The 2024 edition of the Breeders' Cup will take place on Friday (November 1) and Saturday (November 2). As usual, the two-day event promises to present the most international set of competitive races annually with competitors from Europe, Japan and North America squaring off for the most prestigious prizes around.
Over the next two days, we will review the Breeders' Cup races for both days over which 13 Breeders' Cup races will be run off.
Day one
As is the norm, the first day of the Breeders Cup is dedicated to the future stars with the juvenile events contested. If history is any guide, the turf juvenile events tend to be dominated by the Europeans with the Americans dominating the events run off on the Main Track (MT). Time will tell if this trend holds up.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (1,600 metres, MT)
Two exciting unbeaten colts with contrasting running styles light up this event with Chancer McPatrick and East Avenue squaring off. Impressive winner of both the Hopeful and Champagne Stakes, Chancer McPatrick has rallied from last in each of his three starts to gun down the opposition. On the other hand, Godolphin’s East Avenue made all to run out an impressive winner of the Futurity Stakes at Keeneland. That day, he beat the well-touted Ferocious (who reopposes here) much easier than Chancer had done in the Hopeful so that line of form would suggest he has the edge over Chancer. His running style of being on the pace and not stopping could also make it hard for Chancer to run him down in the closing stages unless East Avenue is compromised by a pair of Bob Baffert colts who only know how to run on the pace – Citizen Bull and Getaway Car. If East Avenue can settle off whatever pace those two set, he should be difficult for Chancer to run down at the finish and is a confident selection.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (1,600m, MT)
Unlike the Colts division, there is a clear division leader in Godolphin’s Immersive and she could give them a double in the two big Juvenile races. Immersive is unbeaten in three starts with impressive scores in the Spinaway and Alcibiades. She is versatile in running style and seems to go on any dirt surface.
Of the opposition, Baffert fields two fillies Non Compliant and Nooni who have both shown form to be competitive but not at the level of Immersive so far. In Immersive’s absence, Scottish Lassie broke her maiden when scoring in the Frizette by a long-looking nine lengths over another of her rivals here, Snowyte. The horse who beat her on her debut, Quickick, also runs but she was well held by Immersive in the Alcibiades. If the real Immersiveturns up, she wins and her trainer Brad Cox knows how to win a Breeders’ Cup race.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (1,600m, Turf)
Unless the Japanese colt, Satono Carnaval, improves enormously on what he has shown in Japan, this race will be won by one of the European challengers. While they field the most likely winner, none at out of the absolutely top drawer of European two-year-olds. Godolphin and Coolmore field the most likely favourites in Al Qudra, Aomori City and Henri Matisse but I will oppose these with Summer Stakes winner, New Century, trained by Andrew Balding.
This colt is a winner of three of his five starts and had Al Qudra in second when winning the Summer Stakes at Woodbine. Previous Summer Stakes winners have done well in the Breeders Cup and New Century is fancied to emulate them.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (1,600m, Turf)
It was somewhat shocking to see Frankel’s daughter Lake Victoria lined up for this event. This filly is unbeaten in four career starts including the Moyglare and Cheveley Park and is the ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas. She is the obvious class in this field and if she starts, she wins. Whether this start/win will compromise her for her 2025 season remains to be seen but this would represent a very aggressive juvenile campaign. The other contenders are a decidedly mixed bag with no obvious standouts among them.
The favourite’s stable companion, Heaven’s Gate is a quality filly but well-exposed while the likes of Anshoda, Celandine and Fiery Lucy are just decent. The best of the American might be the unbeaten May Day Ready, likely to be the mount of Frankie Dettori and probably his best chance of another Breeders Cup winner unless he picks up a Gosden mount on day two. She is an alternate selection should Lake Victoria not make the journey across the pond.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (1,100m, Turf)
A very competitive race in which the Europeans can be expected to dominate but will have to contend with a brilliantly fast Japanese challenger. The Europeans are headed by Group 1 winner Whistlejacket, who was slightly disappointing in his final start when only second in the Middle Park after his win in the Prix Morny.
That is, however, still the best European form on offer though the likes of the Wathnan pair, Aesterious (Flying Childers) and Royal Ascot winner Shareholder (Norfolk) have won major races between them, Big Mojo (Molecomb) who has one all record with Aesterious, and Magnum Force 9close up third in the Flying Childers) bring group form to the race. The unknown quality is the Japanese colt Ecoro Sieg.
This unbeaten colt has broken the clock in his two victories in Japan and has been described as freakishly fast. He will have some strong competition for the early lead but with none of the Europeans being exceptional, Ecoro Sieg could just prove to be the best on the day.
Tomorrow, we will have part two of the Breeders Cup preview.
