The Del Mar racetrack had long enjoyed recognition as a distinguished location in horse racing. Nonetheless, its exclusive seasonal gatherings, similar to those at Keeneland Race Course, did not initially appear suitable for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. A declaration by Breeders’ Cup officials on June 24, 2014, dramatically altered this perception.
Keeneland was selected to host the event for the first time in 2015, with Santa Anita Park following as the venue in 2016. Del Mar was then scheduled to host its inaugural World Championships in 2017.
Due to the achievements of the initial Breeders’ Cups at Keeneland and Del Mar, the event returned to the Lexington, Ky., location in 2020 and 2022. The seaside track in Southern California, Del Mar, hosted the event in 2021, 2024, and is slated to host it again from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2025.
In anticipation of the fourth Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, we will revisit some of the memorable moments from the first three World Championships held “where the turf meets the surf.”
2017 Breeders Cup (Nov. 3-4)
Before the Friday schedule was renamed “Future Stars Friday” at the 2018 event held at Churchill Downs, the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff served as the main event on the opening day of the Breeders’ Cup.
On the Friday of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, a crowd of 32,728 witnessed 4-year-old Forever Unbridled secure victory in the $2 million Longines Distaff, triumphing over Abel Tasman by a half-length.
The rising star Rushing Fall initiated the World Championships races on that Friday, winning the Juvenile Fillies Turf by a margin of three-quarters of a length. Throughout her four seasons of racing, she accumulated earnings exceeding $2.9 million.
Breeders’ Cup Saturday commenced with a series of surprise victories, including Caledonia Road ($36.60) in the 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies, Stormy Liberal ($62.40) in the Turf Sprint, and Bar of Gold ($135.40) in the Filly and Mare Sprint. Bar of Gold’s odds of 66.70-1 resulted in what was, at the time, the second-highest payout in Breeders’ Cup history, second only to Arcangues’ $269.20 payout in the 1993 Classic.
Speaking of the Classic, Gun Runner assumed the lead as the second betting favorite in the $6 million race, ultimately dominating the field in front of 37,692 spectators. Guided by jockey Florent Geroux, the horse won by 2 ¼ lengths, paving the way to being named Horse of the Year for 2017.
Earlier in the day, history unfolded as Good Magic achieved his first career victory in a Breeders’ Cup race, triumphing in the Sentient Jet Juvenile. Under the guidance of trainer Chad Brown, he subsequently finished second to Justify, the eventual Triple Crown champion, in the 2018 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.
The cumulative on-track wagering total for the two days amounted to $25,181,317, marking a new record for the event.
2021 Breeders’ Cup (Nov. 5-6)
On August 17, 2018, nine months after the initial World Championships at Del Mar, Breeders’ Cup verified the event’s return to the coastal racetrack in 2021. The 38th Breeders’ Cup was enhanced by an increased reach of international broadcasting, specifically in the U.K. and Ireland, through collaborations with ITV, Sky Sports Racing, and Racing TV.
Future Stars Friday lived up to expectations as future champions Echo Zulu, Corniche, and Modern Games distinguished themselves. Echo Zulu captured the NetJets Juvenile Fillies, finishing an undefeated season that culminated in being awarded the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly. Concurrently, Corniche improved to a record of 3-for-3, winning the TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which led to being named champion 2-year-old male.
After an accidental scratching before the $1 million Juvenile Turf’s commencement, Modern Games was reintegrated and emerged victorious by 1 ½ lengths, competing solely for the purse. This Godolphin homebred subsequently achieved global recognition under the guidance of trainer Charlie Appleby, winning the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF a year later at Keeneland, securing the Eclipse Award as the 2022 champion turf male.
Fortunately for enthusiasts, the excitement was only building.
Knicks Go, the victor of the 2020 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, secured his fourth consecutive stakes victory with a commanding, front-running 2 ¾-length win in the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic for the Korea Racing Authority. He was subsequently honored as the 2021 champion older dirt male and Horse of the Year.
Earlier that day, racing fans were drawn to an international narrative with worldwide ramifications as Japan achieved its first-ever victory in the World Championships with the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Five-year-old Loves Only You surged to the forefront in the final stretch under the guidance of Yuga Kawada, narrowly defeating My Sister Nat by a half-length for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and owner DMM Dream Club.
Japan’s second Breeders’ Cup victory soon followed; three races later, Marche Lorraine, also trained by Yahagi, rallied from ninth place out of 11 contenders to seize victory in the $2 million Longines Distaff, edging Dunbar Road by a nose in an exciting race at odds of 49.90-1.
This memorable two-day event established a new record for total handle from all sources ($183,260,127) for the World Championships.
For the first time, Breeders’ Cup collaborated with America’s Best Racing and Hípica TV to offer live, Spanish-language coverage of all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races through “Breeders’ Cup en Vivo,” which garnered over 282,000 views on Hípica TV’s YouTube channel across both days.
The 2021 Breeders’ Cup was a truly global event.
2024 Breeders’ Cup (Nov. 1-2)
The Breeders’ Cup made its third appearance at Del Mar in 2024, enhancing the international success of 2021 by establishing a new record with 61 international entrants, which included five European-based winners and one Canadian-based winner.
Future Stars Friday began with international success as Ireland-based trainer Ger Lyons won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with longshot Magnum Force, who paid $27 to win on a $2 bet. Teaming with fellow European invader Arizona Blaze (27.10-1), the exacta paid $401.80.
Later on the Future Stars Friday card, another Irish trainer, Aidan O’Brien, made history by winning the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Lake Victoria and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf with Henri Matisse. These victories marked his 19th and 20th wins at the World Championships, moving O’Brien into a tie with the legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas for the most wins in Breeders’ Cup history.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert secured his 19th Breeders’ Cup win with Citizen Bull in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA.
The Championship races on Breeders’ Cup Saturday started much like the day before, with Soul of an Angel and Starlust scoring back-to-back upsets to begin the proceedings. Soul of an Angel rallied from last place to win the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by a half-length at 19.80-1 odds, followed by Starlust, who also rallied from last to first in the Prevagen Turf Sprint at 33.60-1. The $1,402.40 double to start the Championship slate provided a thrilling start!
Although there were no spectacular upsets in the subsequent race, the winner made a significant impression as Thorpedo Anna secured a 2 ½-length victory in the Longines Distaff. This win ultimately cemented her status as Horse of the Year for the 3-year-old filly.
Rebel’s Romance achieved his second victory in the Longines Turf, but the event’s defining moment occurred in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, where 3-year-old Sierra Leone outpaced fellow sophomores Fierceness and Forever Young to win by 1 ½ lengths. This victory awarded trainer Chad Brown his 19th Breeders’ Cup win.
Hall of Famer Lukas passed away on June 28, 2025, at the age of 89. It is possible that O’Brien, Baffert, or Brown may surpass him on the all-time win list at the 2025 event held back at Del Mar. Nonetheless, the legacy of the “Coach” will undoubtedly endure as one of the most influential figures in Breeders’ Cup history.
