Overview
- Trainer Bill Mott scratched Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers winner Sovereignty after a fever earlier in the week, removing the season’s dominant three‑year‑old from the $7 million Classic.
- A nine‑horse field is set at Del Mar with Fierceness at 5‑2 from post 1, joined by last year’s Classic runner‑up Fierceness and third‑placed Forever Young among the returning contenders.
- Defending champion Sierra Leone drew post 7 and is 7‑2 on the line, with trainer Chad Brown reporting sharp recent works following a Whitney Stakes victory.
- Japan’s Forever Young is the only overseas runner in the Classic, returning under Ryusei Sakai for trainer Yoshito Yahagi after finishing third in last year’s race.
- Beyond the Classic, Rebel’s Romance seeks an unprecedented third Breeders’ Cup Turf win as Aidan O’Brien pursues another Turf crown and a record‑breaking Breeders’ Cup victory total.