And that’s a wrap for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, a meeting that will be remembered by many for City Of Troy’s no-show in the Classic but saw five of the turf races head back across the Atlantic and Aidan O’Brien join D Wayne Lukas on 20 winners at the meeting. It is as certain as anything in racing that he will be back here at Del Mar next year looking for No.21.
This is Greg Wood at Del Mar, signing off after Breeders’ Cup 41.
BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE RESULT:
1. FULL SERRANO, 2. Post Time, 3. Domestic Product.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile!
Three minutes to post time for the Dirt Mile, and Chad Brown’s Domestic Product is the narrow favourite, he was a Grade One winner last time out.
Bob Baffert’s Muth is also attracting support. He was last of six on his most recent start but was a decent winner of the Arkansas Derby back in March. Victory for the three-year-old would make it a three-way go on 20 apiece in the all-time winners’ list.
There is one potential outcome of serious interest in the race, however, as D Wayne Lukas’s Seize The Grey is the likely favourite to give his trainer a 21st Breeders’ Cup win, and sole ownership of the all-time record once again.
He won the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx last time out:
It would be very hard to argue that the Dirt Mile is a suitable climax to the Breeders’ Cup’s main card – for most of the meeting’s 41 runnings, it always built towards the Classic as the shadows started to draw in, which made for a terrific atmosphere.
A European fan (or journalist, for that matter) can’t really complain about the Classic’s move towards the middle of the card, as it meant that the race was off at a much more viewer-friendly time back home. But there is already an exodus for the gates with 24 minutes to post for the final race and it will be run in front of half-empty stands, at best.
That ends the meeting for European challengers, with five winners representing an excellent return from the two days but perhaps not quite what some were contemplating earlier in the day. Japan’s wait for a winner, meanwhile, goes on, with only the outsider T O Saint Denis to come in the concluding Dirt Mile.
Not to be for Notable Speech, who had every chance but was left standing as More Than Looks and Jose Ortiz produced a power-packed finish from some way off the pace.
BREEDERS' CUP MILE RESULT:
1. MORE THAN LOOKS, 2. Johannes, 3. Notable Speech.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Mile!
Here’s the vid of the Breeders’ Cup Classic from the Cup’s Twitter/X feed:
Sierra Leone wins the $7 Million @LonginesEq #BreedersCup Classic! Congrats to all connections! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/rvTtsPSZcb
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 2, 2024
The local punters are homing in on Notable Speech and he is a 2-1 shot on the tote. Personally I’d rather have the power-packed finish of Porta Fortuna on my side at around 7-2, but it has to be said that my picks have not covered themselves in too much glory so far.
The Breeders’ Cup Mile is now relatively imminent – 18 minutes to post – and a great chance for Europe to get a sixth win on the board. Notable Speech, the 2,000 Guineas winner, is in stall six with William Buick still looking for a double, while Tom Marquand is next to him in seven on Donnacha O’Brien’s wonderful filly, Porta Fortuna. Donnacha’s dad, incidentally, has missed out on his last chance to get to 21 Breeders’ Cup winners after the scratching of Diego Velazquez, while Chad Brown’s Carl Spackler, from the widest draw in 12, is the biggest US-trained challenger to the big two from Europe according to the betting.
It’s not an ideal pitch for Carl Spackler but he was drawn wide in the Turf Mile at Keeneland too and it didn’t stop him grabbing the lead.
BREEDERS' CUP SPRINT RESULT:
1. STRAIGHT NO CHASER, 2. Bentornato, 3. Millikin
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint!
It’s five minutes to post time for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Mullikin, the Forego Stakes winner at Saratoga, is 3-1 favourite to give Flavien Prat a third win in a row on the night.
Aidan O’Brien’s immediate reaction to City Of Troy’s defeat in the Classic was to blame himself …
He lost it at the start and obviously I didn’t have him prepared to come out quick enough. We thought we did but we didn’t. He missed it and left Ryan with no chance really, the race was over at the start.
BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF RESULT:
1. MOIRA, 2. Cinderella’s Dream, 3 Didia.
Full Count Felicia kicks for home but Moira has the finishing speed, Cinderella’s Dream finishing fast too but … Moira holds on for Flavien Prat.
Full Count Felicia leads, Content is mid-division.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf!
The pace in this race is likely to come from Full Count Felicia, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if she managed to cling on, as she did in the EP Taylor Stakes.
