasons on the track, with his win this year coming at the same distance as the Breedersā Cup Turf. Luxembourg has a trainer with plenty of experience in this race: Aidan OāBrien has won seven editions of the Breedersā Cup Turf, including last year with Auguste Rodin.
After missing the Turf last year, 2022 winner Rebelās Romance returns looking for another win. Now a 6-year-old, the Dubawi gelding has been just as good as ever in 2024 with Group 1 wins coming in three different countries and a third-place finish coming in a fourth for his only 2024 defeat. Rebel Romance will be making his fourth U.S. start here ā and first in 2024 ā but will be tackling California turf for the first time, although that shouldnāt be a problem.
$7 million Longines Breedersā Cup Classic
Aidan OāBrien has sent 17 different horses to the Breedersā Cup Classic and come close to winning it with a few of them, but still has yet to visit the winnerās circle in this race. The trainer is taking another shot at it with City of Troy. Heās last yearās European champion 2-year-old colt and has raced exclusively on turf, but he is by 2018 U.S. Triple Crown winner Justify. He hails from a family that is full of turf runners, though it does include 2008 Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker, who ironically is by the OāBrien-trained Breedersā Cup Classic runner-up Giantās Causeway.
Forever Youngās only career defeat came in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve a few months ago when he was third and heās back to avenge that loss here. Only a head away from winning the Derby, Forever Young received a long break after the race and came back on Oct. 2 to knock off the rust. That race was a victory with Forever Young winning the Japan Dirt Classic by 1 Ā¼ lengths. Japan has had five Breedersā Cup Classic starters but has yet to secure a win in the race, however, they continue to bring horses better and better suited to this race and Forever Young fits the mold
Ushba Tesoro is another Japanese runner and has raced all over the world this year. Heās taken on some of the biggest dirt races in the world in the Saudi Cup, Dubai World Cup, and most recently the Nippon TV Hai, finishing second in all three. He was also a Breedersā Cup Classic runner last year, finishing fifth by 3 Ā¼ lengths after taking a similar path with a win in the Nippon TV Hai as his final prep after winning the 2023 Dubai World Cup.
$2 million Makerās Mark Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Cinderellaās Dream is one of the racehorses Charles Appleby had based in the U.S. this summer and that campaign has worked out well for her and her connections. The Shamardal filly wintered in Dubai, where she continued a four-race win streak that started in May of 2023 in England, before aiming for the Group 1 One Thousand Guineas in England. That race was the first defeat for Cinderellaās Dream, who finished seventh. She then headed to the U.S, where she proved to be a force against her own age group with wins in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes and Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes. Sheāll be going farther than she ever has before in this race, but that shouldnāt be too much of a worry with what sheās shown already in the U.S.
Sopranoās first race in the U.S. was a second in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana last month, although she did finish six lengths behind the winner. The filly was third by just 1 Ā½ lengths in her previous start in Ireland before coming here, but a big worry may be that the Queen Elizabeth was her first start past a mile and sheāll be going an extra quarter-mile farther than that race the Filly & Mare Turf.
Aidan OāBrienās entries in this race include Wingspan, who is looking for her first Group/Grade 1 victory. She isnāt the strongest runner OāBrien has brought to Filly & Mare Turf, but she always runs a solid race. Her record includes a pair of seconds in two tough races her last two starts to tie up a record that has seen her finish off the board just once in six races. OāBrien has run 19 horses in this race but has only won it with one: Tuesday in 2022.
$2 million Cygames Breedersā Cup Sprint
Don Frankie comes into the Sprint off a half-length victory in the Cluster Cup in August as one of three starts in 2024. The 5-year-old by Daiwa Major started his season stretching out to a mile for the first time in an experiment that didnāt go well with a ninth-place finish before shipping to Dubai. There, he finished second in the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen ā granted, it was 6 Ā½ lengths behind the winner ā before being given a nearly five-month break. His last two starts were both at the six-furlong distance of the Sprint, a distance he has had plenty of success at with three wins and two seconds in five starts.
Lani became a fan favorite when he came over from Japan for the 2016 Triple Crown. Eight years later, his son Remake is making his U.S. debut in the Breedersā Cup Sprint. A consistent runner with 14 top three finishes in 18 starts, Remake has won two of his three starts this year and was fourth in his only loss. This will be the fourth country heās traveled to in 2024 with wins coming in Grade 3 races in Saudi Arabia and Korea and a fourth in Dubai.
$2 million Fanduel Breedersā Cup Mile Presented by PDJF
After two off-the-board finishes in his last three starts, this yearās Two Thousand Guineas winner Notable Speech is looking to get back to his winning ways in this race. Despite those two off-form performances, Notable Speech is a strong contender for Godolphin as the winner of five of his seven career starts. Those starts even included a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race earlier this year, but his connections opted for the aforementioned British classic instead of Kentucky. The 3-year-old has raced exclusively at a mile in various conditions, so whatever he faces in California shouldnāt be an issue.
One of the best 3-year-old fillies in Europe is Porta Fortuna, whose only misstep this year was a second by a neck in the One Thousand Guineas to start her year. That runner-up performance came in her first start after finishing second in last yearās Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and since the One Thousand Guineas sheās been perfect. Trainer Donnacha OāBrien has run her exclusively in Group 1 races since August of last year and the filly has never finished worse than third with three straight victories coming into the Breedersā Cup MIle.
Japanese Group 1 winner Ten Happy Rose looks to get her second Group 1 win in her last three starts. The 6-year-old mareās connections dropped her down to six furlongs for her final Breedersā Cup prep in a race that can probably be viewed as a true prep because of the distance and the fact that she lost by only three lengths in her first start in 17 weeks. Ten Happy Rose only has one win at a mile, but she has finished in the top three in four of her eight tries at the distance, so it wouldnāt be too big of a surprise to see her finish in the top three.
Meet the Jockeys of the 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic.
Just as any NFL team needs a reliable quarterback if it wants to win a Super Bowl, so too do the connections of the best racehorses in training need the services of a top-notch jockey if theyāre aiming to win a race like the Longines Breedersā Cup Classic.Since itās the richest race in North America and the ultimate prize at the Breedersā Cup World Championships this Friday and Saturday at Del Mar, winning the Classic is the ultimate goal for any rider.
Letās take a look at which jockeys have made it to the big dance for the 2024 Longines Classic on Nov. 2.
