Sovereignty installed as favorite in Breeders’ Cup Classic

Oct. 27 (UPI) — Saturday’s $7 million Grade I Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic has it all: the first three finishers from last year, the winners of all three of this year’s Triple Crown races and a few long shots lurking in the weeds.

The field for the Classic was drawn Monday at Del Mar, site of the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The 14 races, starting with five for 2-year-olds Friday, bring together many of the world’s best horses and most of the best owners, breeders and trainers.

This year’s Classic truly lives up to its name, starting with Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Japanese star Forever Young — the 2024 Classic trifecta.

Add in Sovereignty, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy and Travers and Journalism, who won this year’s Santa Anita Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell, finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont and second to Fierceness in the Pacific Classic.

Also lining up for the 1 1/4-mile test are Baeza, third in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and recent winner of the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby; Antiquarian, winner of the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga in his last start; and Grade 1 Stephen Foster winner Mindframe.

Nevada Beach, Locked and Contrary Thinking are the long shots in the 11-horse field.

Sovereignty drew the No. 6 gate and was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite, followed by Fierceness at 4-1, Forever Young at 6-1 and Sierra Leone at 8-1. Journalism, breaking from gate No. 9, was pegged at a generous 10-1.

“No complaints,” said Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott. “There’s speed inside, giving him a chance to see what’s happening in the race. … He’ll need to improve a little bit to get the job done here. It doesn’t get any better than this. It’s going to be a great race.”

Fierceness’ trainer, Todd Pletcher, echoed that, also saying “It doesn’t get any better than this.” But he had a little caveat.

In his last race, the Grade I Pacific Classic at the same course and distance, Fierceness started from the No. 1 gate and tried to take a left turn through a temporary rail. Jockey John Velazquez had all he could do to salvage disaster, but got the colt straightened out and ran on to win the race.

Before Monday’s draw, Pletcher told FanDuel TV, “I absolutely don’t want to draw the rail.” Of course, Fierceness drew the rail. The difference now is, Johnny knows he made that mistake last time.”

While the Classic features a solid cast from top to bottom, the race immediately before it on the Saturday program, the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, has what shapes up as a classic head-to-head battle of generations, genders and global racing powerhouse owners.

On the “old guy” side is Rebel’s Romance, a 7-year-old gelding who has won 20 of 29 lifetime starts and more than $14 million while racing all over the world for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby.

The wins include two in this very race — in 2023 at Keeneland and last year at Santa Anita. He’s in good form, too, coming off a 3 1/2-lengths score in the Grade I Turf Classic at Aqueduct on Sept. 27.

On the “young lady” side is Minne Hauk, a 3-year-old filly by Frankel who has won five of seven starts for the Irish Coolmore “lads”. She scored the Cheshire Oaks, Group 1 Epsom Oaks, Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, all in a row, before finishing an agonizing second, just a head behind Daryz, in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Oct. 5.

Some really good American turf horses would seem to have a shot in the 1 1/2-mile test, except that one of the best of them, Redistricting, ran the race of his life in the Turf Classic only to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths adrift of Rebel’s Romance.

The $2 million Longines Distaff has seen some classic performances, including last year’s Horse of the Year clincher by now-retired Thorpedo Anna. This year’s edition might be rated more an exciting tossup — unless Seismic Beauty gets out to her accustomed early lead.

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly has posted three straight easy wins, all while leading gate-to-wire. That might be harder to do here and Nitrogen is among those poised to pick up pieces of any speed duel after starting from the No. 1 gate.

Several Distaff starters have won nice races recently, but all as long shots. There are three foreign entries, two from Japan and an Argentine filly who qualified through the “Win and You’re In” program.

Other notables:

The $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint has last year’s first three finishers — Straight No Chaser, Bentornato and Mullikin — and the 2023 winner, Nobals, in a big field going 6 furlongs on the dirt.

The $1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint has speed throughout the lineup, perchance opening up some tactical options for the riders and for the bettors. Potential late runners include Hope Road, Kopion and Vahva.

The $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint has a mix of speed and closers. Oddly, given the conditions, American runners have won this race eight of the last 10 years. The odds say the trend could continue.

The $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile on the turf is chock full of international talent from South Africa’s One Stripe to Chile’s Gran Oriente, Japan’s Argine and runners from England and France. The field includes last year’s second- and third-place finishers, locally-based Johannes and England’s 2024 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech.

The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile has an unusual matchup of 2023 Classic winner White Abarrio, 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull and 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. And Touch of Destiny travels from Uruguay to take his chance.

Saturday’s festivities conclude with the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Run at 1 3/8 miles, the race has some of the best distaffers from America, all over Europe, South Africa and Peru.

Friday’s “Future Stars” program for 2-year-olds comprises the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with the winner anointed by common acclaim and the Churchill Downs “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series as the de facto early favorite for the ’26 Run for the Roses; the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, ditto for the ’26 Kentucky Oaks; and three turf races — the Juvenile Turf, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Look for trainer Aidan O’Brien’s youngsters in the turf races. He ran the table in last weekend’s 2-year-old races in Europe and has won 25 Group 1 races so far this year while chasing his own record of 28.

However, two of his likely favorites drew outside gates and, successes notwithstanding, he remains without the services of his regular No. 1 rider, Ryan Moore, still recovering from a broken leg.