What a whirlwind week it’s been in thoroughbred racing – for bettors, breeders, and buyers.
For bettors, stars galore are set to race again next year and who doesn’t want another chance to beat the favorite on the sport’s biggest stages?
The lineup includes the top three finishers in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) -- Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Japan’s Forever Young.
On Thursday (Nov. 7), Coolmore America posted on X that the owners said Sierra Leone will be back for a 4-year-old campaign.
In addition, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna -- and strong favorite to be voted Horse of the Year -- will be back in 2025.
And so will Full Serrano, the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner who returns for a 6-year-old campaign.
Let’s hope these stars align, perhaps in the Classic with Thorpedo Anna in the field, at Del Mar on Nov. 1, 2025.
For breeders, the season can’t start soon enough with European star City of Troy retired at Coolmore (Ireland); Preakness winners National Treasure (2023) and Seize the Grey (2024) now standing at Spendthrift Farm and Gainesway Farm (both in Lexington, Kentucky), respectively; and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch also at Spendthrift.
Other standouts retired after the Breeders’ Cup include the mare War Like Goddess, a 10-time graded stakes winner; three-time Group 1 winner Bradsell, 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner who ran eighth in the Turf Sprint (G1); and Domestic Product, third in the BC Dirt Mile.
For buyers, the Keeneland sale at Del Mar prior to the Breeders’ Cup and the Fasig-Tipton Keeneland November Sale in Lexington saw the likes of Breeders' Cup Filly & Male Turf (G1) winner Moira purchased for $4.3 million by international buyer Bales and a share (2.5%) of 2022 Classic champion Flightline go to for $2.5 million.
After his breakthrough win in the Classic, Sierra Leone was back at Ashford Stud in Kentucky for a rest.
“The owners of Sierra Leone are thrilled to announce that he will be racing as a 4-year-old,’’ Coolmore posted on X, referring to owners Peter Brant, Brook Smith and Coolmore connections John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. “He is now enjoying some time off at Ashford Stud, where he will rest and recharge before returning to the track.’’
Owner Mike Repole said Sunday (Nov. 3) that his 2-year-old champion, Florida Derby (G1), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1) winner will return to training next year and get ready for the campaign at trainer Todd Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs winter base.
Fierceness, 15th as the Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite, is headed to Ashford Stud upon retirement.
Third in the Derby and third in the Classic, Japan’s Forever Young is 6-for-6 back home, and hopes are high he runs well next year and return for the Classic.
Trainer Kenny McPeek, who has his Derby winner Mystik Dan back in training for next year, said his super filly will spend a month at his Magdalena Farm in Lexington, then head to the Fair Grounds for the winter. A race schedule against fillies and mares is in the planning stage, and maybe another run at the boys after finishing second to Fierceness in the Travers?
“If she was running the table against the fillies and mares, we’d consider the Classic next year,’’ McPeek told drf.com.
Epsom Derby (G1) winner City of Troy is back at Coolmore (Ireland), with an opening fee of $81,000 (€75,000).
The son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, won six of seven starts in Europe on turf, but ran eighth in the Classic in his only race on dirt.
Also, Auguste Rodin, a six-time Group 1 winner, is scheduled to run in the Japan Cup (G1) later this month then be retired to stud with a fee of $32,000 (€30,000).
Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Newgate, who ran fourth in the Classic, was retired to Three Chimneys Farm with a $30,000 stud fee ... Cogburn, who won the 5 ½-furlong Jaipur (G1) in a record 59.80 seconds, closed out his career with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1). He was retired to WinStar Farm with a stud fee of $30,000. The 5-year-old earned more than $2.4 million.
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.
