Our Ben Linfoot profiles the main players from Team USA at this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.
Carl Spackler (Timeform Rating 122)
Breeders' Cup Mile
If there’s an American-trained miler to thwart a very strong European challenge in the Breeders’ Cup Mile then it’s probably Chad Brown’s Carl Spackler. The Lope De Vega colt, bought from Tattersalls Book One in 2021 for 350,000 guineas, didn’t run as a two-year-old and that patience has paid dividends this year, as he’s improved markedly at four, winning four times from five starts including at Grade 1 level on his last two goes. The way he has beaten More Than Looks at Saratoga and Keeneland suggests there is even more in the locker, with third-placed horses Ottoman Fleet and Mountain Bear, trained by Charlie Appleby and Aidan O’Brien respectively, offering a line of form to the Europeans. Notable Speech, Porta Fortuna and Ramatuelle could be on another level, but we don’t know how good Carl Spackler is yet. We should find out here.
Cogburn (121)
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
One Breeders' Cup turf race you don’t automatically give to the Europeans is the Turf Sprint. Indeed, only Kevin Ryan’s Glass Slippers has won the event for Europe in 16 renewals, so the likes of Bradsell, Believing and Big Evs have a fight on their hands over the bare five furlongs at Del Mar. Steve Asmussen won the 2011 renewal with Regally Ready and this time around his Cogburn looks by far the biggest threat to the Euros. The five-year-old has been a bit of a slow burner but he’s really caught fire this year, winning the Grade 2 Turf Sprint Stakes in good style at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend before he ran away with the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga in June, where Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery, likely to reoppose in Del Mar, was nearly four lengths away in third. Cogburn was last seen beating dual Royal Ascot winner Khaadem by a similar margin at Kentucky Downs, so he arrives at the Breeders’ Cup right at the top of his game.
Far Bridge (121)
Breeders' Cup Turf
Far Bridge will have his work cut out against the European horses in the Breeders’ Cup Turf but he does look the most likely home-trained hopeful to cause an upset. Christophe Clement’s four-year-old son of English Channel has taken his form to a new level since stepping up in trip to a mile and a half on his last two starts, winning the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga in August from a couple of Charlie Appleby-trained hopefuls in Measured Time and Silver Knott. He proved that was no fluke when staying on strongly to reel them in at Belmont At The Big A when last seen on September 28, where he landed the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic by half-a-length from War Like Goddess, with Silver Knott again beaten nearly five lengths back in third. War Like Goddess was going for a third consecutive win in the Joe Hirsch, so that was no mean feat.
Federal Judge (117)
Breeders' Cup Sprint
Nakatomi bids to go two places better in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint and he looked right on track for a second tilt at the race when running down Skelly in the Grade 1 Alfred G Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga at the end of July. However, Wesley Ward’s five-year-old, owned by Qatar Racing and Fitri Hay, was somewhat put in his place last time out by Brad Cox’s Federal Judge, a lightly-raced four-year-old who came of age in the Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland on October 4, making all for a resounding five-and-a-half length success over the running-on Nakatomi. That was a Win And You’re In race for the BC Sprint and it’s no surprise he’s found himself at the head of the betting considering his Keeneland victory was his first ever go over the bare six furlongs.
Fierceness (127)
Breeders' Cup Classic
If not City Of Troy, it’s most likely to be Fierceness. Todd Pletcher’s horse is learning with racing and he seems to have put behind him the issues he had breaking from the gates earlier in his career. A beaten favourite on three occasions in his first six starts, including in the Kentucky Derby, each of those defeats could be traced back to not getting away from the stalls well enough, but he has broken beautifully in each of his two wins following a near three-month break post-Churchill Downs. In the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga he was away well and took a lead off the outsider Pony Express before asserting himself in the stretch, while he was even better in the Travers at the same track last time out. Again, he settled well just off the speed following a clean break and he hit the front on the home turn, developing a three-length lead before Thorpedo Anna made late inroads to get within a head at the line. If City Of Troy is the best horse in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, it’s Fierceness who boasts the best form on dirt from what we've seen in 2024.
