Breeders' Cup: Knightsbridge decision leaves Alvarado with one fewer ride, dangerous rival
:quality(75))
Coverage presented by
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Junior Alvarado admitted to being “a little bummed” when the powers that be decided to run Knightsbridge in Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the $1 million Dirt Mile.
The addition of Knightsbridge gives Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott a powerful one-two punch in the Classic as they also start 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty in the race.
“Selfishly, I was hoping he’d run in the [Dirt] Mile because then I’d have another live mount and one less enemy. Now, I have one less live mount and one more enemy in the Classic because he’s a contender,” Alvarado said of Knightsbridge. “He’s a horse that carries speed, and speed is very dangerous, especially with a horse who’s a top performer like he is right now.”
For Alvarado, there was never a doubt about whom he would ride in the Classic. He won last year’s Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers and this year’s Grade 1 Whitney on Sovereignty, who is a perfect 3 for 3 at 1 1/4 miles, the distance of the Classic.
Alvarado admitted that he had viewed Knightsbridge as more a miler type before he won the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, at 1 1/8 miles, by 10 1/4 lengths and then carried his speed 1 1/4 miles to win the Pacific Classic by 6 1/4 lengths.
In the Pacific Classic, Alvarado recalled dueling outside of Full Serrano – the 2024 BC Dirt Mile winner – and looking over at Full Serrano’s jockey, Joel Rosario, and saying ‘We’re going way too fast,’ ” he said.
As noted in the chart of the Pacific Classic, the original fractions of the race – 22.68 seconds, 45.45, and 1:09.53 for the opening six furlongs – were changed to 23.17, 45.94, and 1:10.02 due to an obstruction that led to a false start of the timer. The final time also was adjusted from 2:01.79 to 2:02.28.
Still, the six furlongs in 1:10.02 were worrisome to Alvarado.
:: ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save big.
“I was worried at that point because we were moving along pretty good,” Alvarado continued. “It felt to me the way we were moving that we couldn’t get all the way to the wire. Before the quarter pole, I nudged him a little bit just to see where he was and to me I never rode a horse going that fast going a mile and a quarter being able to keep on like he did. That to me is a horse that could be very dangerous in the Classic.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.