Preview of 41st Breeders’ Cup

It’s the 41st edition of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships this Friday and Saturday at Del Mar in suburban San Diego. It’s the third time the event has been held ‘where the turf meets the surf,’ and it’s remaining there again in 2025.

There will be 14 races (purses of $30 million) over two days, the ‘end’ of the racing season.

Of course, highlighting the festivities is the $7 million, mile-and-a-quarter (10 furlong) Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday afternoon. It’s not the event’s final race (post time of 5:41 PM ET), rather a precursor to Big Ten football, but a 14-horse field full of international intrigue is set to compete.

The last time the Breeders’ Cup was in Del Mar was back in 2021, Knicks Go, riddem by Joel Rosario, won the Classic en route to being named Horse of the Year. Here’s the Breeders' Cup Schedule:

As was mentioned, there are again 14 Breeders’ Cup races over a two-day period.

Friday (2-Year-Olds)

Saturday (3-Year-Olds and Older)

Top Contenders for the Breeders' Cup Classic

‘Troy’ - the Fave (5-2, [+250])
City of Troy is the early 5-2 (+250) morning-line choice to win the marquee race of the event, according to Breeders’ Cup Classic odds.

The English invader, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, has won three of his four seasonal starts ($2,577,262), having lost just once in seven career races. The 3-year-old son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify has victories in the Betfred Derby. Coral Eclipse and the Juddmonte International Stakes, each at a different venue.

How he goes turf-to-dirt is a big storyline ahead of the Classic, drawing post position No. 3.

‘Fierceness' (3-1, [+300])
The second choice is Fierceness (post No. 9), a difficult-to-figure 3-year-old son of City of Light. Fierceness is 3-of-5 this season, having disappointed in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Jim Dandy and Travers (both at Saratoga).

Fierceness is trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez. The aforementioned Travers saw him hold off the tremendous filly Thorpedo Anna by a head.

‘Forever Young' (6-1, [+600])
Forever Young definitely figures to be Japan’s best shot at winning the Classic. The 3-year-old son of Real Steel returns stateside, remembered after a tight-finish, bumping third in the Kentucky Derby. He last raced in the Japan Dirt Classic in early October, winning a third race in four 2024 starts (6-of-7 career).

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, this is a horse who doesn’t always leave the gate with conviction, but has a score to settle after that bruising trip in the Derby.

‘Next ‘(8-1, [+800])
Next is thoroughbred racing’s marathon man, winning any number of long-distance races by any number of lengths. There used to be such an event in the Cup, alas no longer.

Hence, the 6-year-old Not This Time gelding goes in the feature at a ‘shorter’ distance. Undefeated in four seasonal starts (career 13-of-23, $1.3 million), when jockey Luan Machado asks him to go is the question. Trained by William Cowans, Next drew outside of his 13 rivals.

At an $14 ($2 wager) return, we are enticed by Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Wagering is available daily in the racebook, premier thoroughbred tracks offered year-round.