City of Troy is the early favorite to give Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien a long-sought Breeders’ Cup Classic victory on Saturday, but the turf superstar must make a seamless transition to the dirt track at Del Mar to triumph in a talent-laden field.
O’Brien, winner of 18 Breeders’ Cup races, has saddled 17 previous runners in the Classic with only two runner-up finishes to show for it.
City of Troy has established himself as the world’s top turf horse, rebounding from a poor showing at the 2000 Guineas with wins this year in the Derby, the Eclipse at Sandown and the International Stakes at York.
Sired by US Triple Crown winner Justify, the 3-year-old colt has the pedigree to excel on dirt. But a lack of familiarity could be a weakness in a field that also features the brilliant if inconsistent Fierceness and Japanese contender Forever Young.
“I’m under no illusion of what can happen and not happen, if you know what I mean,” O’Brien said after City of Troy drew the third post and was made the early 5-2 favorite for the 1 1/4-mile, $7 million Classic.
“Obviously, we’ve never won it and we’ve got beaten with some great horses in it … hopefully we have prepared him properly, but won’t know that until later on.”
The Classic highlights the two-day, 14-race programme at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on the California coast north of San Diego.
Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, will try to add the Classic to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile he won last year at Santa Anita and finish on a strong note in a year that included disappointment at the Kentucky Derby.
Fierceness, priced at 3-1, will break from the ninth post under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who won the 2020 Classic aboard Authentic.
Forever Young, winner of the Saudi and UAE Derbys, was an agonizing third in the three-way photo finish at the Kentucky Derby in his lone career setback.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who saddled two winners when the Breeders’ Cup was last held at Del Mar in 2021, was bullish on his horse’s chances after “perfect preparation”.
“It’s opposite to what happened earlier in the year when he went to Saudi and then Dubai ahead of the Kentucky Derby,” Yahagi said. “I think that was too much, but the way he has settled in here at Del Mar is very encouraging.”
Forever Young is one of three Japanese horses in the Classic, along with the Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Derma Sotogake and Noboru Takagi’s Ushba Tesoro.
In all there are 19 Japanese entrants across the Cup’s 14 races, up from a record eight last year at Santa Anita.
In a twist to the schedule, the Classic will be the middle race of Saturday’s nine-race slate rather than the finale, with a post-time of 14:41 (21:41 GMT).
– Rebel’s Romance returns –
It will be preceded by the 1 1/2-mile, $5 million Turf, where trainer Charlie Appleby sends out 2022 winner Rebel’s Romance in a position to become the first horse to win the race twice but not in consecutive years.
The 6-year-old gelding has returned from a year’s absence with four wins in five starts this year — three of those victories coming in group one stakes.
As usual the Turf is loaded with international talent. O’Brien saddles Luxembourg and filly Wingspan while Brian Meehan seeks a third Turf victory with improving Prix Dollar winner Jayarebe.
Trainer John Gosden has a contender in Emily Upjohn, finally opting for the Turf rather than the Filly & Mare Turf because he believes the longer 1 1/2-mile distance will suit her better.
Japan will have two representatives — Shahryar and Rousham Park — in a bid for a first Turf triumph.
In the $2 million Mile on the turf track, Christopher Head looks to carry on family tradition with filly Ramatuelle, who will take on Appleby’s 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech.
Head’s father, Freddy Head, rode the great Miesque to two Mile victories then trained the glorious Goldikova to three straight victories from 2008-2010.
The action kicks off on Friday with five races for 2-year-olds.
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