The road to the Breeders’ Cup heats up this week with six “Win, and You’re In " races: four at York Racecourse in England and two at Del Mar in California.
The $2.03 million Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) gets bettors rolling on Wednesday at York. The 1 5/16th-mile race is headed by even-money favorite and last year’s winner Ombudsman and Constitution River (7-4) in a field of 10.
The winner earns an all-fees paid berth to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Since the race is run on the turf, some of the winners have ended up running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
The other “Win, and You’re In’’ to the Breeders’ Cup Classic is Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, one of four graded stakes on the card that also features the Green Flash Stakes (G2), a “Win and You’re In’’ event to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
A field of 11 is entered for the 1 ¼-mile Pacific Classic, a defining race on the West Coast where 3-year-olds can take on older horses.
Om N Joy, a 4-year-old, will be the first filly or mare to start in the Pacific Classic since Hall of Famer Beholder finished second to California Chrome in 2016. A year earlier, Beholder became the only female to win the race.
This is a tough spot for Om N Joy, listed at 20-1 with Kent Desormeaux getting the call for trainer Aggie Ordonez.
The competition includes Knightsbridge, the 5-2 favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; Forged Steel (5-1); Hit Show (6-1); Full Serrano; Navajo Warrior; and Finger, all listed at 8-1. Finger, the only 3-year-old in the field, arrives from Japan for trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka. Knightsbridge comes West after a 10 ¼-length victory in the Monmouth Cup (G3) on July 18.
The 5-furlong Green Flash Stakes (G2) on the turf drew a field of 10, including Sumter, a 7-year-old gelding who won at this distance on July 19. He outfinished Motorious and Sorrento Sky in an allowance optional claimer, and both are back for another go. Sumter, trained by Richard Mandella, ran eighth in the Green Flash last year. Mandella also sends out Mescalero.
Back to York, there are three other Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In’’ races this week: the Acomb Stakes (G3) on Wednesday (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf); the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) on Thursday (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf); and the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) on Friday (Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint).
Top winners of the Juddmonte International include Dahlia, Giant's Causeway, Sea the Stars and Frankel.
Ombudsman, a 5-year-old trained by the father-son team of John and Thady Gosden, is 9-for-12 with six graded-stakes wins and has never been worse than second. He's 3-for-3 this year and is rated one of the world's top older horses. He prepped for the Juddmonte with a strong mile workout on Aug. 12 under regular rider William Buick.
Aidan O'Brien has six Juddmonte victories, two more than Gosden, and brings in Constitution River on a five-race winning streak. He hasn't lost since running second in his debut last year. His latest performance came in the Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown – he was boxed in along the rail in the stretch before getting outside and cruising to a three-length win.
Of this highly anticipated matchup, O’Brien said: “It's what the sport is all about, seeing horses like that take each other on. It's going to be very interesting."
Om N Joy has won six of 18 starts, with all the wins in the last 17 months. She’s won five stakes, including the Santa Margarita (G2) 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on May 30.
In her one Del Mar start this year, she closed from sixth to finish second by a half-length in the Clement Hirsch Stakes (G1) at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 1.
“This is the main event,” Om N Joy’s trainer Aggie Ordonez said. “I know it’s tough. The distance is what she wants to go.”
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. sends out Forged Steel and Navajo Warrior. Forged Steel won the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on May 25 and was fifth after a poor start in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga on July 4. Navajo Warrior has won his last three starts, including the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 11.
Hit Show is best known for winning the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in April 2025. He was second in the Suburban last month.
Finger has won four of eight races in Japan, the latest being the Tokyo Derby at 1 ¼ miles on June 10.
Two of the top West Coast older horses, Journalism and Nysos, were recently retired.
Counting Stars is piling up victories in championship fashion and looks to add the prestigious $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) to her impressive resume.
The 3-year-old filly trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse tops a field of six for the 1 ¼-mile Alabama, a race Casse won last year with star filly Nitrogen. Winning last year was a long-time goal.
“It’s something I would have never even dreamed of,” Casse said. “It’s special, and hopefully we can win it again with another special filly.”
After a third-place finish behind Always a Runner, Counting Stars came back and beat her twice – first by 3 ¾ lengths in the Acorn Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on June 5 and then by 4 ¼ lengths in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at the Spa on July 15.
Always a Runner is not in the field Saturday, but Counting Stars is ready for five rivals – Nycon, Ati Girl, Measure, My Guns Loaded and A.P.’s Girl.
Counting Stars is the leader in the 3-year-old filly division and is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
“She’s doing great, and she has got a lot of energy; she couldn’t be doing any better,” Casse said.
The morning-line odds will be released later this week. Counting Stars leaves from post 6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Measure, third in the Coaching Club American Oaks, is also trained by Casse.
Chad Brown, who trains Always a Runner, sent out My Guns Loaded with Manny Franco aboard. The filly is 2-for-2 against elders at Saratoga, including a last-out win in a 1-mile optional claimer on July 24.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