Europe is still on for a clean sweep of the turf races, and Content has useful backup in the form of the likely favourite, Cinderella’s Dream, who will be bidding to give Charlie Appleby and William Buick a double on the night. She finished seventh in the 1,000 Guineas in May but has since been having a high old time of it in the States, with at Grade One win in New York in July and a Grade Two success at Saratoga the following month.
O’Brien has an immediate chance to bounce back, however, and also take sole possession of all-time record for Breeders’ Cup winners when Content goes to post for the Filly & Mare Turf, due off in 16 minutes.
So, Aidan O’Brien’s search for a Classic winner continues, he’s now 0-16 with runners in the race on dirt and some of the US racing writers in the press room here are after-timing like mad …
Here’s the closing stages of the Classic from the At The Races Twitter/X feed:
SIERRA LEONE STRIKES GOLD IN THE @BREEDERSCUP CLASSIC! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/RRoFL3p6Io
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 2, 2024
Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith are in the winner’s enclosure to greet Sierra Leone, and looking suitably delighted. That was his first win since April 2024, although he has been keeping very hot company in his four races since.
City Of Troy, sadly, was never a factor, he missed the kick and never threatened to get competitive. In a weird turn of events, though, his owners – the “lads” from the Coolmore Stud syndicate – are also the part-owners of Sierra Leone, the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and now the winner of the Classic.
BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC RESULT:
1. SIERRA LEONE, 2. Fierceness, 3. Forever Young. And a no-show by City Of Troy …
Into the stretch, Fierceness leads but here’s Sierra Leone …
Fast fractions, perhaps they will come back to City Of Troy
Fierceness is second, then Forever Young, Newgate mid-division, City Of Troy third-last
City Of Troy slow to stride
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic!
Going behind, won’t be long ….
Approaching the gates for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Fierceness is now favourite at 3-1 with City Of Troy on 4-1
The betting is hotting up at the track and it feels as though plenty of money is finding its way into the market from Asia, because Forever Young is 3-1 favourite. Then it is: 7-2 City Of Troy, 4-1 Fierceness, 6-1 Sierra Leone, 11-1 Next, 15-1 bar.
The third member of the “Big Three”, meanwhile, is Forever Young, who might well have become Japan’s first ever Kentucky Derby winner but for the persistent interference of Sierra Leone in the stretch.
Fierceness, the shortest-priced local hope, was a convincing winner of the Travers and the form has already been franked here today by Thorpedo Anna:
Not the best of notes on which to move on to the Classic, but the time is now and City Of Troy will attempt to write his name into the history books in just under 20 minutes’ time.
Here’s his last run in the International Stakes, when he was quick from the stalls and set a strong pace before quickening again in the closing stages – the characteristics, it could be argued, of a really good dirt horse.
Sad news after the Turf: Jayarebe suffered a suspected “cardiac event” on the far side of the track while being pulled up. He was reportedly unconscious when vets arrived to attend to him seconds later and is thought to have died almost instantly.
Emily Upjohn, meanwhile, was held up well off the pace by Frankie Dettori, who then launched an audacious bid to find a path up the stands’ rail in the stretch. But the gaps did not appear, and she pretty much crossed the line without ever coming off the bridle.
A concerning postscript to the Turf: Brian Meehan’s Jayarebe collapsed on the track after crossing the line and is currently being assessed by the track vets.
That’s five-from-five for the Europeans on turf as William Buick seizes control of the race with a quarter of a mile to run. He fired Rebel’s Romance into the lead on the final turn and threw down a challenge to his rivals to chase him down in the short home stretch, and while Rousham Park was gaining rapidly in the final stages, Christophe Lemaire ran out of turf.
BREEDERS' CUP TURF RESULT:
1. REBEL’S ROMANCE, 2. Rousham Park, 3. Shahryar.
Rebel’s Romance goes on on the home turn … he’s got a big lead, here comes Rousham Park finishing really well, lead is shrinking but ….
Rebel’s Romance reclaims the Turf crown!
Far Bridge right there too, no move yet from Frankie on Emily Upjohn
Rebel’s Romance settled in third, Luxembourg close behind, Emily Upjohn one from last as they pass the post first time
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf!
A delighted Kenny McPeek is in the interview room after Thorpedo Anna’s win in the Distaff:
She’s so easy, she never misses a meal. A bit like me.
