Ken McPeek, the conditioner and co-owner of Thorpedo Anna, participated in an interview captured on video Oct. 9. Some interpreted his comments to mean that the 2024 Horse of the Year could be retired before having the opportunity to try for another victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Time will tell.
The racing community awaits the connections’ announcements concerning the future for the Fast Anna offspring. Certainly it would diminish the appeal of the Breeders’ Cup if she wasn’t included. Nevertheless, a number of previous winners are preparing for this year’s World Championships.
With Breeders’ Cup Friday only weeks away, let’s consider some prior victors expected to return for one of this year’s races. The Breeders’ Cup this year once again is at Del Mar, which might prove advantageous for winners returning from previous years.
Classic
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic is expected to include a duo of former Breeders’ Cup champions in Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
Raced by the ownership group of Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith, Sierra Leone will be back at the same location where he came from 11th place to secure a decisive win in the 2024 Classic. That triumph was a key factor in earning him the 3-year-old male championship.
Now at age 4, he has also earned a victory in the Whitney Stakes and placements in two other Grade 1 stakes.
Also in the field is Fierceness, who was the runner-up in last year’s Classic. Currently raced by breeder Repole Stable, plus three of Sierra Leone’s owners, Magnier, Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Fierceness took the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which gave him champion 2-year-old male honors.
He will participate in this year’s Classic after a win on the track, after dominating seven foes in the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic Stakes, winning by 3 1/4 lengths.
Turf
Rebel’s Romance plans to become a member of one of the Breeders’ Cup’s most selective groups. The Godolphin homebred son of Dubawi is attempting to secure a third victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, following successes in 2022 and last year, which led to champion turf male honors.
He could be in the company of Beholder and Goldikova as the only horses to win three Breeders’ Cup races. Additionally, he would become the first male to win three times. Beholder secured the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, 2013 Distaff, and 2016 Distaff. Goldikova is the only horse to win Breeders’ Cup races in three consecutive years, having won each edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile from 2008-’10.
Sprint
Straight No Chaser intends to give more excitement for his MyRacehorse owners, as the 6-year-old Speightster horse aims to win the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint for a second consecutive year. This season Straight No Chaser also had a victory in the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia, and is coming off a third-place result in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes Presented by Estrella Jalisco.
Turf Sprint
Gelding Nobals will attempt to win this race for the second time in a three-year span. Raced by Patricia’s Hope, the now 6-year-old son of Noble Mission recorded a narrow victory in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park. He is coming off a runner-up result in the Oct. 4 Nearctic Stakes Presented by The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Woodbine.
Dirt Mile
A trio of prior Breeders’ Cup victors may face off in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Last year’s victor, Hronis Racing’s Full Serrano, will participate following a runner-up result in the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Even though the Full Mast offspring will only be making his third start of 2025, trainer John Sadler mentioned to Daily Racing Form this week that his runner is in peak condition.
“I think he’s right where he was last year,” Sadler told DRF. “I don’t see any drop-off on him. He’s in good shape and strong.”
Also expected is 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, who earlier this season took the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. The 6-year-old Race Day offspring is coming off a difficult fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
White Abarrio worked a half-mile in :45.86 at Gulfstream Park Oct. 9, and Joseph said the plan is to work him twice more at the South Florida track prior to shipping to Del Mar Oct. 23.
Citizen Bull, last year’s Juvenile victor, is also pointing toward the Dirt Mile. He races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
The champion 2-year-old male from last year will participate after a win on the Del Mar surface, as the Into Mischief offspring took the Shared Belief Stakes going a mile Aug. 31. Citizen Bull has been victorious in three of his four Del Mar starts.