Junior Alvarado
Age: 38
Originally from: Venezuela
Breedersā Cup victories: 3
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Second in 2022 (Olympiad)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Arthurās Ride
It took Junior Alvarado 16 years to capture his first Breedersā Cup win. Now, heās got three victories in the last two years at the World Championships. A native of Venezuela and the son of a jockey, Alvarado decided to follow the same path as his dad. He began riding in 2005 and moved to the U.S. in 2007. He started his professional career in Florida and Chicago before becoming a mainstay in New Yorkās competitive racing circuit. Alvarado is probably best known for riding Codyās Wish, the horse who gave the jockey his first Breedersā Cup win in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile in 2022. Codyās Wish won the Dirt Mile again in 2023 and was voted Horse of the Year. In Saturdayās BC Classic, Alvarado has a legitimate shot aboard the speedy Arthurās Ride. The two paired up to win the Whitney Stakes in August by getting to the lead early and staying there. You could expect Arthurās Ride to be on the front right from the start again in the Classic.
Frankie Dettori
Age: 53
Originally from: Italy
Breedersā Cup victories: 15
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2008 (Ravenās Pass)
2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Newgate
Imagine Tom Brady or Lebron James with a signature celebratory leap ā thatās Frankie Dettori. Widely considered one of the greatest international riders of all time, Dettori is perhaps best known to fans for his patented winnerās circle āflying dismount,ā which has seen him soar off the backs of many a champion racehorse. Just when it appeared Dettoriās career was winding down a few years ago, he decided to relocate to the U.S. and make one last push. Since making the move, heās won more than a dozen graded stakes races and captured his 15th career Breedersā Cup win last year aboard Inspiral in the Makerās Mark Filly & Mare Turf. Dettori also holds the distinction of riding the last internationally-based horse to win the Breedersā Cup Classic ā Ravenās Pass in 2008. This year, Dettori will be aboard locally-based Newgate who recently finished a close third in the California Crown Stakes Presented by SirDavis American Whisky.
Kyle Frey
Age: 32
Originally from: California
Breedersā Cup victories: 0
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: n/a
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Mixto
While most of this Classic field is loaded with internationally-renowned and even legendary riders, there are a few jockeys in the race who have emerged just this year. Kyle Frey is perhaps the most incredible story of all. Heās 32 years old and his career started with a bang when he won horse racingās equivalent of the Rookie of the Year for jockeys (Eclipse Award as the top apprentice rider) in 2011. But in the years since, Frey has been open about personal struggles with alcohol and mental health challenges. Over the past year, everything has come together for Frey and heās now on one of the hottest streaks since he began riding. For perspective, heās won 10 graded stakes races in his career ā and six of them have come in the last 10 months. The most high-profile victory in that span was a 22.20-to-1 longshot win in the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes aboard Mixto, the horse Frey will ride in the Breedersā Cup Classic on Saturday.
Brian Hernandez Jr.
Age: 38 (He turns 39 the day after the Breedersā Cup!)
Originally from: Louisiana
Breedersā Cup victories: 1
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2012 (Fort Larned)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Pyrenees
For the past 12 years, Brian Hernandez Jr. was perhaps best known for what was over that timespan the standout victory of his career, his 2012 Breedersā Cup Classic win aboard Fort Larned. But then Hernandez went out and won the Longines Kentucky Oaks aboard filly sensation Thorpedo Anna and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with longshot Mystik Dan on back-to-back days this past May. An extremely approachable personality around the track, the Louisiana native earned the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey in 2004. In total, heās racked up more than 2,600 career wins and 86 graded stakes victories to date. His Classic win in 2012 is incredibly in his lone win from his 21 career starts in Breedersā Cup races. Hernandez rides Pyrenees in the Classic on Saturday, a horse who has finished first or second in each of his last six races.
Yuga Kawada
Age: 39
Originally from: Japan
Breedersā Cup victories: 1
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Fifth in 2023 (Ushba Tesoro)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Ushba Tesoro
Four years ago, fans of the Breedersā Cup might not have recognized the name Yuga Kawada. While heād established quite the rĆ©sumĆ© riding in Japan, Kawada hadnāt gotten many opportunities under the bright lights of the World Championships. But in the 2021 Makerās Mark Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Kawada made history when he rode Loves Only You to victory as she became the first Japan-based horse to win a Breedersā Cup race. Kawada built upon that momentum as leading rider in Japan in 2022. Last year, he rode his Breedersā Cup Classic hopeful Ushba Tesoro to victory in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline. Kawada gets another shot at the Classic with Ushba Tesoro after finishing fifth in the race in 2023.
Christophe Lemaire
Age: 45
Originally from: France
Breedersā Cup victories: 1
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Second in 2023 (Derma Sotogake)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Derma Sotogake
If you want to see Christophe Lemaire ride in the U.S., you have to wait for the marquee racedays, and the Breedersā Cup certainly qualifies. Born in France, Lemaire has traveled the world as one of the top international riders for decades. He began his career in Europe but has built out his rĆ©sumĆ© in recent years via domination in Japan, where heās been a force since 2015 and led the Japan Racing Association standings by wins for five straight years from 2017 to 2021. Lemaire won the 2012 Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf aboard Flotilla and finished second in the Breedersā Cup Classic last year with the same horse heāll be riding this year, Derma Sotogake. Remarkably, Lemaire has ridden in seven Breedersā Cup races and heās finished in the top four in five of those races.
Luan Machado
Age: 30
Originally from: Brazil
Breedersā Cup victories: 0
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: n/a
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Next
One of the few fresh faces in the Breedersā Cup Classic this year, Luan Machado has been on a bit of a bit of a rollercoaster ride in recent weeks. Experiencing what anyone would describe as a breakout year in 2024, the native of Brazil went from near obscurity in the U.S. to landing in the top 25 in the overall jockey rankings. Heās won four graded stakes this year and has already surpassed his win total from 2023. But Machado made the error of misjudging the finish line in a race at Keeneland in October, which cost his horse a victory and led to significant scorn from racing fans and bettors. How did Machado respond from his critical mistake? He won two graded stakes the following week. Machado will be riding fan favorite Next in the Breedersā Cup Classic, a horse who now faces stiffer competition after winning his last seven races by more than 91 lengths combined.
Ryan Moore
Age: 41
Originally from: England
Breedersā Cup victories: 14
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Fifth in 2018 (Mendelssohn)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: City of Troy
If youāre looking to bet on a jockey who has won some of the biggest races across the globe, youāve found him with Ryan Moore. Not only has he scored 14 winners at the Breedersā Cup World Championships, Moore has also won just about every major international race from the Melbourne Cup (Australia) to the Japan Cup to the Prix de lāArc de Triomphe (France) and Epsom Derby (England). It was in the U.K. that Moore honed his craft, earning Champion Jockey honors in multiple years to go along with the title of Longines World's Best Jockey four times (most recently last year). In the Breedersā Cup Classic this year, Moore is slated to ride Irish sensation City of Troy. A winner of six of his seven career races, City of Troy is shipping to California in the hopes of becoming the first European-based horse to capture the Classic in more than 15 years.
