Tom Pedula shares 10 takeaways from the forty second Breeders’ Cup World Championship, held Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in picturesque Del Mar. The match provided greater than $34 million in prize cash and prizes throughout 14 races.
candy revenge: Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Without end Younger’s connections have been trying to flip the tables on his American rival ever because the colt completed third in final yr’s Kentucky Derby, narrowly behind Mystic Dan and Sierra Leone. A 3rd place end behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness finally yr’s Traditional solely strengthened their resolve. That is why it meant the whole lot to proprietor Susumu Fujita that Without end Younger turned the primary Japan-based horse to win the Traditional in its 42-year historical past, with Sierra Leone second and Fierceness third. “Fierce and Sierra Leone are retiring, so that is my final probability to play in opposition to these two,” Fujita identified. “It was a dream of mine to defeat these two horses, so this dream has come true.”
Not a lot dialogue: The Breeders’ Cup Traditional tends to play a big position in figuring out Horse of the Yr, with 16 of the 41 previous winners receiving that honor. Do not count on that to occur this time. As spectacular as Without end Younger was in fielding a very robust Traditional area, this race marked his solely North American begin of the yr. That actually works in opposition to him when in comparison with the winner of the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve, the Belmont Stakes introduced by NYRA Bets, and the DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Sovereignty. This voter will assist Sovereignty considerably reluctantly as a result of his connections have by no means challenged him for the Triple Crown by avoiding the Preakness Stakes. Attributable to sickness a couple of days earlier than the Traditional, the three-year-old was by no means capable of compete in opposition to older horses, which is outstanding for a sophomore.
Not his day: Due to his deep-closing nature, it’s particularly necessary for Sierra Leone that the fields he races on don’t favor horses that run a sure means. Coach Chad Brown believes one thing referred to as observe bias got here into play in opposition to the defending champion. “I do not wish to take something away from the winners, however we had velocity all day,” Brown mentioned after Sierra Leone completed second. “I am so happy with my horse’s effort, having the braveness to run in opposition to bias and are available so near the end line. Pay attention, he and Without end Younger are carefully associated and have had an awesome rivalry because the Derby. (Saturday) is the day Without end Younger finds the Winner’s Circle and hats off to them. They did a very good job of getting this horse again, and he actually stored preventing.”
Extreme hassle: It’s troublesome, if not unimaginable, to make an argument that contrarian pondering belongs to the classics. In his final two begins, the place he raced as a pacesetter, the so-called “Rabbit,” to set the tempo for Sierra Leone, he completed final out of 9 horses within the Whitney Stakes, shedding by 68 lengths, and within the Jockey Membership Gold Cup Stakes, a high contender’s thoughts body contributed to an accident that price him a rider, and he subsequently weakened significantly. Jockey John Velasquez believes the speedster’s lack of stamina has prevented third-place finisher Fierceness, who prefers to trip or near tempo, from competing within the Traditional. “You possibly can’t go head-to-head with a rabbit. Then the rabbit stopped in entrance of me, and I sacrificed myself, and that is it,” Velasquez mentioned. Jockey Florent Geroux eased contrarily sinking within the basic lane, and the horse left with a 38-length lead. He was the one horse within the deep area and not using a G1 or G1 victory.
Bundle whole: Spendthrift Farm’s Ted Nophy confirmed he has the whole lot to complete a four-race, four-win season with a one-length victory over Mr. AP within the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The sure-fire 2-year-old champion and early 2026 Kentucky Derby favourite confirmed nice brains to match his bodily attributes whereas posting spectacular wins with common jockey John Velasquez at Saratoga, Keeneland and Del Mar. “He has such an awesome temperament and temperament that it was a simple transfer for him to go from Saratoga to Keeneland after which from Keeneland again to Saratoga to organize for coming right here,” Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher mentioned. “He settled in right here like a five-year-old who’s been operating perpetually. He took the whole lot in stride.” This foreshadows a troublesome highway to the Derby.
Emotional curler coaster: Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott rode a curler coaster of feelings throughout Breeders’ Cup week. First, there was the merciless disappointment of getting to harm Sovereignty, who was vastly common within the Traditional, after the three-year-old fell sick. Then there was the elation of watching Juddmonte’s home-bred horse Scylla take the lead and beat Nitrogen by 5 and a half lengths within the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. “There have been blended feelings,” Mott mentioned. “We have been actually disenchanted, but it surely did not take us lengthy to simply accept what occurred to Sovereignty. I feel everybody concerned went via it, and I went via it too. When that occurred, we knew he wasn’t going to have the ability to compete, not on the stage he wanted to be.”
Bear in mind the legend: The crimson tie Todd Pletcher wore to Future Stars Friday had a that means behind it. The tie belonged to the late D. Wayne Lucas and was a present from Lucas’ widow, Laurie. Pletcher was considered one of many individuals within the trade who labored for Lucas and benefited from his steerage. Lucas was so extremely regarded for imparting his knowledge that he turned referred to as “The Coach.” “He loves this occasion and it brings again fond reminiscences. It was the Juvenile and Derby horse he all the time dreamed of being,” Pletcher advised NBC after profitable the Juvenile. Because of Ted Nophy, Pletcher earned his fifth juvenile win, tying Lucas. (Bob Baffert leads the all-time checklist with six wins within the juvenile division.)
Driving excessive: Irad Ortiz Jr. repeated as winner of the Invoice Shoemaker Award, which is given to main jockeys within the two-day Breeders’ Cup based mostly on factors earned in 14 races, and as soon as once more confirmed why he’s thought-about the go-to jockey when large cash is at stake. It was additionally the sixth championship prior to now eight years. “It’s considered one of my favourite weekends of the yr, so it feels good to get the trophy as a result of it’s a stable week with one of the best racing of the yr,” Ortiz mentioned. He received the Future Stars Juvenile Turf Dash on Friday with Cyfair, adopted by back-to-back wins on Saturday with Shiso Spicy within the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash and Bentornato within the Cygames Dash.
Weavers First: Coach George Weaver recorded her first Breeders’ Cup win when Cyfair turned the second filly to win the Juvenile Turf Dash in eight races. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., she withstood a brutal cost from Brussels by three-quarters of a size and accomplished the 5 furlongs in 56.02 seconds. Weaver was ecstatic after the breakthrough. “It is indescribable. That is why we’re all within the recreation,” he mentioned. “It is onerous to win large races like this and that is my first Breeders’ Cup win. I’ve had an awesome yr. I am grateful to my employees and I am grateful to all my shoppers for his or her assist. Now we have some nice horses and she or he’s one of many high horses.”
Massive corporations: In response to robust worldwide illustration on this yr’s Breeders’ Cup and powerful lineup within the $7 million Longines Traditional, bettors responded by putting bets with each arms throughout two days of competitors in sun-drenched Del Mar. Officers introduced the third-highest all-source deal with whole within the occasion’s 42-year historical past at $180,036,799. That is barely increased than final yr’s whole of $179,218,631. The all-time file $189,060,373 was set at Keeneland in 2022. The Cup returns to Keeneland subsequent yr on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.
