French racing’s loss is American racing’s gain. Europe’s brightest star, the Ireland-based City of Troy, in a different world would be headed to Paris this weekend for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Instead, City of Troy departs later this month for California, taking his talents to dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In his absence, Sunday’s Arc lacks not only star power but names that most casual North American observers of European flat racing would recognize. Friday morning, a pair of France-based 3-year-olds sat atop the betting markets set by English bookmakers, and the fact those two, Look de Vega and Sosie, were priced at 5-1 demonstrates how wide open Sunday’s 1 1/2-mile contest appears. The first four betting choices are 3-year-olds, with Los Angeles, City of Troy’s Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate, and the Japan-based Shin Emperor also attracting support. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. One of France’s fastest 3-year-olds this year, Calandagan, and another top French horse Goliath, aren’t eligible to race in the Arc because they’re geldings. A field of 16 was entered, including the England-based 4-year-old filly Bluestocking, supplemented this week by her owner and breeder, Juddmonte Farms, at a cost of about $132,000. Juddmonte bets on a longshot, with Bluestocking priced at about 12-1 as of Friday, odds that would be longer outside of England. Bluestocking and the other 15 race for a gross purse of about $5.52 million. At least Bluestocking is a known quantity under the expected conditions Sunday: The Longchamp course Friday was rated very soft and won’t be drying before a card that features five other Group 1s and begins with a pair of important 2-year-old contests at 7:55 a.m. Eastern. Post time for the Arc is set for 10:20. Bluestocking won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille over 1 1/2 miles on soft ground last month at Longchamp on Arc trials day, but the Prix Niel for 3-year-olds on that card was rated the more important race. Sosie, trained by eight-time Arc winner Andre Fabre, returned from a two-month break since winning the Grand Prix de Paris in July and captured the Niel by 1 1/2 lengths over Delius, a 12-1 chance for the Arc. Checking in third was favored Look de Vega, sharp winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby, where he handily defeated third-place Sosie. Coming into the Niel, Look de Vega hadn’t started since his two-length victory in the June 2 French Derby, a race that marked his group stakes debut. Thus, he’s both relatively unproven at the top level, but also a lightly raced horse with a right to come forward in his second race back from a layoff. Connections said he went into the Niel heavier than ideal but since has trimmed down to fighting weight, and Look de Vega will thrive over the expected conditions. Shin Emperor, seeking to become Japan’s first Arc winner, prepped for the race last month with a third-place finish in the 1 1/4-mile Irish Champion Stakes, his first start away from Japan. Shin Emperor finished third in the Japan Derby earlier this year and has yet to win a Group 1. Fourth, a neck behind Shin Emperor in the Irish Champion, came Los Angeles, third in City of Troy’s Derby at Epsom and winner of the Irish Derby. Neither he nor Shin Emperor have proven form over soft or very soft going. Shortest price among the older set is Al Riffa, who came far forward after shipping to Saratoga for a fifth-place finish in the Manhattan Stakes on June 8. Al Riffa exits a romping victory in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin nearly two months ago. In a more standard Arc, a horse like Al Riffa would be 25-1. This year, he just might have a chance. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.