DEL MAR, Calif. (CNS) - Thousands of horse racing fans are expected at Del Mar Racetrack as the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships kick off Friday, with the first day's events highlighting the potential future stars of the sport.
It marks the third time that one of horse racing's most prestigious annual series of races has been hosted by Del Mar, which also hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017 and 2021 and has already been chosen as the site for next year's event.
"Our return to Del Mar in back-to-back years marks the continuation of a wonderful collaboration and successful partnership, both with our friends at the track and with the greater San Diego area, demonstrating our continued commitment to California horse racing," Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders' Cup Ltd, said after Del Mar was chosen to host the 2025 Breeders' Cup.
Attendance at Del Mar will be capped at 37,500 for each of the two days of the Breeders' Cup.
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Friday's events -- dubbed "Future Stars Friday" -- will include five Breeders' Cup races for 2-year-old colts and fillies, featuring the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
East Coast invader East Avenue -- who is undefeated in two starts and won his last race by 5 1/2 lengths -- is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 10 for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Scottish Lassie, who won her last race in New York by nine lengths, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 10 for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Other races Friday will include the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, with the undefeated Japanese-based runner Ecoro Sieg as the 7-2 morning line favorite; the Great Britain-based and undefeated Lake Victoria as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; and New Century as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
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There will also be five other races Friday, starting at 11:35 a.m.
Some of the world's best horses who are 3 years old and older will take to the track Saturday, with the premier race -- the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic -- pushed up to 2:41 p.m., a few hours earlier in the day than it is typically run.
Saturday's races are set to begin at 10:05 a.m., with the first Breeders' Cup race set for noon.
City of Troy -- who has six wins in seven career starts on the turf in England and Ireland and is a son of Triple Crown winner Justify -- will race on dirt for the first time as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He is set to go up against 13 other horses, including the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness (3-1 morning line) and Forever Young (6-1 morning line), a Japanese-based colt who suffered his only loss with a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Thorpedo Anna -- who has won five out of her six races this year and suffered her only defeat in a loss by a head to Fierceness in the Travers in August -- is the 4-5 morning line favorite for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Other morning line favorites are:
-- Rebel's Romance, who is seeking his second consecutive Breeders' Cup victory as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf;
-- War Like Goddess, who is returning for a fourth Breeders' Cup race as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf;
-- Federal Judge, who is trying for his third consecutive win this year as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint;
-- Notable Speech, the European-based runner who is the 7-2 morning line favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile;
-- Cogburn, who is undefeated in three races this year as the 7-5 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint;
-- Domestic Product, who is seeking his third consecutive win as the 7- 2 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile;
-- Ways and Means, who is vying for her fourth consecutive victory as the 5-2 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
The races will be televised in part on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and Fanduel.
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