You are listening to an article from Canadian Thoroughbred.com. 41st Breeders' Cup: A truly international classic By: Breeders' Cup media | .
Breeders Cup World Championships – Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd
Cup racing begins Friday at 5:45 p.m. Eastern (Race 6, BCup Juvenile Sprint).
Saturday, 3 p.m., Race 4, filly and mare sprint
A top-class international field of 14 participants was registered on October 28th 41st edition of the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) as the Breeders' Cup World Championships return to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for the third time.
The 1 1/4-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Classic on November 2 will be led by the morning favorite City of Troy (5-2)Promoted by Ms. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith and trained by Aidan O'Brien, with Repole Stable's Wildness (3-1) the second choice in the morning. Susumu Fujitas Forever Adolescent (JPN) (6-1) is the third choice in his first U.S. appearance since a narrow loss in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Featuring 14 Grade 1 races as part of an international festival worth more than $34 million in prize money and awards, the 2024 World Championships will entertain fans from around the world as the sport's best horses, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys compete against each other on two world days – class races.
A total of 179 horses competed in the World Championships, a California record three previous champions: Large Evs (IRE), Fierceness and Rebel's Romance (IRE). There are 67 international participants, also a record for the World Championships. Nine countries are represented: Argentina, Canada, Chile, France, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, from a record five continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
The $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will be the centerpiece of Saturday's championship program with a start time of 2:41 p.m. PT / 5:41 p.m. ET. There will be four championship races before and four championship races after the Classic, with the feature race forming the end of the middle Pick 5 and the start of the behind schedule Pick 5 in the betting menu.
Future Stars Friday features five championship races, all for two-year-olds, while the Championships Saturday card features nine championship races as part of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Fans can learn more about their favorite runners through competitor profiles on BreedersCup.com, which provide extensive statistics, race replays, news, photos and more.
City of Troy and Forever Adolescent Challenge Wildness in Longines Breeders' Cup Classic
Four-time Group 1 winner City of Troy will make his dirt track debut at the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify will be ridden by Ryan Moore from Post 3.
“We always give him a lot of praise,” said O'Brien, who has an outstanding record of 18 previous world championship victories but is seeking his first win at the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic after 17 previous attempts. “Obviously he was from Justify, so there was always a substantial chance he would run (well) on the dirt. He has a very brave heart…He has a very high cruising speed, is very quick tactically…He was a horse that we always dreamed of and could perhaps be very competitive in the Breeders' Cup Classic.”
Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, enters the Classic with a win in the Travers Stakes (G1), his third Grade 1 win, with his first win coming last year in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park – a win that cemented championship honors as the top two-year-old of 2023. John Velazquez has the Post 9 mount aboard the son of 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Lithe.
The morning's third pick is 6-1 Forever Adolescent, a winner of six of seven starts trained by Yoshito Yahagi. Ryusei Sakai has the mount on Saturday from post 1.
Completing the field in post position order: Highland Falls (Post 2, 20-1), Mixto (Post 4, 30-1), Senor Buscador (Post 5, 30-1), Derma Sotogake (JPN) (Post 6). , 20-1), Ushba Tesoro (JPN) (Post 7, 12-1), Pyrenees (Post 8, 30-1), Tapit Trice (Post 10, 30-1), Sierra Leone (Post 11, 12-1 ), Arthur's Ride (Post 12, 15-1), Newgate (Post 13, 20-1) and Next (Post 14, 8-1). Rattle N Roll is also listed as eligible (30-1).
Thorpedo Anna headlines the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff
Thorpedo Anna (4-5), winner of four Grade 1 races in a phenomenal three-year-old season and runner-up in the second-choice Classic Fierceness in the Travers Stakes (G1), leads a 10-horse field for the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
Thorpedo Anna is trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. for Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing. She comes into the Distaff with a win in the Cotillion (G1) on September 21st at Parx Racing. She will begin the 1 1/8 mile pursuit from Post 2.
The second and third choices are Raging Sea (7-2) and Awesome Result (4-1).
Alpha Delta Stables' Raging Sea has won six of her last seven starts for trainer Chad Brown. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 6.
Insel Racing's undefeated Awesome Result is trained by Yasutoshi Ikee and will be making her first start outside of Japan. Yutaka Take has the mount from post 9.
Rebel's Romance returns in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf
European star Rebel's Romance (IRE), winner of the 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, leads the morning line 5-2 in a 13-horse field for the $5 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). 1/2 miles.
Rebel's Romance is owned by Godolphin, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick from 11th place.
Second choice with a score of 4:1 in the morning is Jayarebe (FR) from Iraj Parvizi. The Brian Meehan-trained Jayarebe won the Prix Dollar (G2) on his last start at Longchamp and will be supported by Sean Levey from position 5 on Saturday.
Emily Upjohn (GB) of Watership Down Stud and Tactful Finance is the third choice at 5-1. Emily Upjohn is trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori from post 2.
Championship Saturday card packed with talent
Other morning favorites for Saturday's program include Klaravich Stables' Ways and Means (5-2) in the PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) – the first Breeders' Cup race on championship Saturday; Clark Brewster and Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Cogburn (7-5) in the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1); George Krikorians War Like Goddess (5-2) in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1); WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Federal Judge (3-1) in the Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1); Godolphins Notable Speech (GB) (7-2) in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) presented by PDJF; and Klaravich Stables' Domestic Product (7-2) in the Large Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Future stars want to shine
The highlight of the five Breeders' Cup races on Friday's card is the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), in which Godolphin bred East Ave is the 5-2 morning favorite in a field of 10 that will race 1 1/16 miles on the main course. The Brendan Walsh-trained East Avenue will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and will leave first place in his third start. The son of Medaglia d'Oro is a perfect 2-for-2 after a 5 1/4-length victory in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 5 at Keeneland after winning at Ellis Park in August had made his first throw.
Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photofinish, Corms Racing Stable and trainer Jorge Abreu's SScottish Lassie is the 5-2 morning pick for the $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).which attracted a field of 10 participants who completed 1 1/16 miles on the main course. The undefeated Ecoro Victory (7-2) is favored in a 12-horse field (plus two horses also eligible) for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).. Lake Victoria (IRE) is the 8-5 favorite in a field of 14 (plus three also eligible) for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).. Novel Century (GB) (5-2), the first choice in a field of 14 (plus two also eligible) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1)completes the Future Stars Friday lineup.
$7 million BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC (G1); Del Mar November 2nd
1 1/4 miles, race 8, finish time 5:41 p.m
1 Forever Adolescent (Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai) 6-1
2 Highland Falls (Brad Cox, Luis Saez) 20-1
3 City Of Troy (Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore) 5-2
4 Mixto (Doug O'Neill, Kyle Frey) 30-1
5 Mr. Seeker (Todd Fincher, Joel Rosario) 30-1
6 Derma Sotogake (Hidetaka Otonashi, Christophe Lemaire) 30-1
7 Ushba Tesoro (Noboru Takagi, Yuga Kawada) 12-1
8 Pyrenees (Cherie DeVaux, Brian Hernandez) 30-1
9 Fierceness (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez) 3-1
10 Trice Carpet (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz, Jr.) 30-1
11 Sierra Leone (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat) 12-1
12 Arthur's Ride (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado) 15-1
13 Newgate (Bob Baffert, Frankie Dettori) 15-1
14 Next (Doug Cowans, Luan Machado) 8-1
AE: Rattle N Roll (Ken McPeek)
