Five Takeaways from the Breeders’ Cup

Now that some of the dust has settled from the sensational 41st edition of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar, below are just a handful of the outcomes that left a lasting mark on me. 

Baffert Dominates the Juvenile

Conditioner Bob Baffert saddled his sixth winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) following the impressive score produced by Citizen Bull. The Into Mischief colt keyed a 1-2-4 finish for the Hall of Fame conditioner, and the top two in particular look like serious contenders on the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series. 

Citizen Bull has big early speed and has earned hefty Brisnet Late Pace figures from his pair of route outings to date. His ceiling appears to be very high. Runner-up Gaming has yet to race over any other surface besides Del Mar, but he has done little wrong from three career appearances and the son of Game Winner has to be viewed as a major prospect, as well. 

Rebel’s Romance Delivers Once Again

The Godolphin homebred became the third horse to win the race twice with his tally at Del Mar for conditioner Charlie Appleby. The son of Dubawi is simply a gem, as the globe-trotting gelding moved his mark to 5-for-6 this year following a subpar 2023 campaign. He is 15-for-22 in his career while facing top-level foes, and the dark bay is showing no signs of slowing down either. I give a ton of credit to both the horse and his connections for continuing to produce top results, and while he might not compare favorably to some of the other greats in recent years, I don’t take him for granted one bit. Let’s hope that he takes another crack at the race in 2025. 

Lake Victoria Ends Sterling Season in Style

Coolmore’s Lake Victoria capped a perfect two-year-old season with a convincing score in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) for Aidan O’Brien. The star filly by Frankel out of champion dasher Quiet Reflection doesn’t run like a sprinter and is an exciting prospect heading into her sophomore campaign. She will have to continue to improve, obviously, but she is very athletic and equipped with push-button acceleration, and I could envision her returning to Del Mar in 2025.  

More Than Looks Stars in the Mile

The Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) had been captured by horses bred in Europe for six years in succession prior to More Than Looks delivering a potent late kick to win at Del Mar for conditioner Cherie DeVaux, who got her much-deserved first ‘Cup win in the process. The stout colt is fully expected to return to racing in 2025 with hopes of defending his title in the tilt, and I wouldn’t bet against the son of More Than Ready who possesses a European-esque turn of foot. 

Classic Still Elusive to O’Brien

Conditioner Aidan O’Brien is no stranger to Breeders’ Cup success as the living legend is tied for saddling the most winners in World Championships history with 20. But the Classic (G1) still eludes him. Giant’s Causeway finished a game second to Tiznow in the 2000 edition of the race and the trainer has taken 17 shots since that day to no avail, as superstar City of Troy failed to menace at Del Mar. 

I am quite grateful to O'Brien and his connections for aiming for the top prize with their best runners as it always adds a fascinating twist to an already sensational event. And while I’m not overly confident that they will ever break through in the marquee contest of the weekend, I hope that he never stops trying to eclipse the race because it’s a great thing for our sport.