The 14-race Breeders' Cup World Championships has returned to Del Mar, with a blockbuster weekend of racing set to enthrall both fans and bettors alike. Future Stars Friday will pit the best 2-year-olds against one another in five different races, and the remaining nine World Championships contests have been carded for Saturday where The Turf Meets The Surf.
A total of nine horses were entered Monday for the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic, led by the Brad Cox-trained duo of Knicks Go and Essential Quality. Each has won two Grade 1 races this year, and both enter the Classic off victories: 5-year-old Knicks Go put on a dominant show in the G3 Lukas Classic at Churchill on Oct. 2, and the 3-year-old Essential Quality won the G1 Travers by a neck on Aug. 28 at Saratoga. Joel Rosario will ride 5-2 favorite Knicks Go from post 5, while Luis Saez will be aboard Essential Quality at 3-1 in gate 4.
Embattled trainer Bob Baffert will send out this year's Kentucky Derby first-place finisher and recent G1 Awesome Again Stakes winner Medina Spirit from post 8 (4-1), with John Velazquez in the irons.
Doug O'Neill will saddle his G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie, with regular rider Flavien Prat to ride the 3-year-old from post 3 (4-1). Rounding out the group of sophomores taking on their elders is longshot Stilleto Boy for trainer Ed Moger, Jr.; the Awesome Again runner-up will break from post 7 under Kent Desormeaux.
Other Grade 1 winners in this year's edition include Whitney winner Art Collector (Bill Mott, Mike Smith, post 6, 8-1), Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Max Player (Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr., post 9, 8-1), and Pacific Classic winner Tripoli (John Sadler, Irad Ortiz, Jr., post 1, 15-1). Rounding out the Classic field is G2 San Diego winner Express Train (John Shirreffs, Victor Espinoza, post 2, 20-1).
The full lineup of stakes action is listed below, with all times Eastern:
Friday
5:50 p.m. – Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
Hat Creek Racing's undefeated Averly Jane is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 12 and two also-eligibles for the 5-furlong dash. Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Averly Jane who will exit post position eight for trainer Wesley Ward who has won this race the past two years with Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal.
BC Juvenile Turf Sprint Entries
6:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at 1 1/16 miles drew a field of six headlined by L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' undefeated Echo Zulu. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the two-time Grade 1 winner has won her three starts by a combined 16 ¾ lengths. Listed at 4-5 on the morning line, Echo Zulu will break from post six and be ridden by Joel Rosario.
The top challengers to Echo Zulu are 5-2 co-second choices Juju's Map, winner of the Alcibiades (G1), and Hidden Connection, winner of the Pocahontas (G3). Albaugh Family Stables' Juju's Map has won her past two starts by a combined 10 lengths under Florent Geroux. Trained by Brad Cox, who won this race in 2019 with British Idiom, Juju's Map will break from post position five.
Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection is 2-for-2 with the victories coming by a combined 16 ¾ lengths. Trained by Bret Calhoun, Hidden Connection will be ridden by Reylu Gutierrez and break from post two.
7:10 p.m. – Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Bobby Flay's homebred Pizza Bianca is the lukewarm 5-1 morning line favorite in a field of 14 for the 1-mile race. Runner-up in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine in her most recent start, Pizza Bianca is trained by Christophe Clement and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post position one.
BC Juvenile Fillies Turf Entries
7:50 p.m. – Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
An East-West matchup of undefeated Grade 1 winners headlines a field of 12 entered for the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to be run at 1 1/16 miles.
Jack Christopher was scratched from the field late Thursday night, so a pair of Todd Pletcher trainees will step into the East Coast mantle: Commandperformance and Double Thunder.
Speedway Stables' Corniche is 2-for-2 and owns a victory in the American Pharoah (G1) for four-time Juvenile winning trainer Bob Baffert. Listed at 5-2 on the morning line, Corniche will be ridden by Mike Smith from post position 12.
8:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
Rabbah Bloodstock's Dubawi Legend (IRE) is the 4-1 morning line favorite for the 1-mile test that drew a field of 14 and two also-eligibles. Trained by Hugo Palmer, Dubawi Legend will be ridden by James Doyle and break from post position 14.
Saturday
3:05 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
In the Filly & Mare Sprint, Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine is the 3-5 morning line favorite to repeat in the race she won by 6 ¼ lengths in track-record time last year at Keeneland. Trained by Bob Baffert and to be ridden by John Velazquez from post five in the six-horse field, Gamine is undefeated in four starts at the 7-furlong distance.