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Age: 32
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Breedersā Cup victories: 20
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2019 (Vino Rosso) and 2023 (White Abarrio)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Tapit Trice
To keep it simple, Irad Ortiz is the best rider in America. This year will mark the eighth straight year that heāll lead the nation in wins and heās likely to earn his sixth Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. At just 32 years old, Ortiz just surpassed the 4,000-win mark. Heās two decades younger than his childhood idol ā Hall of Famer John Velazquez ā yet Ortiz is now tied with Velazquez with 20 career Breedersā Cup victories. Ortiz has ridden in 100 Breedersā Cup races, while Velazquez has had 220 mounts at the Breedersā Cup. Additionally, Ortiz has a very good chance to catch and surpass Mike Smith for the all-time Breedersā Cup wins lead (27) in the next few years. In 2019, Ortiz won his first Breedersā Cup Classic aboard Vino Rosso. He added another Classic win last year on White Abarrio. However, this year, Ortiz will have to defy the odds when he rides longshot Tapit Trice.
Jose Ortiz
Age: 31
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Breedersā Cup victories: 5
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Finished fourth four times, most recently in 2020 (Tacitus)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Rattle N Roll
As half of the dynamic Ortiz Brothers, Jose is on the fast track to the Hall of Fame, just like his older brother Irad. Over his short 11-year career, Jose has won nearly 3,100 races and has previously taken home the Eclipse Award as the nationās top jockey. Heās won two thirds of American Triple Crown races, having captured the Preakness Stakes in 2022 and the Belmont Stakes in 2017. Ortiz heads into this yearās World Championships with five wins under his belt in the event. The odds will likely be against him capturing his first win in this yearās Classic, as heās slated to ride longshot Rattle N Roll, who is an also-eligible and will draw into the race if another horse scratches. Rattle N Rollās last win came five starts back, over a year ago, and that was against inferior competition to what heāll face on Saturday.
Flavien Prat
Age: 32
Originally from: France
Breedersā Cup victories: 5
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2022 (Flightline)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Sierra Leone
Few jockeys over the past five years have been more consistent than Flavien Prat. In that time, heās captured the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and three of his five Breedersā Cup wins. Prat won the biggest prize at the World Championships in 2022 aboard Flightline, a generational talent who cruised to victory in the Classic. While Flightline was expected to win, Prat has been known to pull of upsets in big races, as he did in the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House at odds of 65.20-to-1. Last year at the Breedersā Cup, Prat guided Hard to Justify to victory at odds of 9.10-to-1 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Prat and his Classic mount this year, Sierra Leone, wonāt be favorites, so perhaps itās the best time to make a little wager.
Joel Rosario
Age: 39
Originally from: Dominican Republic
Breedersā Cup victories: 15
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2018 (Accelerate) and 2021 (Knicks Go)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Senor Buscador
For eight years in a row, Joel Rosario had won at least one race at the Breedersā Cup until he was blanked at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. Itās just a matter of time before Rosario gets back in the win column at this event. He has twice tasted victory in the Classic, including the last time it was run at Del Mar in 2021 when Rosario and Knicks Go took top honors. This year, Rosario is in the unusual position of picking up a mount on a horse heās never ridden. Senor Buscador won the Saudi Cup earlier this year but his rider from that race, Junior Alvarado, will be on Arthurās Ride in the Classic. Joe Talamo, who has piloted Senor Buscador in recent races, has stepped away from riding for the moment. So, Rosario has a huge opportunity. The newly-minted Hall of Famer doesnāt have much more to prove in the saddle but a third Classic win would certainly put Rosario in rare air.
Luis Saez
Age: 32
Originally from: Panama
Breedersā Cup victories: 1
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Second in 2013 (Will Take Charge)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Highland Falls
One of the more confounding discoveries youāll find while looking up jockey statistics for the Breedersā Cup is that Luis Saez (a future Hall of Famer) has had 63 rides at the World Championships and heās won just a single race. That lone victory came in 2020 aboard Essential Quality in the Breedersā Cup Juvenile. Seven-plus months later, Essential Quality would also give Saez his first of two wins in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets ā Saez won the race again earlier this year aboard Dornoch. At just 32 years of age, the native of Panama already has nearly 3,600 career wins and heās perennially among the top five in the national jockey standings based on earnings. Saez will have the mount this Saturday on up-and-coming star Highland Falls in the Breedersā Cup Classic. The horse, who has finished in the top three in eight of his nine career races, recently blew away his competition in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes. A repeat of that effort would put him in contention for a top spot in Saturdayās Classic.
Ryusei Sakai
Age: 27
Originally from: Japan
Breedersā Cup victories: 0
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: n/a
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Forever Young
Early this year, Ryusei Sakai came about as close as a jockey possibly could to winning his first Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve ā in his first appearance in the race. He lost by less than a head while riding the then-undefeated Forever Young. The horse took five months off before returning last month to win the Japan Dirt Classic with Sakai aboard. Now, they return to the U.S. as one of the top contenders in the Breedersā Cup Classic. Originally from Tokyo, Sakai has already established himself on the international racing scene. At 18, as an apprentice jockey, he traveled to South Australia and rode in the prestigious Caulfield Cup. In 2022, Sakai scored his first Group 1 win in Japanās Shuka Sho Stakes on a horse named Stunning Rose. Aboard Forever Young, heās also notched wins this year in the UAE Derby in Dubai and the Saudi Derby.
John Velazquez
Age: 52
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Breedersā Cup victories: 20
Best finish in the Breedersā Cup Classic: Won in 2020 (Authentic)
His 2024 Breedersā Cup Classic horse: Fierceness
John Velazquez shows no signs of slowing down. Now, 52, heās still in the top 15 on the national jockey leaderboard and he has more than 6,650 career wins. Velazquez ranks second all-time in Breedersā Cup earnings and is tied for second in victories (both records are held by Mike Smith). Velazquez is in search of another win in the Classic this year (he won the race for the first time four years ago) when he rides DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness. The colt is already in line to win honors as the top 3-year-old in the country and should move into contention for Horse of the Year honors with a big performance on Saturday.
What You Need to Know About Breedersā Cup Saturday Races at Del Mar.
The day racing fans and horseplayers wait for all year for is almost here. The Breedersā Cup Saturday program will feature the international equine and human stars of horse racing, all ready to square off in nine championship races on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Del Mar.The event will be headlined by the richest horse race in North America, the $7 million Longines Breedersā Cup Classic.
Television coverage on NBC and Peacock will feature 2 1/2 hours of live programming from 3:30 - 6 p.m. ET / 12:30 - 3 p.m. PT featuring four Breedersā Cup races ending with the Longines Breedersā Cup Classic. Peacock will provide continued coverage of the final four Breedersā Cup races starting at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. These races will also stream live on BreedersCup.com and Breedersā Cup social media channels. USA Network will televise live coverage from 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. ā 12:30 p.m. PT covering one undercard race and the first Breedersā Cup race. FanDuel TV will televise the first three undercard races and all of Saturdayās Breedersā Cup races, except the Classic.
