This weekend's 40th edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The richest two days in horse racing in the United States offer a total of $31 million in prize money across 14 races.
Headlining the weekend is the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, led by Bob Baffert trainee Arabian Knight (3-1), Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (4-1), Rick Dutrow trainee White Abarrio (4-1), and Chad Brown trainee Zandon (12-1).
The Breeders' Cup Classic has a post time of 6:40 p.m. ET. In addition to the Classic, the Breeders' Cup Distaff (5:10 p.m. ET post time) and Breeders' Cup Turf (5:50 p.m. ET post time) will be presented live Saturday on NBC and Peacock.
A total of 175 horses were entered 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.
Live racing coverage of the 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships begins this Friday featuring the Juveniles in action at 4 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. Six-plus hours of live coverage on Saturday begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock and continues on NBC and Peacock at 3:30 p.m. ET. This weekend marks the first time all 10+ hours of coverage will stream live on Peacock.
Friday
5:40 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita
Spendthrift Farm's homebred Tamara, a daughter of three-time Breeders' Cup winner Beholder, is the 4-5 morning line choice for the $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), which drew a field of 13 going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Richard Mandella trains Tamara, who will be ridden by Mike Smith from post 7.
7:00 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Juvenile at Santa Anita
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked is the 7-2 morning line favorite for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), which drew a field of 11 set to race 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Locked will be ridden by Jose Ortiz and exit post 6.
Saturday
3:10 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita
Cheveley Park Stud's five-time Group 1 winner Inspiral (GB) is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) to be run at 1 1/4 miles. Trained by the Gosdens, Inspiral will be ridden by Frankie Dettori from post 6 in a field of 12.
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Warm Heart (IRE), fresh off two Group 1 victories at a mile and a half in Europe, is the 3-1 second choice. 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 (GB), 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.
4:30 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Mile at Santa Anita
Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s Songline (JPN) is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1). A three-time Grade 1 winner and earner of more than $6.2 million, Songline will depart post 10 under Keita Tosaki in the field of 14.
Godolphin runners Master of The Seas (IRE) (7-2) and Mawj (IRE) (4-1) are the second and third morning line propositions.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, Master of The Seas exits a tough nose beat in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his most recent start. Prior to that he won the Woodbine Mile (G1) under William Buick, who has the mount Saturday from post 14.
Saeed bin Suroor trains Mawj, who returned from a five-month layoff to win Keeneland's Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) on Oct. 14 going 1 1/8 miles. Oisin Murphy has the mount Saturday from post 6.
5:10 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Distaff at Santa Anita
Juddmonte's Idiomatic (5-2), daylight winner of the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) and Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) in her past two starts, is the morning line favorite for the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) to be run at 1 1/8 miles with a field of 11. Trained by Brad Cox, Idiomatic has won her past four starts and will start from post 4 with Florent Geroux aboard.
Co-second choices at 4-1 are Adare Manor and Clairiere.
Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor has won her past five starts for trainer Bob Baffert, a streak topped by a 5 1/4-length victory in the Oct. 1 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. Juan Hernandez has the mount from post 5.
Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere, who was beaten a head in a three-horse photo in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland, has two Grade 1 victories this year for trainer Steve Asmussen. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 9.
5:50 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Turf at Santa Anita
European standouts Mostahdaf (IRE) and Auguste Rodin (IRE), who have combined for five Group 1 victories this year, top the morning line of a 13-horse field for the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) to be run at 1 1/2 miles.
Shadwell Estate Company Ltd.'s Mostahdaf (5-2), winner of the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) and Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) in his past two starts, is trained by John and Thady Gosden. Jim Crowley has the mount Saturday and will exit post 9.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Westerberg and trained by Aidan O'Brien, Auguste Rodin (3-1) won the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) in his most recent start. Leaving from post 5, Auguste Rodin will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
6:40 p.m. – Grade 1 BC Classic at Santa Anita
The 1 1/4-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is topped by morning-line favorite Arabian Knight (3-1), campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables Inc. and trainer Bob Baffert. Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.'s Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Ushba Tesoro (JPN) (4-1) opposes in his United States debut in the richest of 14 Championship races worth more than $31 million in purses and awards to be run over two days Nov. 3-4.
Arabian Knight, a 3-year-old winner of three of four career starts and most recently victorious over older horses in the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic (G1), will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 12.
Ushba Tesoro was the runaway winner of the Dubai World Cup in March at the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles. Freshened for six months after that victory by trainer Noboru Takagi, Ushba Tesoro easily won his comeback race Sept. 27 in Japan under Yuga Kawada, who has the mount Saturday from post position 8.
Also at 4-1 on the morning line is C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio. Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., White Abarrio enters off a 6 1/4-length victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1) under Irad Ortiz Jr., who retains the mount Saturday from post 3.
Completing the field are Bright Future (post 11, 10-1), Clapton (post 7, 20-1), Derma Sotogake (JPN) (post 5, 20-1), Dreamlike (post 10, 30-1), Missed the Cut (post 4, 30-1), Proxy (post 13, 12-1), Saudi Crown (post 6, 12-1), Senor Buscador (post 9, 30-1), and Zandon (post 2, 12-1).
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