BC Filly & Mare Sprint Entries
3:40 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Westerberg's Golden Pal, who kicked off last year's World Championships at Keeneland with a gate-to-wire victory in the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2), is the 7-2 morning line favorite in a field of 12 with six also-eligibles for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) to be contested over 5 furlongs.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal will be attempting to become the fifth horse to win different Breeders' Cup races. He comes into Saturday's race off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Woodford (G2) at Keeneland last month. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post three.
4:19 pm. – Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Life Is Good is the 4-5 morning line favorite for the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) that drew a field of eight.
A neck away from being perfect in five starts, Life Is Good won the 1-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) by 5 1/2 lengths in front-running fashion. Now trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good will break from post five and be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
4:59 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Back to defend a title is Mrs. A.M. Swinburn's Audarya (FR) in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) to be contested at 1 3/8 miles over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course with a field of 12.
Trained by James Fanshawe, Audarya (5-1 on the morning line in the field of 12) comes into this year's race off a fourth-place finish in the Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1). William Buick has the mount and will break from post 12.
The morning line favorite for the race at 7-2 is George Krikorian's War Like Goddess. War Like Goddess has won her past four starts and is undefeated in three starts at the 1 3/8-mile distance for trainer Bill Mott. Julien Leparoux has the mount and will break from post position seven.
5:38 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Sprint
J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior is a neck away from being undefeated in one-turn races in 2021 and enters Saturday's Sprint off a 6 ¾-length romp in the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx on Sept. 25. Listed at 6-5 on the morning line in the field of nine, Jackie's Warrior is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post two.
6:20 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Mile
The $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) presented by PDJF, drew a field of 14 and two also-eligibles headed by 3-1 morning line favorite Space Blues (IRE). Owned and bred by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, Space Blues enters the Mile off a victory in the Qatar Prix de la Foret (G1) last month. William Buick has the mount and will break from post position three.
Topping the U.S. contingent is Bardy Farm and OG Boss' Mo Forza. Trained by Peter Miller and 5-1 on the morning line, Mo Forza has compiled a 6-3-2-0 record at Del Mar and has won the past two renewals of the Del Mar Mile (G2). Flavien Prat will ride from post six.
7:00 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Distaff
One of heaviest morning line favorites over the two days is St. George Stable's Letruska at 8-5 for the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in which she heads a field of 11 fillies and mares.
Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won her past five starts and is six for seven in 2021 with the victories coming at six tracks and the past three at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Distaff. Four of her victories came in Breeders' Cup Challenge races. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post six.
7:40 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Turf
The second richest race of the Championships, the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) which drew a full gate of 14 and two also-eligibles, is headed by Tarnawa (IRE), who beat the boys in this race last year at Keeneland.
Owned by the H.H. Aga Khan Studs and trained by Dermot Weld, Tarnawa (9-5 on the morning line) has won one of three starts in 2021 and enters this year's race off a runner-up finish in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). Colin Keane, who was aboard for the victory at Keeneland last year, will ride Saturday and break from post position 13.
Second choice on the morning line, Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending was scratched from the race on Thursday evening. Also scratched Thursday was the Richard Mandella trainee United. Those defections allowed Bolshoi Ballet (Aidan O'Brien) and Channel Maker (Bill Mott) into the main body of the field.
8:40 p.m. – Breeders' Cup Classic
A total of nine horses were entered for the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic, led by the Brad Cox-trained duo of Knicks Go and Essential Quality. Each has won two Grade 1 races this year, and both enter the Classic off victories: 5-year-old Knicks Go put on a dominant show in the G3 Lukas Classic at Churchill on Oct. 2, and the 3-year-old Essential Quality won the G1 Travers by a neck on Aug. 28 at Saratoga. Joel Rosario will ride 5-2 favorite Knicks Go from post 5, while Luis Saez will be aboard Essential Quality at 3-1 in gate 4.
Doug O'Neill will saddle his G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie, with regular rider Flavien Prat to ride the 3-year-old from post 3 (4-1). Rounding out the group of sophomores taking on their elders is longshot Stilleto Boy for trainer Ed Moger, Jr.; the Awesome Again runner-up will break from post 7 under Kent Desormeaux.
Other Grade 1 winners in this year's edition include Whitney winner Art Collector (Bill Mott, Mike Smith, post 6, 8-1), Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Max Player (Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr., post 9, 8-1), and Pacific Classic winner Tripoli (John Sadler, Irad Ortiz, Jr., post 1, 15-1). Rounding out the Classic field is G2 San Diego winner Express Train (John Shirreffs, Victor Espinoza, post 2, 20-1).
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