Here are some of the details you need to know about Saturdayās Breedersā Cup races.
$1 million PNC Bank Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Distance: 7 furlongs on dirt
Post time: 3 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 5
Background: The Filly & Mare Sprint debuted in 2007 when the Breedersā Cup expanded past eight races for the first time. In 17 prior editions of the Filly & Mare Sprint, no horse has won the race wire-to-wire. After no 3-year-old won the race during its first decade of existence, sophomore fillies won three in a row in 2018, 2019, and 2020. This is relevant for 2024, a race very likely to feature a 3-year-old favorite.
Favorites: Top 3-year-old filly sprinter Ways and Means owns three big wins in a row, including the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, and looks like the real deal. Another 3-year-old ā Southern California-based stakes winner One Magic Philly ā is also a leading contender. Society, who will need to buck this raceās bias against front-runners, has made only two starts in 2024 but will be one of the favorites based on her win in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga.
Interesting Storylines: The horse in this race ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is often the horse to beat. Irad has won four of the last seven editions of the Filly & Mare Sprint with wins in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023. The Filly & Mare Sprint will have a new champion in 2024 after the race was ruled the past two years by Goodnight Olive.
$1 million Prevagen Breedersā Cup Turf Sprint
Distance: 5 furlongs on turf
Post time: 3:41 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4, All-turf Pick 4
Background: First held in 2008, seven of the first 10 runnings of this race were held at about 6 Ā½ furlongs on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita until the race morphed into a 5 or 5 Ā½-furlong dash the last seven years. At Del Mar, it is always run at the distance of five furlongs. Southern California-based trainers once ruled this race, but no SoCal stable has won it since Peter Millerās most recent of three wins in 2019.
Favorites: There will be plenty of really fast horses in the 2024 Turf Sprint, but the race should come down to a power match-up between Americaās best and Europeās finest. Cogburn has lit up U.S. competition this year with a perfect 3-for-3 record, while Bradsell has been first or second in top-level Group 1 turf sprints in England, Ireland, and France at five furlongs in his last three races.
Interesting Storylines: Last yearās Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs will attempt to become a Breedersā Cup winner in two different divisions, a feat thatās only been accomplished by seven horses in history. Golden Pal pulled off the Juvenile Turf Sprint/Turf Sprint double back-to-back in 2020-ā21.
$2 million Longines Breedersā Cup Distaff
Distance: 1 1/8 miles on dirt
Post time: 4:21 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4, All-dirt Pick 4, Distaff - Classic Daily Double
Background: The Distaff, which for a brief time in its history was also referred to as the Ladiesā Classic, has a long list of Hall of Fame-caliber fillies and mares among its winners, including champion females like Princess Rooney, Ladyās Secret, Personal Ensign, Bayakoa, Paseana, Ashado, Zenyatta, Beholder, Monomoy Girl, and many more all the way up to last yearās winner, 2023 champion older dirt female Idiomatic.
Favorites: Thorpedo Anna is the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division based on multiple wins including the Longines Kentucky Oaks and Saratogaās Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. She will square-off against undefeated Japanese invader Awesome Result, who comes in with a 7-for-7 record and looks to follow in the footsteps of Japanās Marche Lorraine, who scored an upset in the Distaff in 2021.
Interesting Storylines: Throughout its history, the Distaff has been a race defined by its memorable 3-year-old versus older female headline matchups, but in recent years the 3-year-olds have lost a bit of traction. A 3-year-old filly has won the race only four times the last 19 years. This would seem to indicate that star 3-year-olds seem to have their work cut out for them unless thereās a truly special one in the bunch, like Thorpedo Anna appears to be.
$5 million Longines Breedersā Cup Turf
Distance: 1 Ā½ miles on turf
Post time: 5:01 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4, mandatory payout Pick 6
Background: The $5 million grass feature of the Breedersā Cup card always attracts an international field of turf aces, and this year will be no exception with more than half of the pre-entered horses hailing from overseas, including as many as five from the barn of Aidan OāBrien. Since English Channel won in 2007, only three U.S.-based horses have won the Turf: Little Mike in 2012, Main Sequence in 2014, and Bricks and Mortar in 2019.
Favorites: The Turf will feature plenty of overseas talent including a very familiar face, 2022 Breedersā Cup Turf winner Rebelās Romance. He had a sub-par season in 2023 but is back with a vengeance this year with three Group 1 wins to his credit. He will try to become only the third two-time winner of the Turf and first since Conduit in 2008-ā09. British-based trainer Brian Meehan will seek his third career Breedersā Cup Turf win with improving 3-year-old Jayarebe. American hopes rest mainly on the shoulders of Far Bridge, who comes into this race off consecutive Grade 1 wins in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.
Interesting Storylines: Trainer Aidan OāBrien ended a six-year drought in this race when he won with Auguste Rodin last year to give him seven career wins in the Turf plus six seconds and five third-place finishes. If OāBrien wins the Turf again, heād build upon his record to be the first trainer ever to win a Breedersā Cup race eight times. He can accomplish that with any one of his entrants, Illinois, Luxembourg, and Continuous, plus Content and Wingspan, who both are cross-entered in the Makerās Mark Filly & Mare Turf.
$7 million Longines Breedersā Cup Classic
Distance: 1 1/4 miles on the dirt
Post time: 5:41 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, mandatory payout Pick 5
Background: The Classic is the showcase race of the day. With a purse of $7 million, the Classic is one of the worldās richest races and will have the highest purse of any race run in North America. The worldās best dirt horses compete at the classic distance of 1 Ā¼ miles in a race that impacts several Eclipse Award divisions, including older dirt male, 3-year-old male, and Horse of the Year. A whoās who of American greats from the past 40 years have won this race including Sunday Silence (1989), Cigar (1995), Tiznow (2000-ā01), Curlin (2007), Zenyatta (2009), American Pharoah (2015), Gun Runner (2017), and Flightline (2022) just to name a few.
Favorites: The field of contenders in 2024 is deep and diverse. The Classic will feature the winners of so many of the yearās top dirt races for older horses, including Arthurās Ride (won the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes), Highland Falls (Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes), and Senor Buscador ($20 million Saudi Cup). The most talented horse in the race may be 3-year-old DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness, last yearās Breedersā Cup Juvenile winner who got his career back on the winning track this summer at Saratoga capped-off by his victory in the Grade 1 Travers.
