Breeders' Cup Turf: Still in top form, Rebel's Romance chases history

DEL MAR, Calif. – Race No. 30 in Rebel’s Romance’s already acclaimed career could be historic.

A 7-year-old gelding, Rebel’s Romance has 20 wins at 14 tracks in six countries. On Saturday at Del Mar, he will attempt to become the first three-time winner of the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar. Rebel’s Romance won the 2022 BC Turf at Keeneland and the same race last year at Del Mar.

Rebel’s Romance, trained by Charlie Appleby for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, Rebel’s Romance is in the midst of the busiest year of his career. The 1 1/2-mile BC Turf will be his career-high eighth start of 2025.

Way back in 2022, Rebel’s Romance won 5 of 7 starts. A win on Saturday would be his sixth this year.

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“It’s unusual in flat racing to see a horse of his age still running at the level he’s running at and, more importantly, running solid,” Appleby said Wednesday. “Most horses start to dip away in their careers. He’s still holding his own at a Grade 1 level. From our point of view, he’s been a pleasure. Without stating the obvious, he’s been a yard favorite.”

Rebel’s Romance can join elite company with a win Saturday. Two other horses have three Breeders’ Cup wins – Beholder, who won the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and the Distaff in 2013 and 2016, and Goldikova, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in three consecutive seasons, from 2008-10.

Rebel’s Romance has had 29 starts and earned $14,446,477. Aside from his two Breeders’ Cup wins, he is undefeated in four Group 1 races in Germany, including his most recent European start in the Grosser Preis von Berlin on Aug. 10 at Hoppegarten Racecourse. He followed with an authoritative win by 3 1/2 lengths against four rivals in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1 1/2 miles on Sept. 27 at Aqueduct, his only American stakes win aside from the BC Turf triumphs.

Rebel’s Romance won the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai, a $6 million race, in 2024, and earlier this year won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Ascot in June, his first appearance at that world-famous five-day meeting.

With those lofty accomplishments, it is hard to believe that Rebel’s Romance won his debut in a lowly allowance race at a mile on the synthetic track at Newcastle Racecourse in Northern England on a Monday evening in October 2020, amid the height of the pandemic.

Earlier that year, Rebel’s Romance was gelded, which Appleby said is the only reason he is in his sixth year of racing.

“He was a character, as a lot of the family are,” he said. “He was quite a handful as a 2-year-old. Had we not done that, realistically, he would not be here today. That’s why it’s been such a great journey, and I’m the one lucky enough to talk about him. It’s a team back home that has kept him going.”

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Rebel’s Romance is back at Del Mar this fall, taking on runners less than half his age, notably the brilliant 3-year-old filly Minnie Hauk, the 8-5 favorite on the morning line for the BC Turf. Rebel’s Romance is the 5-2 second choice.

As he has shown by amassing eight Grade 1 or Group 1 wins since August 2022, Rebel’s Romance has the doggedness to hold off rivals.

“His enthusiasm is second to none,” Appleby said.

The 2024 BC Turf was proof of that. Rebel’s Romance led by 3 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go and won by a neck, holding off a thrilling rally by Rousham Park of Japan.

“He brings experience and an abundance of it,” Appleby said. “There will be younger legs out there ready to take him on, and when they do, they’ll know they’ve had a race, that’s for sure.”

The career is expected to continue. Appleby said the day Rebel’s Romance loses his vigor will be the day retirement conversations begin.

“Rebel’s Romance will tell us,” he said. “A lot of horses would have been retired three years ago. He tells us he wants to have another crack at it. I would personally say the day we see him run down the field, unless there was something within reason that he was unlucky in running, the day he does it on a clear run, that will be the day he tells us, ‘I’ve done enough for you lads.’ ”

Judging from recent results, that will not be Saturday.

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