Time again to reset the order of races for the Breeders’ Cup card on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Del Mar.
Three South Africa breds pre-entered; Vets rule out The Chosen Vron
Three races were switched, according to the list of races released on Wednesday by the Breeders’ Cup.
Here are the changes:
The Dirt Mile, originally set for the first of nine Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2 will instead be the last race (post time 8:25 p.m. ET).
The Sprint will now be the seventh BC race of the day instead of the last (post time 7:05 p.m.)
The Filly & Mare Sprint, originally the seventh BC race of the day, was moved to the first BC race (post time 3 p.m.)
A full card of 12 races is scheduled for Nov. 2, with races 4-12 the Breeders’ Cup events.
The change does not affect the positioning of the Classic, Distaff, or Turf, but could alter decisions on multi-wagers.
Three weeks ago, when the lineup was released for the first time, the big change was moving the Classic to the fifth BC race on the day. It had been the final race for 38 years and moved to the seventh BC race on the day in 2023 due to a lack of available prime-time broadcast windows on NBC.
Some available BC wagers
The wager menu includes a Breeders’ Cup $3 All-Turf Pick 3 on Friday (Nov. 1): Juvenile Turf Sprint (race 6); Juvenile Fillies Turf (race 8); and the Juvenile Turf (race 10).
There’s also an All-Turf Pick 4 on Saturday with a $.50 minimum wager. The races: Turf Sprint (race 5); Turf (race 7); Filly & Mare Turf (race 9); and the Mile (race 11).
There’s more: An All-Dirt Pick 4 on Saturday, which is a $.50 minimum wager. The races: Distaff (race 6); Classic (race 8); Sprint (race 10); and the Dirt Mile (race 12).
Graham Motion trains pre-entered South African breds
Maryland-based trainer Graham Motion pre-entered a trio of South African-breds, Beach Bomb, Isivunguvungu, and Correto.
Beach Bomb is pre-entered in the Filly & Mare Turf, Isivunguvungu in the Turf Sprint, and Correto in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Beach Bomb earned an automatic berth to the Filly & Mare Turf with a victory in the Cartier-Paddock (G1) at Kenilworth on Jan. 6.
Isivunguvungu, a multiple Grade 1 winner at home, won his only U.S. start, the 5 ½-furlong Da Hoss at Colonial Downs on Sept. 7. Correto, third in the Miss Grillo (G2) at Aqueduct on Oct. 2, is second on the also-eligible list.
The Chosen Vron ruled ‘unsound’ after recent vet check
The Chosen Vron. Benoit Photo.
The Chosen Vron, one of the most popular horses in California, won’t run in the Sprint after track vets declared him “unsound.”
Trainer Eric Kruljac was not pleased with the ruling. “We’re out of the race, but the horse is 100% sound,” trained Eric Kruljac told bloodhorse.com on Tuesday. “The track vets looked at him before, thought he was off. Some Breeders’ Cup vet came in and said he was unsound, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
The Chosen Vron, a 6-year-old gelding with a pair of Grade 1 wins in the Bing Crosby, has won 14 of his last 16 races. He finished second in the Pat O’Brien (G2) at Del Mar on Aug. 24.
After a 4-furlong workout at Santa Anita on Oct. 19, he was placed on the California Horse Racing Board’s Veterinarian’s List for “unsoundness” on Oct 21.
According to a Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) rule, covered horses placed on the vet’s list for unsoundness must remain on the list for a minimum of 14 days.
The Chosen Vron ran fifth in the BC Sprint in 2023, his only other defeat in more than two years. He earned an automatic berth into the Sprint with his win in the Bing Crosby on July 27.
“We have to live with it,” Kruljac told bloodhorse.com “We’ll keep our cards close to our chest for now. We might send him out of the country. I don’t want to expound any further on where. In any case, we’ve had a great run with the horse. You can’t fight City Hall, regardless of how ridiculous they are.”
Numbers, please …
212 horses pre-entered (a record) … 80 international pre-entries (a record) … Previous Breeders’ Cups at Del Mar were in 2017 and 2021. The Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar in 2025 … City of Troy trainer Aidan O’Brien is 0-for-17 in the Classic … A total of 16 horses that won the Classic went on to be voted Horse of the Year.
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.