Interesting Storylines: Many foreign-based horses have attempted to win the Breedersā Cup Classic through the years and, with a couple of notable exceptions, they have been unsuccessful. The last horse to do it was Ravenās Pass in 2008 when that yearās Classic was run on an all-weather surface. The only foreign winner of this race on a dirt track was back in 1993 when Arcangues posted the biggest upset in Breedersā Cup history, paying $269.20 to win on a $2 bet. Despite all of that, some of the top 2024 Classic contenders will be shipping in from overseas, including City of Troy, who has been one of Europeās top horses this year and could be tough to beat if he handles his first-ever assignment on a dirt track. Japan-based Derma Sotogake, Ushba Tesoro, and Forever Young also are all considered serious contenders. Forever Young just missed winning the 2024 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve by a head.
$2 million Makerās Mark Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Distance: 1 3/8 miles on turf
Post time: 6:25 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4
Background: First held in 1999, the Filly & Mare Turf marked the Breedersā Cupās first expansion from its original seven-race program. For more than a decade, this race has been dominated by two groups of horses: 1) foreigners, which have won seven of the last eight including last yearās winner, Inspiral, or 2) horses trained by Chad Brown, which have won the race four of the last 12 years. Brown will be without an entrant in 2024. The last North American horse not trained by Brown to win the Filly & Mare Turf was Perfect Shirl for Roger Attfield way back in 2011.
Favorites: Content does not enter the Filly and Mare Turf with the kind of form that you would expect to make her the favorite in this race since both of her last two races resulted in big defeats, but both of those races were on soft turf. Content won her most recent race on firmer ground in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks and will get strong support on Del Marās firm turf course. Trainer Charles Appleby will have 3-year-old Cinderellaās Dream ready after two wins in New York this summer.
Interesting Storylines: Full Count Felicia beat the last two Canadian Horses of the Year, Fev Rover and Moira, in her big wire-to-wire win last time out at Woodbine when she opened up a 19-length lead on the field at one point in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes and never looked back. She could employ similar tactics in this spot. Veteran 7-year-old mare War Like Goddess, who owns 12 career wins and finished third versus males in the Breedersā Cup Turf in 2022, will push her career earnings past the $3-million mark with a finish of sixth or better.
$2 million Cygames Breedersā Cup Sprint
Distance: 6 furlongs on dirt
Post time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3
Background: The Sprint is an āoriginal sevenā Breedersā Cup race that has always been held at its current six-furlong distance. Jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. have had a monopoly on this race in the 2020s, with Irad winning in 2023-ā24 aboard Elite Power and in 2020 aboard Whitmore. Jose won in 2021 aboard Aloha West. In two prior editions of the Sprint at Del Mar, the winners were Aloha West and Roy H (2017). Aloha West was based in the Midwest and was exiting a second-place finish in his final prep in the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland while SoCal-based Roy H exited a win in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes.
Favorites: The 2024 Sprint is loaded with contenders and is a race any of the principals can win based on their best effort. Mullikin is 4-for-4 this year and exiting a Grade 1 win in Saratogaās Forego Stakes. Skelly has been at or near the top of the division all year, but heās settled for second in three in a row, including in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga, where he lost to Nakatomi, who is back in the Sprint this year after a solid third-place Sprint finish in 2023. Federal Judge and Raging Torrent both have surging form and canāt be ignored.
Interesting Storylines: The Sprint in the decade of the 2010s was a race mostly ruled by speed horses that raced on or close to the lead (no more than 3 Ā½ lengths back at any time). The last four runnings of the Sprint, however, have been won by late runners including Elite Power, who closed from seventh to win in both of the last two editions. Whitmore came from seven lengths out of it to win in 2020, and Aloha West was victorious in 2021 after getting off to a tardy beginning and needing to rally from mid-pack. Several of this yearās top challengers are speed horses expected to contest the pace. Will the Sprint set up for another off-the-pace runner in 2024? Nakatomi sure hopes so.
$2 million Fanduel Breedersā Cup Mile Presented by PDJF
Distance: 1 mile on turf
Post time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double
Background: As one of the original seven Breedersā Cup events, and with a $2 million purse, the Mile is guaranteed to draw an international all-star field. It seems that the North American horses used to hold their own in this race much more frequently than they have recently as European connections have won five of the last six years. Trainer Charles Appleby and Godolphin won the last three years with jockey William Buick aboard all three winners: Master of The Seas in 2023, Modern Games in 2022, and Space Blues in 2021. You can hardly cross out the Americans when scoping out the Mile winner, however, because horses based in North America have won the race 22 times with a list of winners that includes some of American middle-distance turf legends like Lure, Da Hoss, War Chant, and Wise Dan.
Favorites: Chances for a fourth straight win for Appleby in 2024 will rest with Notable Speech, a multiple Group 1 stakes winner this year who should appreciate Del Marās firm turf. The big-name American contender in the field will be Chad Brownās Carl Spackler, who topped the turf mile division with wins in the Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga this summer and in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland this fall. The Southern California home team will be well represented by Johannes, who is a perfect 4-for-4 this year.
Interesting Storylines: The front-runner or any horse involved in the early pace almost never wins the Breedersā Cup Mile. With the exception of Hall of Famer Lure in 1992-ā93, no other pacesetter has ever won the Mile down through its long history. Tepin in 2015 was as close to the pace as any horse since Lure when she pressed the pace just a length behind the early leader. She joined Kip Deville in 2007 and Goldikova in 2008 as Mile winners whoāve employed the pace-pressing running style. When you look at the history of the Mile, you will notice that the overwhelming majority of the winners used a late-closing or a stalking running style en route to victory. In the last 15 editions of the Mile since 2009, only Tepin and World Approval in 2017 were within three lengths of the front at the first call. Last yearās winner Master of The Seas closed from 12th in a 13-horse field.
$1 million Big Ass Fans Breedersā Cup Dirt Mile
Distance: 1 mile on dirt
Post time: 8:25 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5
Background: This race was first held at the 2007 Breedersā Cup, but the Dirt Mile has more recently gained in stature the last few years to truly become one of the headline events of the Breedersā Cup program thanks to marquee winners like City of Light in 2018, Knicks Go in 2020, Life Is Good in 2021, and especially Codyās Wish back-to-back in 2022-ā23.
Favorites: Perhaps not the favorite, but the horse to beat may turn out to be Domestic Product, who exits a win for trainer Chad Brown in Saratogaās seven-furlong, Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes and also has won this season around two turns.
Interesting Storylines: Seize the Grey, the winner of the 2024 Preakness Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby, will try to put his name into contention for the 3-year-old Eclipse Award if he can add a third Grade 1 victory in the Dirt Mile.
1995 Breeders' Cup Classic - Cigar
Non Compliant, Out on Bail were both scratched.