Post time for the Turf is in 12 minutes, and the latest betting show from the track is: 9/5 Rebel’s Romance, 5-1 Emily Upjohn, 6-1 Far Bridge, 7-1 Luxembourg, 9-1 Shahryar, 10-1 bar.
Far Bridge, the shortest-priced home-trained runner, took the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Aqueduct in September.
If the Europeans are going to lose their winning streak on the turf, Shahryar, from Japan, could be the one to do it. He was a close third in this race at Santa Anita last year, and runner-up – behind Rebel’s Romance – in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
Emily Upjohn is without a win since the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June 2023, but she has been keeping very strong company and was a close third behind the subsequent 1-2 in the Arc, Bluestocking and Aventure, in the Prix Vermeille in September:
We move swiftly on to the Turf, where there is another strong team from Europe – perhaps the strongest for any of the turf races. Rebel’s Romance, the winner two years ago, is back for another crack, while Emily Upjohn, Luxembourg and Jayarebe – whose trainer, Brian Meehan, has won this twice already – provide strong backup.
Here’s Rebel’s Romance winning back in 2022:
That was also a hugely popular win for trainer Kenny McPeek, a multiple Grade One winner over the years who became the first trainer for 72 years to win both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks in the same season back in May. Coming into this year’s Breeders’ Cup, however, he was 0-37 at the meeting.
A straightforward win for the favourite, who was quickly into the lead which she never seemed likely to surrender.
BREEDERS' CUP DISTAFF RESULT:
1. THORPEDO ANNA, 2. Raging Sea, 3. Candied.
Raging Sea, the Personal Ensign winner at Saratoga, is the only rival attracting any money to beat the favourite:
Two outsiders have gone in at the top of the Breeders’ Cup card here, and the local punters will be hoping for some respite when Thorpedo Anna sets off for the Distaff in five minutes’ time. She is a red-hot favourite at 1-5, not least because Idiomatic, who was expected to give her plenty to think about, was ruled out of the race last week. She has the form to back up the short odds, though, having finished second behind Fierceness – the big US-trained fancy for the Classic – in the Travers Stakes, and won all five of her other starts this year, four at Grade One level.
This is her win in the American Oaks at Saratoga in the summer:
Rossa Ryan is in the interview room:
It was just one of those days, luck was on my side and it all opened so well.
Hearing that Ryan Moore has bruising but will be fine to ride City Of Troy in the Classic.
It’s official, Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan have a Breeders’ Cup win to go with their Arc success last month, and Europe is 4-4 on the turf so far!
BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT RESULT:
1. STARLUST, 2. Motorious, 3. AG Bullet.
There is also no news as yet of whether Ryan Moore is ok after being unshipped by Believing before that race. He is due to be aboard City Of Troy in the Classic in under two hours’ time.
HOLD ALL TICKETS! The provisional result is Starlust beating Motorious, AG Bullet and Star Of Mystery, but Rossa Ryan edged right and nudged unplaced Isivunguvungu inside the final furlong.
That’s a brilliant ride by Rossa Ryan on Ralph Beckett’s outsider – but there’s an inquiry!
Bradsell chased up into second place on the turn, but Cogburn leads, he’s clear …
Cogburn three up turning in, starting to tire tho… deep inside the final furlong, Cogburn gives way and Starlust comes through to win!
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint!
They got the saddle off Believing very quickly and she was led away. Starting to reload.
Believing has been scratched and the runners have been taken out of the gates.
Believing playing up in the stalls, Ryan Moore unseated.
Heading to the gates for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, the Europeans were three-from-three on the turf yesterday so can they extend the streak?
Big Evs, who is drawn 11, is currently showing at 18-1 on the local tote, with Bradsell, who is widest of all in 12, in single-figure odds at 8-1. Cogburn, meanwhile, is odds-on at 4-5 to repeat his blitz at Saratoga, with Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery – a regular in north American turf sprints this year though with only one win, in a Grade 3 at Saratoga, also attracting support.
I think I’m right in saying that Cogburn was the first horse ever to dip below 60 seconds over that course at Saratoga. It’s a slightly unusual trip, but even so, there have been plenty before him that tried.
Bradsell and Big Evs will be very familiar to European fans, and their riders, Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand, are, of course, are very familiar to each other, having tied the knot in 2022. Both horses and their riders were in the Nunthorpe at York in August, where Bradsell emerged victorious with Believing, who is also in the field here, in second.
