The 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships is this weekend at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Southern California. It is a 2-day event that is the culmination of the horse racing season. This year’s event features 14 races and 169 horses spread out over Friday and Saturday, November 1-2. The top trainers, jockeys, and of course, horses are all accounted for over the two-day event.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the crown jewel of the weekend of racing. It is one of 9 races on Saturday each of which will be televised by the NBC Sports Family of networks. Coverage begins at 2P ET on USA. NBC then takes the reigns from 3:30-6P ET. Post time for the Classic is 5:41P ET. The day concludes with 2 additional hours on USA from 6-8P ET. The entire day of racing will be streamed live on Peacock.
The race itself features 14 horses competing on 1¼ mile dirt track for a purse of $7 million.
City of Troy (5-2), the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, is the favorite to cross the finish line first and claim the majority of the 7 million dollars. Fierceness (3-1), Forever Young (6-1), and Next (8-1) are considered the most viable contenders to the son of Justify in the race.
Looking to place a wager of the Breeders’ Cup Classic? Read below for a quick synopsis of each horse in the field including trainer and jockey.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic Tale of the Tape
What: The Breeders’ Cup Classic
Where: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Who: 14 horse ages 3 and up
Purse: $7,000,000
Distance: 1¼ miles
Post Time: 5:41P ET
The field is listed below according to their respective post positions along with pertinent betting info.
1sr
- Trainer: Yoshito Yahagai | Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
- 3rd, 2024 Kentucky Derby
- 1st, 2024 Japan Dirt Classic (only race since the Derby)
- Has finished 1st in 6 of 7 races in his career
- Trainer: Brad Cox | Jockey: Luis Saez
- Son of Curlin
- 1st, 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien | Jockey: Ryan Moore
- The favorite but he has never raced on dirt
- Winner of 6 of 7 career races in Europe
- Son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify
- Trainer O’Brien has yet to win the Classic in 17 tries.
- Trainer: Doug O’Neill | Jockey: Kyle Frey
- 1st, 2024 Pacific Classic
- Trainer: Todd Fincher | Jockey: Joel Rosario
- 5th, 2024 California Crown Stakes
- 1st, 2024 Saudi Cup
- 3rd, 2024 Dubai World Cup
- Has made over $12 million in his career
- Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi | Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
- 6th, 2024 Dubai World Cup
- 6th, 2024 Kentucky Derby
- 1st, 2023 UAE Derby
- 2nd, 2023 Breeders Cup Classic
- Trainer: Noboru Takagi | Jockey: Yuga Kawada
- 2nd, 2024 Dubai World Cup
- 5th, 2023 Breeder’s Cup Classic
- Trainer: Cherie DeVaux | Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
- 1st, 2024 Pimlico Special
- 2nd, 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup
- Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Jockey: John Velazquez
- Finished 15th in the 2024 Kentucky Derby despite going off as the favorite
- 1st, 2024 Travers Stakes
- 1st, 2024 Jim Dandy
- Looking to become the first horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Classic the next year
- Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Son of Tapit (same as Arthur’s Ride)
- 1st, 2024 Woodward Stakes
- Trainer: Chad Brown | Jockey: Flavien Prat
- 1st, 2024 Blue Grass Stakes
- 1st, 2024 Risen Star
- 3rd, 2024 Travers Stakes
- Trainer: Bill Mott | Jockey: Junior Alvardo
- Son of Tapit (same as Tapit Trice)
- 5th, 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup
- 1st, 2024 Whitney Stakes
- Trainer: Bob Baffert | Jockey: Frankie Dettori
- Son of Into Mischief
- Baffert leads all Trainers with 4 Classic victories.
- 3rd, 2024 California Crown Stakes
- 9th, 2024 Dubai World Cup
- 1st, 2024 Santa Anita Handicap
- Trainer: William Cowans | Jockey: Luan Machado
- 1st, 2024 Greenwood Cup
- Won his last six races by almost 90 combined lengths but against far weaker fields than in the Classic
- Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek | Jockey: Brian J. Hernandez, Jr.
- 3rd, 2024 Lukas Classic Stakes
- At 5 years old, one of the older horses in the field
Enjoy the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic on NBC and a couple of sweats along the way.
