Breeders' Cup: Sunday updates from weekend stars

This is how horses across the Breeders' Cup races including Forever Young, Scylla and more came out of their Breeders' Cup races.

Breeders’ Cup Classic 

Forever Young

Mr. Del Mar, Yoshito Yahagi claimed his third Breeders' Cup success in the renewal of the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. 

“It still hasn’t sunk in. It was a huge media publicities in Japan, way more than I thought, and that is giving me a real feeling of winning the Classic,” Yahagi said. 

“I checked him this morning and he pulled out very well from the race, a lot better than I expected to be honest," Yahagi said. “He has developed physically and he always recovers faster than the other horses. I thought this is what we need to compete on the world stage.” 

Forever Young won the Classic with Yahagi's stable jockey, Ryusei Sakai. 

“I was worried when Sierra Leone was coming from outside but Forever Young stayed very well. I knew Ryusei from before he became a professional jockey, it is meaningful for me. He has brilliant confidence and skills.” 

The team Yahagi enjoyed the fruits of victory last night. 

“We celebrated at a Mexican restaurant and were watching the L.A. Dodgers win the World Series. It was a great game and a series but I’m a bit disappointed that our story got overshadowed!” 

“He will stay in training in 2026 as long as he stays in sound condition. His next race will be the Saudi Cup (G1) followed by the Dubai World Cup (G1) as his spring campaign. I would like to give him a rest in the rest of 2025 as we were full on for the Breeders' Cup this year,” Yahagi revealed. 

“Keeneland would be challenging for Japanese horses compared to the West Coast for sure but I still would like to send my horses to the Breeders' Cup.” 

The journey of Forever Young and the man in the hat will continue in 2026. 

Fierceness, Mindframe and Antiquarian

During a busy two days of the 42nd Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, Hall of Todd Pletcher picked up his 16th career victory in the world championships and his standout Fierceness completed his fine career finishing third by 1 1/2 lengths in the Classic. 

Ted Noffey’s score in the Juvenile on Friday completed a four-race unbeaten season and likely wrapped up the 2-year-old male Eclipse Award. It was Pletcher’s fifth win in the Juvenile and third in four years, following Forte (2022) and Fierceness (2023). Ted Noffey will ship to Pletcher’s winter base in Florida at Palm Beach Downs to be prepared for a Triple Crown campaign. 

Fierceness is headed to Kentucky to begin his career as a stallion at Ashford Stud. He was the top finisher of Pletcher’s three runners in the $7 million Classic. Mindframe was fifth and Antiquarian crossed the wire eighth after being eased. 

Pletcher said that Fierceness, who came out of the race in good order, had issues after drawing the rail in the 1 1/4-mile Classic.  

“He just kind of got bottled up on the inside for a good portion of the race,” Pletcher said. “The track was obviously carrying speed. He kind of cut the corner, made a run at it, and just couldn't quite get there.” 

Fierceness, a Repole Stable homebred, retired with a record of 14: 7-2-2 and earnings of $5,785,320. 

“I would say that he's had a remarkable career,” Pletcher said, and listed the colt’s accomplishments: “Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, 2-year-old champion, Florida Derby winner by a record margin, Jim Dandy winner, Travers winner, Breeders Cup Classic, runner-up, at 4 set a track record at Churchill Downs that's stood for over 100 years, second in the Met Mile, third in the Classic, Pacific Classic Grade 1 win, Grade 1 winner three years in a row, three Breeders’ Cups in a row. I think he deserves a lot of credit for remarkable career.” 

Pletcher said that the bumping incident in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on Aug. 31 impacted Mindframe’s performance in the Classic. Mindframe was having a big 4-year-old season, with wins in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), the seven-furlong Churchill Downs (G1) and the 1 1/8 miles Stephen Foster (G1) when jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was knocked out of the saddle just after the start of the Gold Cup. Pletcher considered another prep race but opted to train the Constitution colt up to the Classic. 

“Obviously not an ideal setup for him, with losing his rider in the Jockey Club and trying to come into the Breeders’ Cup Classic with really not having a true race since June,” Pletcher said. “I think that compromised him a bit the stretch. He made a good, strong middle move to put himself in contention, and just flattened out a little bit. Feel like the length of time between true races really affected him.” 

