Dettori back in Classic, booked to ride Zandon

Frankie Dettori, who recently announced that he will be riding in the U.S. in 2024, will ride Zandon in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, trainer Chad Brown said Friday afternoon.

Dettori is 1 for 7 in the Classic having won it in 2008 with Raven’s Pass. Interestingly, Dettori has not ridden the Classic since he finished ninth aboard Imperative, a 66-1 shot, in 2014.

Overall, Dettori is the sixth leading rider in Breeders’ Cup wins with 14 and he ranks fourth in purse-money won with $25.8 million.

Zandon, a 4-year-old son of Upstart, is coming off a 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Woodward at Aqueduct on Sept. 30. He has finished in the top three in 12 of 13 starts including a third-place finish in both the Kentucky Derby and Travers in 2021, his two starts at the Classic distance of 1 1-4 miles.

Zandon was ridden to victory in the Woodward by Flavien Prat, who is committed to ride Arabian Knight in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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