Overview
- Trainer Bill Mott withdrew Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers winner Sovereignty with a fever, reducing the Classic to nine starters and opening the race to rivals including Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Journalism, Forever Young and Antiquarian.
- Post-position draws dealt setbacks to Aidan O’Brien’s leading juveniles, with Precise in stall 13 of 13 for the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and Gstaad in 14 of 14 for the Juvenile Turf on Del Mar’s tight turf course.
- Bookmakers reacted to the wide gates by easing prices on the O’Brien pair, with William Hill citing the difficulty of winning from the far outside at Del Mar, where only rare exceptions have defied high-numbered stalls.
- O’Brien’s large team still features multiple short-priced hopes, including Turf favorite Minnie Hauk and juvenile sprinter True Love, as he seeks a 21st Breeders’ Cup win to surpass D. Wayne Lukas.
- Official entries and morning-line odds for the 14 races are published for Friday and Saturday’s cards, with returning stars also set for the Turf, Mile, Distaff, Sprint and other championship events.