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5h ago

Breeders’ Cup Opens at Del Mar as Sovereignty Scratch Recasts Classic Field

Record international participation signals a projected $150 million boost for the San Diego region.

Del Mar Racetrack celebrates the arrival of the Breeders' Cup
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Precise, trained by Aidan P. O’Brien, exercises in preparation for the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California on Oct. 28, 2025. Shamela Hanley//Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup
Forever Young works out April 30, 2024, four days before the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Overview

  • Fierceness is the morning-line favorite from the rail, with defending champion Sierra Leone and Japan’s Forever Young next in the betting for the nine-horse Classic.
  • Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty was withdrawn after a recurrent fever, trainer Bill Mott confirmed, reshaping the $7 million race.
  • Trainer Chad Brown entered Contrary Thinking as a likely pacemaker for Sierra Leone, a tactic publicly opposed by Fierceness owner Mike Repole.
  • The two-day championship features horses bred in a record 13 countries, with 55 overseas entrants among 177 total starters.
  • Organizers project at least $150 million in regional economic impact, and Saturday’s Classic is scheduled for 6:25 p.m. ET on NBC.