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| Staff Writer |
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Thirteen top-class international contenders have been entered into the 40th running of the US$6 million Gr.1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, set to take place on 4th November. This prestigious event is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be returning to Santa Anita Park for a record-breaking 11th time.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, a 1 1/4-mile race, has Arabian Knight (3-1) as the morning-line favorite. This horse is being campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables Inc. and trainer Bob Baffert. The second choice on the morning line is Arcangelo (7-2), owned by Blue Rose Farm. Ushba Tesoro (4-1), owned by Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd. and the winner of the Dubai World Cup Gr.1, will be making his United States debut. This race is the richest of 14 Championship races worth more than US$31 million in purses and awards, and they will be run over two days, 3rd and 4th Nov.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be televised live by NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV. “Future Stars Friday” will feature five Championship races for 2YO's , while the Saturday card will feature nine Championship races anchored by the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
A total of 175 horses were entered in the races, including five defending champions: Caravel, Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, Goodnight Olive, and Twilight Gleaming. There are 48 international contenders from five countries who traveled to the United States to prove their mettle in the global showcase.
Arabian Knight, a 3YO winner of three out of four career starts and a recent winner over older horses in the Gr.1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic, will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 12.
“It’s long run to the turn. I would have liked to have been in the middle; you always like to be in the middle in Breeders’ Cup races. Whatever. We’re there,” said Baffert, adding he was surprised about the favorite’s role. “It’s a good field.We got it. You know, I don’t worry about anything that is not in my control. I have won races out of horrible post positions I didn’t like and I have lost from some good ones. At least I didn’t get the rail!”
Arcangelo, trained by Jena Antonucci, has won his past four starts, including victories in the Gr.1 Belmont Stakes and Gr.1 Travers. Javier Castellano will be the jockey and the horse will start from post 1. Ushba Tesoro, the runaway winner of the Dubai World Cup in March at the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles, is the co-third choice on the morning line at 4-1. Ushba Tesoro will be ridden by Yuga Kawada and will start from post position 8.
White Abarrio, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., is also at 4-1 on the morning line. The horse enters off a 6 1/4-length victory in the Gr.1 Whitney Stakes under Irad Ortiz Jr. and will start from post 3. The 13-horse field for the Gr.1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf will be led by European standouts Mostahdaf and Auguste Rodin, who have combined for five Group One victories this year. Shadwell Estate Company Ltd.’s Mostahdaf, the winner of the Gr. 1 Juddmonte International Stakes and Gr.1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes in his past two starts, is trained by John and Thady Gosden and will exit post 9.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Westerberg and trained by Aidan O’Brien, Auguste Rodin won the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes in his most recent start and will start from post 5. Songline is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Gr.1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF. Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.’s horse is a three-time Group One winner and will depart post 10 under Keita Tosaki in the field of 14.
Juddmonte's Idiomatic is the favorite to win the US$2 million Longines Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Distaff with a field of 11. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Idiomatic has won her past four starts, including the Gr.1 Personal Ensign Stakes and Gr.1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes. She will start from post 4. Co-second choices at 4-1 are Adare Manor and Clairiere. Adare Manor, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Juan Hernandez, has won her past five starts, including the Gr.2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita. Clairiere, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Joel Rosario, has two Group One victories this year and was narrowly beaten in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.
The US$4 million Gr.1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf will feature European standouts Mostahdaf and Auguste Rodin. Mostahdaf, trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Jim Crowley, is the favorite with odds of 5-2. He has won the Gr.1 Juddmonte International Stakes and Gr.1 Prince of Wales's Stakes in his past two starts. Auguste Rodin, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, has odds of 3-1 and won the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes in his most recent start. The race will have a field of 13 horses and will be run at 1 1/2 miles.
The US$2 million Gr.1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF has Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.’s Songline as the 5-2 morning line favorite. Songline, a three-time Group One winner and earner of more than US$6.2 million, will depart post 10 under Keita Tosaki in the field of 14.
The second and third morning line propositions are Godolphin runners Master of The Seas (7-2) and Mawj (4-1). Master of The Seas is trained by Charlie Appleby, and he exits a tough nose beat in the Gr.1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland in his most recent start. Prior to that, he won the Gr.1 Woodbine Mile under William Buick, who has the mount Saturday from post 14.
Mawj is trained by Saeed bin Suroor, and he returned from a five-month layoff to win Gr.1 Keeneland’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 14 going 1 1/8 miles. Oisin Murphy has the mount Saturday from post 6.
The US$2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Gr.1 has Cheveley Park Stud’s five-time Group One winner Inspiral as the 5-2 morning line favorite. Trained by the Gosdens, Inspiral will be ridden by Frankie Dettori from post 6 in a field of 12.
The second choice is Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg’s Warm Heart, fresh off two Group One victories at a mile and a half in Europe. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Warm Heart will be ridden by Ryan Moore from post 2.
Third choice at 4-1 is Peter Brant’s In Italian, who set the pace before finishing second in this race last year at Keeneland. Trained by Chad Brown, In Italian will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 1.
Returning champions are set to compete in divisions, including Juddmonte’s Elite Power, who is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the 6-furlong Gr.1 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Cody’s Wish, a winner of eight of his past nine starts, is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the US$1 million Gr.1 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, while First Row Partners and Team Hanley’s Goodnight Olive is the 6-5 morning line choice to defend her title in the US$1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables’ Caravel (5-1), the winner of last year’s US$1 million Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, is the fourth returning champion. Favoritism at 9-2 in the 5-furlong Turf Sprint goes to Steve and Jolene De’Lemos’ Live In The Dream, while Stonestreet Stables LLC’s homebred Twilight Gleaming, winner of the 2021 Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar, is an also-eligible for the Turf Sprint.
The US$2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Gr.1 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has drawn a field of 11 horses for the 1 1/16 miles race on the main track. Locked, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, is the favorite with a morning line of 7-2. Todd Pletcher is the trainer, Jose Ortiz will be the jockey, and Locked will start from post 6.
Tamara, a daughter of three-time Breeders’ Cup winner Beholder and homebred from Spendthrift Farm, is the morning line favorite for the $2 million Gr.1 NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The race has 13 horses going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Richard Mandella is the trainer, Mike Smith will be the jockey, and Tamara will start from post 7.
Future Stars Friday lineup includes three US$1 million races. RP Racing Ltd.'s Big Evs (IRE) is the morning line favorite with a 3-1 odds for the US$1 million Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The race will have 12 horses racing for 5-furlongs. Michael Appleby is the trainer, Tom Marquand will be the jockey, and Big Evs will start from post 4. Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty is the morning line favorite with a 4-1 odds in the US$1 million Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The race has a field of 14 horses racing for a 1-mile distance. Cherie DeVaux is the trainer, John Velazquez will be the jockey, and She Feels Pretty will start from post 11. Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Westerberg, Peter Brant and Wertheimer and Frere's River Tiber is the morning line favorite with 3-1 odds for the US$1 million Prevagen Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The race has a field of 14 horses racing for a 1-mile distance. Aidan O'Brien is the trainer, Ryan Moore will be the jockey, and River Tiber will start from post 2.