The Breeders’ Cup, an annual gathering of the world’s best horses, generally offers three things horseplayers and fans love. First, great performances. In a sport based on speed and athleticism, the 2025 edition certainly had those - and in bunches. Second, high-level competitive races. Once again, BC 2025 did not disappoint. Third, great payouts - which were available - but the shadow of the CAW wagers loomed in several pools.
GREAT PERFORMANCES
Super Corredora, BC Juvenile Fillies (Friday)
We’re always on the lookout for the next Kentucky Oaks winner, and Super Corredora has inserted herself into the conversation. On October 10, she hadn’t won a race; on Friday, she may have locked up 2-year-old filly of the year. The track at Del Mar this weekend favored fowardly-placed horses - especially on the dirt - and she did exactly that: played a game of ‘catch me if you can,’ and simply, they couldn’t. She paid $19.60 to win on a $2 wager.
Ted Noffey, BC Juvenile (Friday)
We’re likewise on the lookout for the Kentucky Derby 2026 winner, and Ted Noffey did nothing to dampen the hype around him. Breaking from the outside post, Ted Noffey moved with ease into the second position, sitting just off the Baffert-trained Brant. When it was time to go, he did just that - leaving a green Brant in his wake. While it’s often difficult to project success from 2-to-3, trainer Todd Pletcher gives hope that Ted Noffey won’t be a one season wonder.
The Jose D’Angelo Double (Saturday)
Trainer Jose D’Angelo is widely regarded as one of the nicest people in horse racing, but dude can train, too. He went back-to-back on Saturday - a near impossible feat - with Shisospicy and Bentornato winning in dominating fashion in their respective races. Shisospicy broke quickly in the BC Turf Sprint, establishing a lead no one could overcome. She missed the track record by less than a half second, and as a 3-year-old, one can only imagine how she develops next year. Bentornato was 2nd in the BC Sprint last year; he was off until September when he won a listed stakes at Churchill Downs, and was nonetheless the favorite at the gate. Like Shisospicy, he took the lead and never looked back. D’Angelo’s rise has accelerated: he went over a million in earnings in 2021; $2 million in 2022; $4 million in 2023; $7 million in 2024; he went over $9 million this year with the weekend’s performances. The trendline is impossible to ignore, and the D’Angelo outfit is here to stay at the top of the sport.
American Racing Meets Francis-Henri Graffard
In the final race of the weekend, Geroza maneuvered through a full field of 14 to make her to the lead and win the BC Filly and Mare Turf. She’s trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, a name that should become a staple in Breeders’ Cups for years to come. French turf racing has always had prestige at the top, but as the purses in the British Isles stagnate, France may be on its way to joining the top ranks. Courses like Longchamps and Deauville have long been spots to watch; others like Chantilly are becoming must-watch. Graffard’s rise state-side should be a fun one to watch.
GREAT RACES
Hyped Classic Lives Up To Its Billing
In the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic, the 3 top finishers were all 3-year-olds: Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young. Great news, bettors: all you have to do was box those three up again, and you’d’ve hit the tri. The 2024 3-year-old group cemented its spot amongst the best in recent memory, with an absolutely brilliant performance from Forever Young. The Japanese have likewise cemented their spot among the top dirt outfits on the planet, and their contributions to the sport long-term have tremendous upside. Four (4!) horses finished the classic distance of 10 furlongs in under 2:01, which is remarkable. Journalism, the top 3-year-old in the field after the defection of Sovereignty, finished a very good 4th.
Nysos and Citizen Bull Throw Down In The Dirt Mile
In what was assumed to be the easiest race to predict on the card, the Baffert duo of Nysos and Citizen Bull instead gave us a stretch run for the ages in the Dirt Mile. In an unusual turn, it’ll be the 3-year-old who finished 2nd is off to the breeding shed; Nysos is slated to run again, per trainer Bob Baffert. Barry Spears, my co-host on the Sporting Tribune’s SoCal Saturdays, told me after the race “I’ve never seen a horse run as fast as Citizen Bull did today.” And he nearly won BC races in back-to-back years. Nysos should be interesting at 5-years-old, not something we usually say around Baffert trainees.
A CAW SHADOW ON PAYOUTS
In all forms of wagering, there are outfits which offer discounts and rebates to their top bettors. Horse racing is no different; the largest of these groups are collectively known as Computer Aided Wagering, or CAW. I touted a horse in the Turf all week in Ethical Diamond, who had taken an unusual route to the Breeders’ Cup by way of hurdle jumping. When they entered the gate, I was excited by the prospect of the 45/1 price I saw on the board; Del Mar, as they did all weekend, turned off the final numbers a few moments prior to post, before displaying 25/1 halfway through the race. I’m certainly not the first person to lose a few thousand dollars on a proper wager in this manner - but I’m hopeful I’m amongst the last. Pricing out players at my level is a long-term disaster for the sport, and in a world where sports betting is widely available, Horse Racing would be wise to tackle this problem sooner than later. If the CAW influence is this evident with the huge pools at the Breeders' Cup, the problem may be even worse than estimated.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Retirement season is upon us, and the connections of horses like Journalism, Rebel’s Romance, and Notable Speech all have interesting decisions to make. Forever Young, the Classic champ, has already been committed to running in 2026.
The Grade 2 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs is the last chance for a high level win in the older male handicap division, while the Derby trail will pick up with the Remsen at Aqueduct and the Kentucky Jockey Club, also at Churchill. Like we always do: when BC ends, Derby begins; when the Triple Crown ends, BC talk begins.
We’ll be back on Saturday with another preview of Southern California racing, including the Chosen Vron Stakes at Del Mar.
MY ANNUAL THANKS TO THE GOOD FOLKS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
I am never disappointed on my trips out West, from the rental car counter, to hotel check-ins, to kind folks at gas stations, to great meals at cool restaurants, to kind folks at the track. It’s always a pleasure to visit - and like I wrote last year - we’d love to have you for a race in Kentucky.