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Breedersā Cup: Non Compliant, Out On Bail scratched
Non Compliant, undefeated winner of the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes, has been scratched out of Fridayās $2 million Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, and Out On Bail, winner of the Skidmore Stakes, has been scratched from Fridayās $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint, according to a Breedersā Cup...
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Thank you for the contribution
Thorpedo Anna took to the track early this morning!
2024 Breedersā Cup Live Longshots and Value Bets for All 14 Races.
While some people fixate on the Kentucky Derby each year, my favorite horse racing event has long been the Breedersā Cup World Championships. I just love rapid-fire elite races across two days with every million-dollar stakes another chance for a big score.If you had a truly rancid opinion in one race, just put it behind you and move onto the next golden opportunity to cash a big ticket in about 30 minutes.
If you prefer grass races to dirt, there are plenty of options on the turf. Prefer stamina tests rather than sprints, you are in luck at Breedersā Cup. If you are a chalk player, you might get 3-1 or 7-2 on the most likely winner instead of 8-5 or 2-1 on a normal raceday. There is something for all types of bettors Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.
This yearly feature is all about big prices: double-digit value bets and 20-1 or 30-1 longshots. Iām not predicting longshots will win every race, or even the majority of the 14 championship races, but upsets frequently happen at the Breedersā Cup and Iām on the lookout for longshots in every race that might lead to a hefty reward.
Letās get to it ā¦
Six Beginner Betting Tools
- Start simple with an easy guide for how to bet on horse racing.
- Not sure what that word means? Horse racing terminology is a language of its own. Allow us translate for you
- What the heck is a speed figure? This beginnerās guide to speed figures has everything you need to know.
- Betting on horse racing can be intimidating. Team ABR put together some Dos and Donāts for the new fan getting started betting on racing.
- We all make mistakes when it comes to betting on horse racing, here are eight lessons learned from experience.
- Figure out how much each bet will cost in advance with our Gambling Calculator, presented by NYRA Bets.
$1 million Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, 5:45 p.m. ET
Eight of the 12 runners in the main body of this field are shipping in from other countries. I had hoped for a better price than 7-2 on Japanās #8 Ecoro Sieg, the tepid morning-line favorite, but apparently, heās no secret. My longshot play in here is #4 Magnum Force (15-1).
Magnum Force has finished in the top three in all four starts and enters off a third-place finish in a Group 3 race in September at Doncaster behind two runners heāll face again here, #2 Aesterius (9-2) and #3 Big Mojo (4-1). He was beaten by 1 Ā½ lengths in that race in his fourth career start and is triple the price of both runners.
$2 million NetJets Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies, 6:25 p.m. ET
Favorites have won this race at a 47.5% clip in 40 editions, so itās not typically a great spot for value, but 20-1 on #1 Vodka With a Twist jumped out to me as a terrific price on the morning line. She enters off back-to-back runner-up finishes on this track in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes and Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante Stakes and has tactical speed for a very good trainer in Phil DāAmato. I think she can win.
$1 million John Deere Breedersā Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, 7:05 p.m. ET
Aidan OāBrienās unbeaten multiple Group 1 winner #1 Lake Victoria (8-5 favorite) appears formidable, but with two short-priced fillies ā local hope #7 Thought Process is 5-2 ā there is value all over among the other entrants. U.S.-based runners have historically fared well in this race, so Iāll try #9 Kilwin (20-1) and #12 May Day Ready (20-1) to spice things up. Kilwin is stretching out in distance but enters off an impressive stakes win at Kentucky Downs in which she closed in the stretch on a course that favored speed all meet. May Day Ready improved to 3-for-3 with a well-timed win under Frankie Dettori in the Jessamine Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales.
$2 million FanDuel Breedersā Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, 7:45 p.m. ET
I would be surprised if one of #1 East Avenue (5-2) or #10 Chancer McPatrick (3-1) did not win this race, but the post-position draw did neither any favors. American Pharoah Stakes Presented by DK Horse runner-up #2 Getaway Car (20-1) fits my historical profile of a longshot winner in a race that has produced 10 double-digit odds winners in the last 25 years. If itās not one of the favorites, I think Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffertās longest shot from among his three entrants can pull the upset.
$1 million Breedersā Cup Juvenile Turf, 8:25 p.m. ET
Much of the focus in this race will be on bet365 Summer Stakes winner #11 New Century (5-2) and runner-up #4 Al Qudra (4-1), who shipped over from Europe for the quality barns of Andrew Balding and Charlie Appleby, respectively, for their final prep race. I think that could allow a couple of other international runners to fly under the radar. Japan-based #1 Satono Carnival (20-1) is 2-for-2 and most recently led from start to finish in a Group 3 race in his native country. He could find himself all alone in front and be tough to catch late. I also like Irish Group 1-placed #7 Seagulls Eleven (15-1) to outrun his odds for trainer Hugo Palmer on the firm ground in Southern California.
SATURDAY
$1 million PNC Bank Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, 3 p.m. ET
The logical win candidates look tough in here, but #10 Scylla (10-1) has been very good this year for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The Juddmonte homebred filly by leading sire Tapit out of champion Close Hatches had been running around two turns, including a second-place finish to now-retired Adare Manor in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Presented by Oak Tree Racing Association on this track. She cut back in distance when second in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap Aug. 24, and should be rested and razor sharp in her second try at this seven-furlong distance.
$1 million Prevagen Breedersā Cup Turf Sprint, 3:41 p.m. ET
Trainer Charles Appleby is 10-for-20 in the Breedersā Cup and you get 10-1 morning-line odds on #6 Star of Mystery. Sheās made her last three starts in the U.S. with a graded stakes win and top-three finishes in her other two races in a Grade 1 and a Grade 2. Iād be thrilled with 6-1 odds or higher on an accomplished 3-year-old filly with five wins and five seconds in 12 starts. Where do I sign?! My best bet of the weekend.
$2 million Longines Breedersā Cup Distaff, 4:21 p.m. ET
Well, Iām either going to look really, really dumb or like a genius for this selection but, heck, itās Breedersā Cup. Letās swing for the fences.
Japanese invader #4 Alice Verite (20-1) is a true wild card in the Distaff. She initially was pointed to the Makerās Mark Filly and Mare Turf and cross-entered here, but even though she would have drawn into that race, her connections opted for the 1 1/8-mile Distaff and the Kizuna fillyās her first start on dirt. Sheās a Group 3 winner on grass in her native Japan and what jumped out to me in watching her last three races was the tactics. She opened up a huge early lead every time and dared the rest of the field to come and catch her.
Twice, she held on to win at 1 Ā¼ miles on the grass and most recently, she was passed late. Having never experienced dirt being kicked back in her face, I assume jockey Kyle Frey will be instructed to send her to the front and see how long she can hang on. With speedy champion Idiomatic retired, Alice Verite could find herself all alone in front entering the stretch with a shot at a massive upset in a race an eighth of a mile shorter than she has been running.
