Two days, 14 races, $34 million in prize money.
Celebrating the Champions: Winners and Losers of the 41st Breeders’ Cup
The 41st Breeders’ Cup is complete. The owners, trainer, jockeys and supporters of the 14 winners are likely still celebrating, wherever they may be around the world.
A crowd of 30,982 showed up for Future Stars Friday (five BC races) at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and 36,436 were at the track for Saturday’s nine races.
Let’s look at the some of the big winners and losers:
WINNER: THORPEDO ANNA
The obvious choice for the biggest and best story of the Breeders’ Cup. The 3-year-old superstar filly once again dusted off her female rivals in a 2 ½-length tour de force in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Not only will Thorpedo Anna be voted 3-year-old filly champion, the five-time Grade 1 winner trained by Kenny McPeek all but clinched Horse of the Year honors. Even in defeat against males in the Travers, a nose loss to Fierceness, she showed the heart of a champion.
LOSER: IRAD ORTIZ, JR.
Perhaps the most surprising result was the nation’s leading jockey, who won three Breeders’ Cup races last year and in 2022, went 0-for-11. On Friday, he was 0-for-3, finishing second twice, aboard Vodka With a Twist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Gaming in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
On Saturday, he was 0-for-8 with his best finish third aboard Candied in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. He finished fifth twice (Cogburn, Turf Sprint; Federal Judge, Sprint), sixth twice (Tapit Trice, Classic; Skippylongstocking, Dirt Mile), seventh twice (Full Court Felicia, Filly & Mare Turf; Chil Flag, Mile); and eighth with Vahva in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
WINNER: SIERRA LEONE
Congratulations to trainer Chad Brown for staying the course with an excellent 3-year-old, who has been the most consistent 3-year-old colt in 2024. The Classic win came against international stars City of Troy and Forever Young as well as Fierceness, the Jim Dandy and Travers winner over Sierra Leone, who ran second in the Jim Dandy and third in the Travers.
An Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old males is in the cards for this $2.8 million purchase. His 2024 resume: 6-2-2-2 and career earnings just over $6 million.
LOSER: JAPAN
With high hopes of a glorious Breeders’ Cup, Japan sent a 19-horse contingent to Del Mar. Of the 12 horses that ran in Breeders’ Cup races, the results 0-for-12.
Forever Young was the pick of many to avenge his only loss — third in a three-horse photo in the Kentucky Derby, the 3-year-old ran a steady race in finishing a non-threatening third. Ushba Tesoro ran 10th, and Derma Sotogake was 13th.
The best they could do was a second place from Rousham Park in the Turf, who came up a neck short of winner Rebel’s Romance. Japan’s Shahryar was third.
WINNER: LONGSHOT BETTORS
For those horseplayers savvy enough to pick a few longshots, congratulations. Nine of the 14 winners returned double digits on a $2 win bet – from Moira ($13.60) in the Filly & Mare Turf to Starlust ($69.20) in the Turf Sprint.
In between, Magnum Force ($27) kicked off the festivities Friday in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Citizen Bull won the Juvenile and returned $33.80.
On Saturday, Soul of an Angel started off the day with a win in the Filly & Mare Sprint ($41.60). Also, Sierra Leone ($15.80) took the Classic, Straight No Chaser ($14.20) won the Sprint, More Than Looks ($15.80) won the Mile and Full Serrano won the closing Dirt Mile.
LOSER: CITY OF TROY
A horse Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien as the best he’s ever had was unable to make the transition from turf to dirt in his first start in America –getting off to a slow start in the Classic, having dirt kicked in his face while racing mid-pack, and failing to rally in the stretch. He finished eighth.
City of Troy came into the Classic with six wins in seven starts, most recently the Juddmonte International, his fourth Grade 1 victory. A son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, City of Troy was the morning-line favorite but went off as the second betting choice.
“I should have had him coming out quicker. He just left (jockey) Ryan (Moore) with no chance when he came out the way he did in that type of a race,’’ O’Brien. “He’s an incredible horse and it was so sporting of the lads to run him in this race.
“He’s been the most incredible horse for us and what happened there is just that it was over straight away when the gates opened.”
MORE WINNERS: Prat, Moore, O’Brien, first-time winners
… Flavien Prat and Ryan Moore won two races each, and Prat earned the William Shoemaker Award as top rider based on overall results (2-1-2 from eight starts). Prat piloted Sierra Leone to victory in the Classic and Moira to a win in the Filly & Mare Turf; Moore rode two winners for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, Lake Victoria (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Henri Matisse (Juvenile Turf) … O’Brien now has 20 BC wins, tying D. Wayne Lukas for most by a trainer.
… Six trainers won their first BC race – Ger Lyons (Magnum Force, Juvenile Turf Sprint); Saffie Joseph, Jr. (Soul of an Angel, Filly & Mare Sprint), Kevin Attard (Moira, Filly & Mare Turf), Dan Blacker (Straight No Chaser, Sprint), Cherie DeVaux (More Than Looks, Mile), and Kenny McPeek (Distaff, Thorpedo Anna).
… The 42nd Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar, Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