Mindframe moves into retirement at Claiborne Farm this week with a record of 9: 5-2-0 and earnings of $2,054,580. He had two wins and two seconds in Grade 1 races. 

“I think that, he too, has had a remarkable career,” Pletcher said, noting that he ran second in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Haskell (G1) in his third and fourth career starts and defeated top older horses in seven-furlong and 1 1/8-mile top-level stakes this year. 

“A couple of huge wins there,” Pletcher said, “Grade 1s with, with pretty much all the top older horses sprinting and routing in the country.” 

Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian is scheduled to race as a 5-year-old. 

“He will head to our headquarters at Palm Beach downs and prepare, possibly, for the Pegasus (World Cup (G1)) or the Saudi Cup (G1),” Pletcher said. 

In the final half mile of the Classic, jockey Luis Saez wrapped up on the colt and guided him to the wire. 

“I don't think he liked the surface at all,” Pletcher said. “Didn't seem to take to it. Didn't run his normal race. He's always very consistent and Luis said he was just spinning his wheels when he got to the far turn. He just took care of him from there. We didn't breeze him over the track, but even in his gallops, I didn't think he was maybe quite as good as he was when we were in Saratoga. Whatever the reason he didn't take to the Del Mar surface.” 

Tommy Jo, like Ted Noffey a Spendthrift Farm runner, finished fifth in the Juvenile Fillies. She also will ship to Palm Beach Downs this week. 

“I guess we'll just try to regroup a little bit with her and probably look for her next race to be around one turn,” Pletcher said. 

Pletcher’s two other 2-year-old fillies, Celebrity Warrior and Time to Dream, were eighth and 10th respectively in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). They will be prepped for their 3-year-old seasons in Florida. Celebrity Warrior is still a maiden. 

Time to Dream arrived at the Breeders’ Cup with a maiden win, a victory in the P.G. Johnson and third in the Jessamine, but she was never a factor in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. 

“She didn't seem herself at all,” Pletcher said. “I don't know if she didn't care for the Del Mar course or exactly what, why she didn't show up and run a race, but she was basically at no point traveling the way that she's capable of. We'll have to regroup there and decide when we're going to start again.” 

Journalism

Trainer Michael McCarthy said plans for his 3-year-old star Journalism, to continue racing or be retired to stud, will be finalized this week. Journalism was fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. 

McCarthy said that all six of his Breeders’ Cup horses came out of their races in good shape. He said Sunday morning that it was business as usual with Journalism. 

“This is more or less what we've seen from him all year long,” McCarthy said. “He comes into these races in such great fashion and bounces out of them just as well, and nothing different here today.” 

The Classic was the first time Journalism finished off the board in his 11-race career. He won three Grade 1 races this season, including the Preakness and was second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1). McCarthy said he does not know what is ahead for the Curlin colt. 

“He'll have a couple easy days,” McCarthy said. “His future is in the hands of the ownership group. They will determine his fate here in the next day or two.” 

While he had hoped for a better finish in the Classic, McCarthy said he was satisfied with the way the colt performed. 

“I thought we bounced down there, found ourselves in a position we wanted to be in going into the first turn, right in the mix of things,” McCarthy said. “I thought Jose did a wonderful job getting him into a great spot up the backside. He started coming from the three-furlong pole and he put in a nice run to go ahead and get in the mix with the leaders there. He leveled off and finished up well, and was beaten by a Japanese champion, a 2-year-old champion and a 3-year-old champion.” 

McCarthy praised Journalism, who is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and other partners. 

“I think it's been a wonderful year, him and Sovereignty, back and forth, two of the best 3-year-olds we've seen in quite some time,” McCarthy said. “I think both horses were campaigned exemplary. We felt we had a horse that could take the training and the racing, and he proved that. He's proved that all year long. He's just been an excellent representative for what a racehorse is in America, I believe: tough, sturdy, dependable.” 

Formidable Man finished second in the Mile and will continue his career as a 5-year-old in 2026. McCarthy said a return trip to the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on Jan. 24 is a possibility. 

In the Mile, Formidable Man ended up 1 1/2 lengths behind the favorite Notable Speech. 

“He had a little bit of a wide trip,” McCarthy said. “I think he's been certainly the most consistent turf horse in America this year, the best miler in America this year. I thought it was a big effort from a very, very good horse.” 