$5 million Longines Breedersā Cup Turf, 5:01 p.m. ET
If you are starting to notice a trend, yes, I think Japan could have a big weekend Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar. #3 Shahryar (10-1) finished third in this race a year ago. While winless in two starts in 2024, he was second fellow Turf contender Rebelās Romance in the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic in March. The 6-year-old by Deep Impact was fifth in his return from 4 Ā½ months off in August in his native Japan, but I view that as a steppingstone to this target. Iāll bet Shahryar to win and box him in the exacta with #5 Jayarebe (4-1) and #11 Rebelās Romance (5-2).
$7 million Longines Breedersā Cup Classic, 5:41 p.m. ET
So much focus has been on DraftKings Travers Stakes winner #9 Fierceness (3-1), English classic winner #3 City of Troy (5-2), and a formidable Japanese trio that Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes winner #2 Highland Falls (20-1) has flown under the radar in the Breedersā Cup Classic. A regally bred Godolphin homebred for two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, Highland Falls has really come into his own as a 4-year-old with two wins and two seconds in his last four starts. He has tactical speed, proven class, and terrific form. Highland Falls earned a very good 5 Ā¾ on the Ragozin sheets in the Jockey Club Gold Cup ā by almost every speed figure a career-best effort ā and with nine weeks rest, he is poised to take a step forward in the Breedersā Cup Classic. Highland Falls is āin fine fettleā as Wilmington (Del.) News Journal handicapper Rick Smyth was fond of saying.
$2 million Makerās Mark Breedersā Cup Filly & Mare Turf, 6:25 p.m. ET
I did not like #2 Full Count Feliciaās (12-1) chances in the FanDuel Breedersā Cup Mile, a race unkind (to be charitable) to speed horses, but I think she fits nicely here. She should be all alone in front in the Filly and Mare Turf with a chance to lead them a long way, coming off back-to-back pacesetting wins in a Grade 2 and Grade 1 at Woodbine. Iāll play her to win-place and key her in my exacta and trifecta bets with #3 Cinderellaās Dream (4-1), #7 Content (6-1), and #10 Moira (8-1).
$2 million Cygames Breedersā Cup Sprint, 7:05 p.m. ET
Raging Torrent (10-1) rides a three-race winning streak into the Sprint for trainer Doug OāNeill, and I believe his morning-line odds offer very good value for an improving 3-year-old colt who has shown in the past the ability to rate off the pace and finish. Heās set the pace in his last three wins. I donāt see that happening here, but if he can tuck in just behind the early leaders, Raging Torrent should have something left for the final furlong. He looks like the type that fits right into that double-digit odds sweet spot ā nine Breedersā Cup sprint winners in the 9-1 to 23-1 range in the last 25 years ā and will anchor my exacta with #10 Mullikin (7-2) and #4 Nakatomi (6-1).
$2 million FanDuel Breedersā Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, 7:45 p.m. ET
This race looks like the deepest on the two-day World Championships cards. Iāll be keeping a close eye on the odds as we get close to post time and would love to get a square price on one of the two European 3-year-old fillies ā #1 Ramatuelle (5-1) and #7 Porta Fortuna (4-1) ā if bettors are scared off by the prospect of them facing older males here. Iām not. In terms of longshots, there really arenāt any I love in the Mile but I do think there is a good amount of speed in the race and it could set up for a closer like #8 More Than Looks (20-1) or #10 Win for the Money (30-1) to fill out the trifecta (or maybe even the exacta) at a monster price.
$1 million Big Ass Fans Breedersā Cup Dirt Mile, 8:25 p.m. ET
While the Breedersā Cup Mile is my favorite from among the Breedersā Cup races, the Dirt Mile holds the spot at the other end of the spectrum. In terms of value, #12 Mufasa (12-1) sure fits the bill coming off a terrific 4 Ā¼-length in the Vosburgh Stakes. The post position with a short run into the first turn did not help his cause ā¦ or #14 Skippylongstockingās (4-1) for that matter. If you are looking for a true bomb in here to spice things up, try #7 Tumbarumba (30-1). Heās finished in the top three in his last eight races against quality competition and no worse than second in five races in 2024. Heās also versatile enough to set the pace, press, or stalk and should work out a decent trip under Luis Saez.
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Tips and Trends to Know From the Last 25 Years for Betting the Breedersā Cup Mile.
Everyone has their own preference, but in my view the Breedersā Cup Mile is essentially the perfect horse race.Iāve always been partial to betting turf races and one mile on the grass is a terrific test of both speed and stamina. Add in the fact that the $2 million FanDuel Breedersā Cup Mile Presented by PDJF draws elite international turf milers as well as top North American runners and the probability for an upset ā five $50 winners in this race in the last 25 years ā and itās easy to see why the race is a highlight each year at the World Championships. Oh yeah, 17 of the last 25 editions of the Breedersā Cup Mile have been decided by a length or less and only two were decided by two lengths or more.
Simply put, the Breedersā Cup Mile typically is a great handicapping puzzle and the race itself rarely fails to live up to the hype.
For fans like me who love this race, for dedicated handicappers planning to bet all 14 World Championships races, and casual fans planning to watch and maybe wager a few bucks on it, there are significant trends to know when analyzing the Breedersā Cup Mile.
Letās take a closer look at the data from 1999 through 2023 and identify as many historical nuggets as possible to help pick the 2024 Breedersā Cup Mile winner Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
Steer clear of speed
Over the last 25 years, not a single Breedersā Cup Mile winner was in first after the opening quarter-mile or the first half-mile in the race. In fact, only two of the 25 were first in early stretch (approximately an eighth of a mile to run). There were 10 runners in second place in early stretch, but pacesetters nonetheless are up against history in the Breedersā Cup Mile.
Eight of the 25 winners since 1999 were dedicated one-run closers and another five profiled as closer/stalker types. The lone horse with a real inclination to press for the lead was World Approval, who was 4-for-5 entering the race in 2017 and won by 1 Ā¼ lengths as the favorite.
Ten of the last 25 winners were 10th or worse after the first quarter-mile and 24 winners were third or worse after a half-mile.
Count on class
Sixteen of the 25 Breedersā Cup Mile winners from 1999 to 2023 were established Grade/Group 1 winners and 15 of the last 17 had at least one win at that top level. Twenty-four of the 25 had won at the Grade/Group 2 level or higher with 73.20-1 longshot Order of Australia in 2020 at Keeneland the lone exception.
Look beyond last-out winners
For many Breedersā Cup races, recent form is unequivocally the most important criteria in determining the winner. For the Mile, as mentioned above, established back class is more important than recent form.