National Treasure (125)
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
Three Grade Ones have come National Treasure’s way since he moved to Bob Baffert early last year, but arguably his best performance came in agonising defeat at last year’s Breeders’ Cup. Having led the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile field from the moment the bell went under Flavien Prat, working hard to get such a position, he saw off all his opponents bar the unstoppable force of Cody’s Wish who barged past him late for an emotional final success. National Treasure was game in defeat, fighting back once headed, only a nose separating the pair at the line. It’s no surprise the Preakness and Pegasus World Cup winner has been running mainly over nine furlongs this year, but his quality over a mile was underlined when he won the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga in June by over six lengths, a performance that should ensure he goes off favourite to go one better in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Sierra Leone (122)
Breeders' Cup Classic
Aidan O’Brien might only have one contender in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic in City Of Troy, but the favourite’s Coolmore owners have two strings to their bow thanks to Chad Brown’s Sierra Leone. The Gun Runner colt isn’t the most straightforward and he’s played up at the start on occasion, most notably prior to his last victory in the Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland back in April where his trademark come-from-behind style yielded success. Since then he has been ridden the same way on each start, under exaggerated waiting tactics, coming home covered in dirt, but he’s run well in defeat in the Kentucky Derby (second), the Belmont Stakes (third), the Jim Dandy Stakes (second) and the Travers Stakes (third). In those last two races he has been beaten by Fierceness, so he has that form to turn around, but if they go too hard and one comes from the clouds it’s most likely to be this fellow who takes advantage.
Thorpedo Anna (119)
Breeders' Cup Distaff
In between Fierceness and Sierra Leone in that DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late August was Kenny McPeek’s Thorpedo Anna, who played her part in one of the races of the season. Prominent early, she’d lost ground with half a mile to go and had a job on to make a race of it at the top of the stretch. That she did, though, thanks to a strong late run under Brian Hernandez, looking like she might even overhaul Fierceness at one point before he stuck his neck out to seal the deal. The American Oaks winner has since gone on to frank the Travers form, of sorts, though perhaps the Saratoga effort left its mark as she made hard work of justifying short odds in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx. Back against her own sex, Thorpedo Anna just got there late to win by a neck from 45/1 longshot Gun Song over a trip just short of nine furlongs. The full 1m1f in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff should help the daughter of Fast Anna and after four Grade 1 successes this year she’ll be one of the shortest-priced favourites of the weekend.
War Like Goddess (117)
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
With Emily Upjohn going for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Filly & Mare Turf looks winnable and the home-trained hopefuls might just have a chance of keeping the prize in America this year. If there is a US-trained representative to lay down a strong challenge to the Europeans it’s Bill Mott’s War Like Goddess, a mare who ran against the males in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, won by Auguste Rodin. She doesn’t mind running against the boys and gave Far Bridge a good race in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last time out, form that entitles her to a shot back against her own sex in what looks like a wide-open Filly & Mare Turf this year.
Ways And Means (115)
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Chad Brown’s Ways And Means made light work of taking on her elders in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Stakes on a sloppy track at Belmont At The Big A last time out and that should’ve been the ideal stepping stone towards the Filly & Mare Sprint. Run over seven furlongs on the Del Mar dirt, this year’s Filly & Mare Sprint looks the ideal target for a Practical Joke filly who has blossomed in the second half of her three-year-old campaign. Things got off to a tough start when she was beaten at Gulfstream first time out before she was 10 lengths adrift of Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs back in May. Dropping back to sprinting trips has been the making of her and her statement performance came in the Grade One Test Stakes at Saratoga in August, after which Brown nominated the Filly & Mare Sprint as her end-of-season target. She’s here – and she’s the one to beat.
Breeders’ Cup 2024 race times (GMT) and schedule
Friday, November 1
- 9.45pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
- 10:25pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
- 11:05pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
- 11.45pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
- 12:25am: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Saturday, November 2
- 7:00pm: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
- 7:41pm: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
- 8:21pm: Breeders' Cup Distaff
- 9:01pm: Breeders’ Cup Turf
- 9:41pm: Breeders’ Cup Classic
- 10:25pm: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
- 11:05pm: Breeders’ Cup Sprint
- 11:45pm: Breeders’ Cup Mile
- 12:25am: Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
British and Irish Breeders’ Cup winners in last six years
2023 (Santa Anita): Auguste Rodin, Inspiral, Master Of The Seas, Unquestionable, Big Evs
2022 (Keeneland): Meditate, Mischief Magic, Victoria Road, Tuesday, Modern Games, Rebel’s Romance
2021 (Del Mar): Modern Games, Space Blues, Yibir
2020 (Keeneland): Glass Slippers, Audarya, Order Of Australia, Tarnawa
2019 (Santa Anita): Iridessa
2018 (Churchill Downs): Line Of Duty, Expert Eye, Enable
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