By Steve Sherack
DEL MAR, CA — It's showtime.
Featuring 14 Grade I races worth more than $34 million in purses, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, with an emphasis on World, return to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for a third time, beginning with the 'Future Stars Friday' program. Ideal conditions with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s are expected.
A total of 179 horses were entered for the two-day Championships, including a record 67 international participants from nine different countries as well as three previous winners.
A stacked renewal of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile–featuring unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) and Jonathan's Way (Vekoma)–will get the party started along with four other top-level events for 2-year-olds on Friday. In addition to East Avenue, Godolphin will also be very well-represented by the unbeaten MGISW Immersive (Nyquist) in the female equivalent.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will meet horse-for-course Thought Process (Collected) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. New Century (GB) (Kameko) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the two-for-two Japanese invader Ecoro Sieg (Twirling Candy) was given the nod at 7-2 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Considered by O'Brien as the best horse that he's ever trained–now that's a scary thought, isn't it?–G1 Epsom Derby winner and 'TDN Rising Star' City of Troy (Justify) will make his highly anticipated dirt debut in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He'll square off versus last year's Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) in the $7-million centerpiece.
There's plenty of star power before and after the Classic, too.
'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will be heavily favored to add to a magical year for Ken McPeek in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Earlier this spring, McPeek became the first trainer since Ben Jones (1952) to pull of the GI Kentucky Oaks-GI Kentucky Derby double.
The 'fastest horse in the world' Cogburn (Not This Time) will look to conclude a perfect season in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. A stallion share in the future WinStar Farm resident brought $475,000 from Richard and Connie Snyder at Wednesday evening's inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale. The overflow field also attracted last year's Juvenile Sprint winner Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}).
Other Saturday headliners include: 'TDN Rising Star' Ways and Means (Practical Joke) (F/M Sprint); Federal Judge (Army Mule) and Mullikin (Violence) (Sprint); Domestic Product (Practical Joke) (Dirt Mile); Johannes (Nyquist) and Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) (Mile); 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (Turf); and Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) and War Like Goddess (English Channel) (F/M Turf).
The Breeders' Cup will be televised live on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and FanDuel TV.
For wall-to-wall coverage of all 14 Championship races, click here for Friday's preview edition and click here for Saturday's preview edition.
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