Wi-fi has returned for the moment, so fingers crossed. It’s 20 minutes to post time for the Turf Sprint, which features a strong challenge from Europe – Big Evs, Believing and Bradsell are the headliners – up against a top-notch US-trained sprinter in Steve Asmussen’s Cogburn. The Americans have dubbed him “the fastest horse in the world” after he broke the track record in the Jaipur at Saratoga:
The latest interruption arrived just as the Filly & Mare Sprint was approaching its climax, and what a finish it proved to be. Scylla and Ways And Means were among the horses in a four-way go for the lead inside the final furlong … only for Soul Of An Angel, who missed the kick and all but tailed off after a furlong, to sweep around them all for an upset win.
Please accept my apologies for the frequent interruptions to the service at the moment. Not for the first time, the richest and most powerful nation on earth is apparently incapable of organising a stable wi-fi connection in the media room for a global sporting event.
Ways And Means moves alongside the lead
Society and Scylla close to the lead, a sub-22 second opening quarter
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint!
They are heading towards the gates, Vahva and Scylla, with riding legend Mike Smith in the plate, are popular with the punters too.
Steve Asmussen’s Society is next in the betting, she won the Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga last time out:
We have been racing here since what felt like dawn – American fans feel short-changed by anything much less than a dozen races on a card – but the Breeders’ Cup races are underway in around 20 minute with the Filly & Mare Sprint over seven furlongs.
The likely favourite here is Ways And Means, a Grade One winner at Saratoga in August who comes in on a three-race winning streak.
A little bit about Del Mar. This is a beautiful and historic track, co-founded by the legendary crooner and turf fan, Bing Crosby, who was on the gate to personally hand out the first ticket on opening day in July 1937. The current season here, in fact, which runs until 1 December, is officially the “Bing Crosby” season, and this is a track that likes to acknowledge and celebrate its place in racing history.
It was the scene of a famous match race between the great Seabiscuit and Ligaroti a year after its opening …
… and there are displays, photographs and old posters on the walls throughout the grandstand – did you know, for instance, that Betty Grable was a keen racehorse owner and fan here? Anyone wanting a really deep dive into Del Mar’s past, meanwhile, should check out this page on their website, which goes through the decades in granular detail.
Preamble
Hello from Del Mar racecourse, 20 miles north of San Diego in southern California: where “the turf meets the surf” and also where City Of Troy will bid to make history in the Breeders’ Cup Classic later this afternoon, in the middle of the nine-race main card at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup.
When the gates slam open at around 21.41GMT, we can expect the most intense and compelling two minutes of racing action this year, and perhaps for many a year, as the Derby winner attempts to complete an unprecedented double with a win in America’s most prestigious and valuable all-aged race.
Fifteen horses from the Aidan O’Brien stable have attempted to win the Classic, but none have had the mix of pedigree, class and racing style that City Of Troy will bring to his first (and last) race on dirt today. Whether that will be enough to make it 16th time lucky is anyone’s guess, but Forever Young, from Japan, and Fierceness, the big US-trained hope, will be among the dirt-hardened opponents looking to exploit any hesitancy from the off.
City Of Troy’s run in the Classic was always going to be the focal point of today’s proceedings, but there are, of course, eight more races to think about too, including four on the turf where European runners had a 3-3 clean sweep on Friday.
Bradsell and Big Evs, with Hollie Doyle and her husband, Tom Marquand, aboard respectively, will leave the outside stalls for the Turf Sprint at 19.41GMT, while Rebel’s Romance and Emily Upjohn, with Frankie Dettori in the plate, head the betting for the Turf at 21.01. And once the Classic is done and dusted, there will still be time to run the Filly & Mare Turf (22.25) and the Mile, where Notable Speech, the 2,000 Guineas winner, is expected to start favourite.
It was a hugely promising start for the Europeans on Friday, but there is still much work to be done on Saturday before this can be filed away as a good weekend for the visitors. Japan, too, will be looking for a winner or two from the remaining runners in its unusually strong team for the meeting.
It’s going to be a thrilling ride with, no doubt, a big surprise or three along the way, and the Breeders’ Cup action will be underway at 19.00GMT with the Filly & Mare Sprint. Once we are underway, the action will be unrelenting, but keep tuning in here for video previews of all nine race, live results, betting, post-race quotes and more.
For racing fans everywhere, it is time…