Touch of Destiny, the unbeaten Uruguayan colt, finished eighth in the Dirt Mile (G1). He will stay in McCarthy’s barn and compete in the U.S. next year. 

“He was in contention early,” McCarthy said. “They set some incredibly quick fractions, and he was just off of them. It was an ambitious ask but the horse was right there in the mix for a short while.” 

Amerman Racing’s Stark Contrast finished second at 58-1 in the Juvenile Turf (G1). McCarthy said that will be his final start this season and that he might be nominated to a stakes at Newmarket next year. Meaning, the 2-year-old filly, who was fourth in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), might make her final start of 2025 in the Los Alamitos Starlet (G2). McCarthy said that La Ville Lumiere, seventh in the Juvenile Fillies, will be moved back to the turf. 

Breeders’ Cup Distaff 

Scylla

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was up before the sun on Sunday morning and headed to the San Diego International Airport. 

He is coming off a bittersweet Breeders’ Cup. The high was an emphatic 5 1/2-length win in the Distaff (G1) with Juddmonte’s Scylla. The low, of course, was the crushing news earlier in the week that Godolphin’s Sovereignty, the 6-5 morning-line Classic (G1) favorite, was out of the race with a temperature. 

Scylla, who ran her last race, finishes her career with six wins in 16 career starts. Her front-running score in the Distaff rewarded her backers with a mutual of $17.20. 

Sovereignty is expected to leave Del Mar sometime this week after it is deemed, he is well enough to travel. He will head for Kentucky. 

“All good today with both horses,” Mott said in a text message. “No decision yet for Sovereignty.” 

He was referring to whether the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers (G1) winner will run next year. 

Despite missing the Classic, it is expected that Sovereignty will get much consideration for Horse of the Year. 

“People have been saying that to me,” Mott said. “There has probably been some discussion over the dinner table about it.” 

Mott, by the way, did predict the top two finishers in the Classic would be Sierra Leone and Forever Young. However, he did not say which order they would finish. 

Nitrogen

Assistant trainer Shane Tripp reported that D.J. Stable’s Nitrogen came out of her second-place effort well and would be leaving early Tuesday morning for trainer Mark Casse’s farm in Ocala, Florida for some rest. 

“We think she ran a winning race,” Tripp said. “We’re all very proud of her.” 

Regaled

Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian’s Regaled, third in the Distaff, is scheduled to return to Churchill Downs Monday with a possible start in the $400,000 Falls City (G3) on Nov. 27 looming as a possible target.

“That might happen,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “We will let her tell us. If not, there is not a lot going on for her in January, February or March and we would look for something in April at Oaklawn.” 

Regaled exited post 12 under Joe Ramos in the Distaff and Beckman was happy with the ride. 

“I told Joe that he was going to break from the 12, move to the inside and then finish in the 12 (path). I didn’t want any part of trying to finish down on the inside,” Beckman said. “She was the only one that really closed any ground all weekend.”

Regaled finished a half-length behind Nitrogen for second and gave Beckman a second in his first Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Drexel Hill and now a third with his first Breeders’ Cup runner. 

“We are taking things one step at a time, but we have always looked at events such as this,” Beckman said. “It is all about having a good team and building relationships and we are just getting started.” 

The aforementioned Drexel Hill is a half-sister to Regaled and she is scheduled to make her first start since the Kentucky Oaks on Saturday at Aqueduct in the $300,000 Mother Goose (G3) going 1 1/8 miles. 

Breeders’ Cup Turf and international report 

Ethical Diamond was a shock winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf for legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins. Before the race, Mullins was adamant he would find a couple too good in the race, however he put in a career best beating Rebel's Romance. Ethical Diamond has come out of his race in good shape and has been invited to run in the Hong Kong Vase (G1) which could be next on his agenda. 

Francis-Henri Graffard has enjoyed an incredible season and topped it off with Gezora in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. No plans have been made for her future at this stage, 

Khaadem ran a great race to finish third in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. It is likely he will now go for the Hong Kong Sprint (G1) on Dec. 14. 

Another who could be joining Khaadem in Hong Kong is Amiloc, who ran a career best finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Ralph Beckett believes he could be a proper international horse and will make a decision regarding his next start after Amiloc returns home to the United Kingdom. 

