If the Kentucky Derby is horse racing’s Super Bowl, then the Breeders’ Cup is horse racing’s Olympics.The Breeders’ Cup annually attracts many of the best horses from around the world to compete in 14 different events — everything from the $1 million five-furlong Juvenile Turf Sprint for 2-year-olds on the grass to North America’s richest race: the $7 million Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1¼ miles on the dirt. The Breeder’s Cup will take place at Del Mar, north of San Diego on Friday and Saturday. More than 170 horses have been invited from 13 different countries including England, France Germany Ireland, Japan Chile and of course the United States. Sovereignty is the star of the show, having won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes. He will be looking for Horse of the year honors by winning the Classic. The horse developed a fever on Monday, so his status in the race is uncertain. Rebel’s Romance will be one of the horses she has to beat. It will try to become only the third Horse to win at three Breeders’ Cups.
There are many more horses to watch at the Breeders’ Cup. Jeff Hochman is a SportsLine horse racing analyst and microshare horse owners who will be at Del Mar during the Breeders’ Cup. Hochman has identified seven horses to watch on Saturday. The stories behind these four-legged creatures go beyond their speed. From a hometown favorite to an ultimate underdog, they all have unique stories. Hochman’s Breeders’ Cup Classic predictions are available to SportsLine subscribers. Straight No Chaser Sprint (Defending Sprint Champion returns)The 6-year old colt by Speightster is returning to Del Mar after winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Santa Anita Sprint last year in a dominant fashion. He travelled halfway around the world to Saudi Arabia where, in February 2025 he won the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on King Abdulaziz Racecourse. This earned him an automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Straight No Chaser, who finished third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship as a favorite back in September, has been training extremely well for the Breeders’ Cup. Dan Blacker declared, “He really worked well.” His 47.20 four-furlong effort was the fastest of 72 workouts at Santa Anita. We’re on schedule for the Breeders’ Cup.” The race will be his last, since the WinStar Farms has agreed to retire him after the event. Straight No Chaser is an exciting athlete. Thousands of fans will cheer him on to win the final race of his career at his home track.Seismic Beau (Distaff), Del Mar’s hometown heroSeismic Belle has truly transformed herself into an impressive 2-turn filly. She has now won three consecutive races, each one more convincing than the previous, after her connections decided to extend her distance. She won the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in August at Del Mar, where she showed off her dominance. She has now won three times at the oval on the coast. Del Mar is a familiar track, which provides a psychological and physical advantage that should not be undervalued in a race this big. Seismic Beauty is even more dangerous because of the recent withdrawals from Distaff. Many prestigious older mares have chosen to go in different directions, making her a betting favorite.
Rebel’s Romance – Turf – Chasing a historic third Turf titleIf Godolphin’s majestic Rebel’s Romance embodies the worldly spirit and international prestige that the Breeders’ Cup has to offer, then it is this magnificent horse. The 7-year old Dubawi returns to Del Mar to try to make history by becoming the first horse in Breeders’ Cup Turf history to win it three times. He has won five races this year from seven starts, including prestigious victories in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin in Germany and a commanding 3½-length score in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct in September. The bid by Rebel’s Romance to win a third Breeders’ Cup title in Turf is a must-see television event. Fierceness (Classic), the beast from the East, seeks Classic glory. Few horses arrive at Breeders’ Cup as talented and as pedigreed as Fierceness. The 4-year old City Todd Pletcher, Hall of Famer of Light trainer, returns to Del Mar in search of redemption after a heart-stopping second place finish to Sierra Leone last year. Fierceness is the total package. It has it all: talent, pedigree and experience in big races. But he’s also had some disappointing results in winnable circumstances. Will Walden is the trainer of Rhetorical, who has travelled a tough road to get to racing’s top stage. Will Walden was the son of WinStar Farm’s CEO Elliott Walden. Will battled severe drug and alcoholic addiction for many years before he found sobriety in Shepherds House at Kentucky. The program, created by Taylor Made Farm’s Frank Taylor, helps recovering people with an addiction find employment and purpose within the thoroughbred industry.Rhetorical’s racing history might be brief, but it’s impressive. After an 8½-month layoff following his debut, the gelding returned in May 2025 with a runaway five-length allowance victory that opened eyes. The Coolmore Turf Mile in Keeneland, a Grade 1, featured European turf stars. He won this race in October. In the Turf Mile, Rhetorical posted a shocking 9-1 upset, settling fourth early before unleashing a powerful late run under Irad Ortiz Jr. to defeat Program Trading and Brilliant Berti by ¾ length, posting a career-best 120 Equibase Speed Figure. Rhetorical might be a longshot compared to more experienced international turf milers. But that’s what makes him so intriguing. This would make for a fascinating story, and an appropriate conclusion for all parties involved.
Nysos (Dirt Mile).Raw Speed meets Mile Distance.The 4-year old Nyquist colt’s speed figures put him in a different planet than most dirt horses. Yet, due to his tendency to be absent from training and racing because of physical setbacks, every start feels like a valuable opportunity. Nysos can be devastating when healthy and on track. The fact that he has five wins and a second in six career starts is only half the story. It’s the manner in which he won those races that really stands out. He opened his career with three consecutive wins by a combined 26¾ lengths, including a 7½-length romp in the 2024 Robert B. Lewis Stakes. If — and it’s admittedly a significant if — Nysos makes it to post time for the Dirt Mile, he represents perhaps the most talented horse in the entire field.She Feels Pretty (Filly & Mare Turf)Turf Mare ExcellenceShe Feels Pretty burst onto the scene as a 2-year-old, winning the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes in just her second career start, a performance that gave trainer Cherie DeVaux her first Grade 1 triumph and punched the filly’s ticket to the Breeders’ Cup. She Feels Pretty’s record has been impressive since then: four Grade I victories, and earnings of more than $2 million in three racing seasons. There’s something thrilling about watching an American turf mare that was born and raised right here in America compete against the best horses from Europe at the Breeders’ Cup. Can she win the Breeders’ Cup race and outshine her European rivals? The storyline is one of most fascinating to watch during the race. She Feels Pretty will be the most likely favorite for American runners at the Breeders’ Cup.
2025-10-28 21:33:02
