DEL MAR, Calif. - At the eighth pole of Saturday’s 42nd Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, it became apparent the race was going to come down to the same horses who finished in the top three in the 41st edition of the Classic, also at Del Mar.
At the sixteenth pole, it became apparent there was going to be a different result.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Until Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar, Ethical Diamond had never started in a seven-figure race and had never run in a graded stakes that did not involve hurdles.
His trainer, Willie Mullins, had never had a Breeders’ Cup runner but is famous for his domination of British and Irish jump racing.
Ethical Diamond’s jockey, Ireland-based Dylan McMonagle, was winless in nine mounts in the United States since 2023.
DEL MAR, Calif. - After briefly celebrating his first Breeders’ Cup winner with Shisospicy in the Turf Sprint, trainer Jose D’Angelo Jr. returned with a pretty good encore just 40 minutes later by sending out Bentornato to a popular and convincing 2 1/4-length victory over Imagination Saturday at Del Mar in the $2 million Sprint.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Splendora was spectacular on Saturday at Del Mar.
The 4-year-old filly crushed the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint by 4 3/4 lengths over Vahva. Even-money favorite Hope Road finished third.
Although the Filly and Mare Sprint lost some of its pizzazz due to morning scratches of early one-two favorites Sweet Azteca and Tamara, it is fair to wonder if either could have defeated Splendora.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Last December, when he attended the Global Symposium on Racing in Arizona, trainer Todd Pletcher remembers telling fellow Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that he was light on 3-year-olds for the 2025 spring classics.
Pletcher proved prophetic as he missed his first Kentucky Derby in 21 years and ran longshots in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
“Definitely, the cupboard was pretty bare this time last year,” Pletcher said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner, was scratched out of Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Sweet Azteca and Tamara, the top two morning-line choices in Saturday’s $1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint were all scratched out of their respective races by regulatory veterinarians Saturday morning.
Atsila was also scratched by the vets out of the Filly and Mare Turf.
Total commingled betting on the five Breeders’ Cup races held on Friday at Del Mar in Southern California was down 10.8 percent, according to charts of the races.
The betting total for the five races was dragged down by a 30 percent drop in betting on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which had a six-horse field this year, compared to 10 horses last year. Betting on the Juvenile dropped nearly $2.42 million, from $8.04 million last year to $5.62 million this year.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The all-time leading trainer at the Breeders’ Cup, the most important assemblage of Thoroughbred races in North America, is a man from Ireland.
Gstaad, an excellent horse getting a fantastic ride from Christophe Soumillon, overcame a bad post position, a hesitant start, a wide trip and 13 rivals to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday at Del Mar. That made 21 Breeders’ Cup winners for Aidan O’Brien, one more than the late Wayne Lukas.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
In a performance that looked very similar to his previous two Grade 1 stakes victories, Ted Noffey stalked the pacesetting Brant, took over from that one straightening away in the stretch and then, after idling some, kept longshot Mr. A. P. at bay to win Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by one length at Del Mar.
Mr. A. P., coming out of a maiden win 18 days ago, finished second by a half-length over Brant. Litmus Test was fourth, followed by Intrepido and Comport.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Balantina was strides from an upset win in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar when full-throated cheers erupted from a small group assembled in the front row of a grandstand viewing area.
The moment Balantina reached the wire, winning trainer Donnacha O’Brien hugged his girlfriend, Rachael Hickey, and then turned to his left and embraced his father, a fella named Aidan O’Brien.
