The Breeders’ Cup is America’s very own world championships of horse racing, with talents from around the world heading stateside to race against the best that the home team have to offer.
There are 14 Breeders’ Cup races to be savoured across Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November and we’ve picked out five to follow as the action unfolds at Del Mar Racecourse in Southern California.
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Selections
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint – Whistlejacket
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – New Century
Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff – Thorpedo Anna
Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf – Rebel’s Romance
Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic – City Of Troy
Friday
9.45 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint – Whistlejacket
Unbeaten Japanese contender Ecoro Sieg carries a lofty reputation, but European contenders in the turf races have to command major respect as the last two winners of this race have come from Britain. In that regard, connections of last year’s winner Big Evs go again with Big Mojo and he is high on the shortlist, but Whistlejacket could give Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore their first win in this contest. He is right up there in terms of experience and can put it to good use.
12.25 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – New Century
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is the concluding race on Friday’s card and looks a good set-up for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy with New Century. The Kameko colt was beaten by Al Qudra in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July, but is an emphatic winner of both starts since. That included turning the tables on the Godolphin runner at Woodbine in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes last month and, on that evidence, he can hold the upper hand again.
Saturday
8.21 – Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff – Thorpedo Anna
Nine furlongs on the dirt track await the contenders in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Kenny McPeek’s Thorpedo Anna should be the one to catch under Brian Hernandez Jr. The filly has become a winning machine this season and her only setback saw her finish second in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August. She conceded first run to Fierceness that day, but was getting very close late on and she was very gutsy since in landing the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes.
9.01 – Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf – Rebel’s Romance
The likes of Emily Upjohn and Luxembourg are serious players on their best form, but neither has been able to locate it of late and so the 2022 winner Rebel’s Romance may be set to regain this prize for Charlie Appleby and William Buick. The son of Dubawi has wins at Sha Tin and Cologne either side of finishing third in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot in July and is 4-5 in 2024. At Ascot, the Arc winner Bluestocking was ahead of him and the winner, French raider Goliath, won again next time in his homeland.
9.41 – Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic – City Of Troy
When Aidan O’Brien willingly declares that City Of Troy is the best horse he has ever trained, it is time to take notice. The Justify colt is bred to act on dirt and has responded superbly to meeting with defeat in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. He broke the track record in the Juddmonte International at York in August, having cut out his own running, and Ryan Moore’s partner looks like the horse to finally give the Irish trainer the win he craves in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
*all odds correct at time of writing and subject to change
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