DEL MAR, Calif. — Fierceness, Ireland-based City of Troy and Forever Young from Japan are among a full field of 14 horses for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic next month at Del Mar.
The Classic field was among the 212 horses, including a record 80 from overseas, pre-entered Wednesday for the more than $34 million, 14-race world championships on Nov. 1-2 at the seaside track north of San Diego. Del Mar is hosting for a third time in the event’s 41-year history.
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan isn’t running and neither is Belmont winner Dornoch, who has been retired. Preakness winner Seize the Grey is pre-entered in the $1 million Dirt Mile.
A record five continents — Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America — will be represented by 80 horses, besting the old mark of 60 foreign horses in 2023.
City of Troy, the world’s top turf horse, is switching to dirt to try to give Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien his first in the Classic.
Others pre-entered in the Classic are Arthur’s Ride, Derma Sotogake of Japan, Highland Falls, Mixto, Newgate, Next, Senor Buscador, Sierra Leone, Skippylongstocking, Tapit Trice and Ushba Tesoro from Japan. Also eligible are Pyrenees and Rattle N Roll.
The Classic will air live on NBC and be streamed live on Peacock with an earlier-than-usual post time of 2:41 p.m. PDT. It traditionally concludes the Saturday program but is being moved up to air during the network window from 12:30-3 p.m. PDT. As a result, four Cup races will be run after the Classic.
Thorpedo Anna takes on defending champion Idiomatic in the $2 million Distaff. Thorpedo Anna finished a narrow runner-up to Fierceness in the Travers in August.
Final entries and the post-position draw are Monday.
The world championships will open with five races for 2-year-olds in what’s billed as Future Stars Friday on Nov. 1, followed by nine races on Nov. 2.