Only seven of the last 20 Breedersā Cup Mile winners prevailed in their final prep race and only 12 of the 25 winners from 1999 to 2023 entered the race off of a win. Nine others entered off top-three finishes, including six who were beaten by a length or less, but four of the 25 were unplaced in their final prep race and three winners were seventh or worse in their most recent race.
Be a little more forgiving of a disappointing prep race when evaluating the Mile.
True milers race
The average distance raced by Breedersā Cup Mile winners from 1999 to 2023 in the calendar year leading up to the World Championships is 8.25 furlongs, between one mile and 1 1/16 miles. The median is exactly the same.
Only one winner in the last 25 years raced an average distance longer than 8.8 furlongs and that was 73.2-1 longshot winner Order of Australia in 2020, also the lone horse without at least a Grade or Group 2 win.
Likewise, only one winner raced an average of less than 7.5 furlongs over the last 25 years, so look for true milers and not turf sprinters stretching out to a mile or longer-distance grass horses cutting back to a mile.
International event
Ten of the last 25 winners prepped for the Breedersā Cup Mile in Europe and another three made their final pre-Breedersā Cup start in Canada. Five of the last six winners were based in Europe.
Seven Mile winners made their final prep in Kentucky ā five in the Coolmore Turf Mile and two in the First Lady Stakes, both at Keeneland. The most recent winner of this race to come out of a New York prep race was Artie Schiller in 2005. Likewise, the last Mile winner to come out of a California prep race was Singletary in 2004, although California preps produced four Breedersā Cup Mile winners in a six-year span from 1999 to 2004.
Of the seven 3-year-old winners over the last 25 editions, only War Chant in 2000 was not based in Europe, so give preference to international 3-year-olds over those based in the U.S.
Uncovering longshots
I would not consider the Breedersā Cup Mile to be a true longshotsā race despite the average winning payoff of 12.5-1 over the last 25 years. That was skewed by $148.40 winner Order of Australia in 2020. The media winning odds of 5.1-1 are far more representative of a race in which 11 of the last 25 winners were 3.6-1 odds ā slightly more than 7-2 ā or less.
There have been, however, seven double-digit winners since 1999, including five that paid $50 or more for a $2 win bet.
Six of the seven entered the race off a defeat with only 26-1 European 4-year-old Domedriver entering the 2002 Mile off of a Group 2 win in France. Order of Australia was the lone member of this group with nary a Grade/Group 2 win on his rĆ©sumĆ©, having only won at the allowance level for elite European trainer Aidan OāBrien.
Singletary (16.5-1 odds, 2004), Miesqueās Approval (24.3-1, 2006), Court Vision (64.8-1, 2011), and Tourist (12.4-1, 2016) were U.S.-based runners who preferred to race off the pace and entered the Breedersā Cup Mile off third-, fourth-, seventh-, and third-place finishes, respectively. The first two were Grade 2 winners and Court Vision and Tourist were Grade 1 winners.
French invader Domedriver profiled as a deep closer with an electric turn of foot and Karakontie (30-1, 2014) was a French classic winner at one mile who had fallen off form while trying to stretch out in distance.
Four of the seven were dedicated closers with the other three fitting into a closer/stalker or stalker profile, and all were at least 2 Ā½ lengths back after the opening half-mile.
These winners serve as a reminder to give a long look at all of the international runners, including the 3-year-olds, and at U.S.-based runners with back class coming out of disappointing races.
The 2024 candidates
Unlike the first two races in this historical series ā the FanDuel Juvenile Presented by TAA and the Longines Classic ā the field for the Breedersā Cup Mile is much more in flux. Without a firm grasp of which runners will be competing, letās look at a few leading contenders and a couple of potential upset candidates.
The top domestic contender is Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes winner Carl Spackler. He won that race in front-running fashion but has wins from off the pace at both the Grade 1 and Grade 2 level. The 4-year-old by Lope de Vega reminds me a bit of World Approval, a miler getting very good at the perfect time, but I worry he might be too close to the pace and have little left in deep stretch to hold off a quality group of closers. He might be a better bet to fill out the exacta or trifecta.
California-based Grade 1 winner Johannes is 4-for-4 this year with a dominant win on the Del Mar turf in July in the Eddie Read Stakes. The stalker/closer is also 4-for-4 at this one-mile distance, but prepping in California has not been fruitful for this race in the last 25 years.
Four-year-old filly Gina Romantica won the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK Healthcare for the second straight year Oct. 5 at Keeneland. Six fillies have won the Mile in the last 25 years and Gina Romantica was far from outclassed last year in the Mile when closing for fourth, beaten by a length, at Santa Anita.
An interesting upset candidate might be Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes winner Win for the Money if he is overlooked coming off his first graded stakes win for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
More Than Looks closed with a powerful rush from far back in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes to finish second to Carl Spackler, but he has not won a race above Grade 3. Several other talented U.S.-based horses that prefer to race on or near the lead that I would probably avoid in the Breedersā Cup Mile should they compete in the race include Del Mar Mile Stakes winner Conclude, Woodbine Mile runner-up Filo Di Arianna, E.P. Taylor Stakes winner Full Count Felicia, and Mint Millions Stakes winner Goliad.
The international contingent could be quite strong this year. Charles Appleby has been a force in the U.S. in recent years ā he has won the last three editions of this race and sports a sparkling record of 10 wins with 20 total starters at the Breedersā Cup ā so his Group 1-winning miler Notable Speech much be respected. Three-year-old filly Porta Fortuna has won three straight Group 1 races at a mile, defeating older females in the last two. Six Perfections in 2003 and Goldikova in 2008 shipped over from Europe to win the Breedersā Cup Mile as 3-year-old fillies and were similar mid-pack type runners.
Ramatuelle, by Justify, also is a European 3-year-old filly who won a seven-furlong Group 1 race in France in October and finished third by a neck in the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas earlier this year. Porta Fortuna has gotten the better of her on a couple of occasions, but she is a classy filly.
Ten Happy Rose is a Japanese Group 1 winner at a mile and might be a bit overlooked after prepping for this race with a seventh-place finish in a turf sprint in her first race in four months. Another possible contender from Japan is Geoglyph, a Group 1 winner at 3 who has not won a race since 2022 but showed some signs of life in his most recent start. He should be a massive price.
Aidan OāBrienās Diego Velazquez enters off a Group 2 win at a mile, while that trainerās Mountain Bear made the trip to the U.S. for the Coolmore Turf Mile and rallied for third behind Carl Spackler and More Than Looks. Both would be quality contenders but I prefer other international runners unless I was getting significant value on the toteboard.
A couple of additional intriguing longshots from among the international possibles are Prague, winner of a Group 2 race at Newmarket going a mile in his fifth career start; and Rogue Millennium, a Group 2 winner in 2023 with multiple Group 1 placings this year for trainer Joseph OāBrien.
