Europe’s Exciting Challenge on Classic Breeders’ Cup
The 41st edition of horse racing’s Breeders’ Cup takes place at Del Mar racetrack in San Diego, California, on November 1st and 2nd. Many of Europe’s leading trainers and horses will make the 5,500-mile journey to the meeting, hoping to claim a slice of prestige and some of the enormous prizemoney on offer.
Will City Of Troy justify the hype by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the weekend? © modella, 123RF
As usual, Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien sends a powerful squad to the Breeders’ Cup. He has been responsible for 18 previous Breeders’ Cup winners, positioning him just two places below the meeting’s most successful trainer, D. Wayne Lucas. The 89-year-old American legend could improve his record this year with Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey, set to race in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
However, with 18 horses pre-entered for the meeting, Aidan O’Brien is almost certain to close the gap on D. Wayne Lucas – and possibly pass Bob Baffert, who also has 18 Breeders’ Cup winners on his CV. Europe’s hopes do not solely rest on O’Brien’s shoulders. Small UK yards such as Archie Watson, George Boughey and Mick Appleby will be hoping to make an impact in the Turf Sprint.
Rebel’s Romance Has a Breeders’ Cup Cause
John Gosden, Ralph Beckett and Charlie Appleby also have runners representing British yards in Del Mar. Porta Fortuna, hailing from Ireland, and the French-trained Ramatuelle will give Europe a strong hand in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. However, Newmarket-based Charlie Appleby has taken the last three editions of this race and could outdo his rivals courtesy of 2000 Guineas winner, Notable Speech.
Rebel’s Romance, also from Appleby’s stable, will attempt to regain the Turf crown he won in 2022. Godolphin’s private trainer has an excellent Breeders’ Cup record, taking the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Mile with Space Blues and the Breeders’ Cup Turf with Yibir. His Modern Games won the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Mile, and Master of The Seas completed the hat trick in the race during 2023’s Santa Anita meeting.
European horses have a strong track record in the Breeders’ Cup Turf races due to their extensive experience on grass surfaces. For example, Aidan O’Brien has won the competition a remarkable seven times. This historical form affects punters’ opinions and odds offered by UK’s top bookmakers on visiting horses.
The Breeders’ Cup Is the Classic Live on British TV
2024 will be the eleventh time since 2008 that the annual Breeders Cup has been staged at a Californian racetrack. The inaugural Breeders’ Cup was staged at the now-demolished Hollywood Park in 1984. It was not until 2017 that Del Mar hosted the event for the first time, but such was its success; the venue also staged 2021’s meeting and will be home to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup.
UK fans can watch the two-day 2024 meeting – featuring 14 Breeders’ Cup races offering $34 million in prizemoney – in its entirety on Sky Sports Racing and Racing UK. ITV has stated it will show live coverage of parts of the second day of the Breeders’ Cup meeting, including key races such as the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
This year, the Classic is creating the most excitement in European racing circles. Worth $7 million in 2024, it is a contest missing on Aidan O’Brien’s resumé and only twice has it fallen to a European raider. John Gosden’s Raven’s Pass scored in 2008; in 1993, Arcangues won at odds of 133.6-to-1 for France. He was the biggest-priced winner in any Breeders’ Cup race ever.
Will City of Troy Justify Favourite Odds?
Quoted on 7/4 odds by UK’s top bookmakers, City Of Troy is trading as the big race favourite. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Epsom Derby winner is American-bred but has done all his racing on turf and has most recently claimed the Group-1 Eclipse Stakes and Juddmonte International.
City of Troy is ready to make waves at the #BreedersCup Classic! 🏇💥 pic.twitter.com/SArpz2ftf9
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 23, 2024
On paper, the son of American Triple Crown winner, Justify, should have no issues with Del Mar’s dirt surface. To be sure, O’Brien packed his star off to the UK for a racecourse gallop at Southwell in September. It went well, and the trainer’s earlier sentiment that City Of Troy “is the best horse I’ve trained” remains intact.
However, he is one of many runners bringing a near-faultless record into the contest. The Japanese-trained Forever Young has also tasted defeat just once. That loss came in the fabled famous Kentucky Derby, where he was beaten by a short-head following a fly-jumped start and mid-race interference. One subsequent successful start – at the Grade-1 level in Japan – at the beginning of October has underlined his well-being.
The home defence is strong and spearheaded by three-time Grade-1 winner Fierceness. A disappointing effort in the Kentucky Derby has been bookended by success in the Florida Derby, the Jim Dandy and the Travers Stakes. This three-year-old, 5/1 in the betting, is trained by Todd Pletcher, who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2019 with Vino Rosso.
What Are the Best Breeders’ Cup Bets?
City Of Troy is a massively hyped horse, and while his chances cannot be ignored, his odds are plenty short enough on his first visit to North America on a new surface. The 5/1 offered on Forever Young landing the Classic does appeal to our experts at Online-Casinos.com and rates as a strong fancy.
Japanese-trained horses have significantly impacted the Breeders’ Cup and international races of all kinds during the past few years. In 2021, Marche Lorraine became the first Japanese-trained horse to win a race at the Breeders’ Cup. It was a historic victory in more ways than one, marking the first time a non-North American trained horse won the Distaff.
Favouritism justified!
Ways And Means is just too good and duly grabs Grade 1 glory in the Test Stakes for Flavien Prat and Chad Brown at Saratoga… pic.twitter.com/NWoIz9eKga
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 3, 2024
An American horse, Ways And Means, gets our nap selection. Quoted on 5/2 odds by British online bookmakers for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, steps down in trip since her fourth placed effort in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks, have seen Ways And Means win three successive starts by commanding distances.
As Del Mar’s seven-furlong trip features just two turns and two long straights, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint draw should not play a significant part in proceedings. The field size will be a maximum of 11. It means there should also be no hard luck stories – and therefore no excuses for Ways And Means, who Chad Brown, a three-time winner of this contest, trains.