Breeders’ Cup Mile 

Notable Speech

Notable Speech and the remainder of trainer Charlie Appleby’s Breeders’ Cup quintet have all exited their races well, per assistant trainer and head traveling lad Chris Connett. 

“All good with them all, so far, and they’ve all eaten up and look well this morning,” Connett confirmed. “We’re very happy with them. Today they’ll load at about 12:30 p.m. (to ship out).” 

Notable Speech made amends on his return attempt in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), winning impressively under William Buick on Saturday, one year after finishing a three-quarter-length third as the favorite. He has now won half his 14 starts, in excess of $3.1 million in earnings and became the first winner of the prestigious 2,000 Guineas (G1) to land a Breeders’ Cup race. The honor roll of failed attemps is littered with classy Guineas winners, including Shadeed (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Mark of Esteem (1996), Golan (2001), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), (George Washington (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Gleneagles (2015), Churchill (2017) and most recently Kameko (2020). 

“It was a fantastic run and for us to come back and win,” Connett said. “We all know he’s a very good horse, a classic winner at 3 and had a few near misses this year, but to finish it off this year with that win—such an authoritative win, as well—is fantastic. Such a great ride from Will, as well.” 

Future plans are undecided for the son of Dubawi, but managing director of Godolphin’s UK and Dubai operations Hugh Anderson confirmed that it is possible he could stay in training for 2026. The ultimate decision will be left up to Godolphin principal, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. 

The highest-profile runner of the meeting for the team was nine-time Grade or Group 1 winner Rebel’s Romance, who was attempting to become the first three-time winner of the Turf (G1), following 2022 and 2024 victories, as well as to become the G1-winningest Godolphin color-bearer in history. After a bit of traffic on the third and final turn, the son of Dubawi finished a game 1 1/4-length second to upset winner Ethical Diamond. 

“He unfortunately might have just hit a bit of traffic problems when he accelerated and was traveling around the bend,” Connett said. "William had to take back on him, but unfortunately that’s racing around here at Del Mar. Sometimes you get the luck and sometimes you don’t. We’re very proud of the horse.” 

Future plans for Rebel’s Romance are undecided, but it was stated last week that the 7-year-old superstar was closing in on his final few races. A decision on competing in the Hong Kong Vase (G1) in December is still up in the air.  

Cinderella’s Dream, the beaten favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf for the second consecutive year, exited her race in good order and will be retired. A Grade 1 winner in England and America, the daughter of Shamardal had shipped stateside five times, including victories in the Belmont Oaks (G1) and Saratoga Oaks (G2) last year. Her career-defining victory came in the Falmouth (G1) this summer. 

“We were very hopeful that she was going to run a huge race, but unfortunately she didn’t quite run to where we thought she would,” Connett concluded. “That said, she’s an outstanding filly who has given me some very special days over the last couple of years all over the world. She owes the team nothing and she’ll be a very important part of the team as a broodmare, I’m sure.” 

Dual Grade 1-placed Diamond Rain, third in the Filly & Mare Turf, and Grade 1-winning El Cordobes, third in the Turf, will remain in training. Appleby relayed on Saturday, following each of their runs, that he looks forward to both heading stateside for Grade 1 races in 2026. 

Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 

Shisospicy and Bentornato

The $2 double on the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) for Shisospicy and Bentornato returned $35.60. 

The return for trainer Jose D’Angelo and his connections was a tad larger: $1,560,000. 

In less than an hour, Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing’s Shisospicy won the Turf Sprint by 2 1/2 lengths and Leon King Stable Corp. and Michael and Julia Iavarone’s Bentornato took the Sprint by 2 1/4 lengths. 

A tired but happy D’Angelo checked on his two stars Sunday morning before preparing to fly to Lexington, Kentucky, later in the day. 

“In my barn, you forget about yesterday and focus on winning more races,” said D’Angelo, noting that Shisospicy is headed to the Fasig-Tipton sale on Monday and Bentornato would go to Florida Wednesday. 

Both of his winners spent October at Keeneland under the watchful eye of assistant Angel Ayala as D’Angelo shuttled between Kentucky and Florida. 

“How many trips? I know I made a lot of them,” said D’Angelo, who would come to Keeneland for workouts. “We kept them at Keeneland because we thought that would be the better place to prepare them for the Breeders’ Cup. 

“They were both doing so well, especially the filly. Every week, every day they were getting better and better.” 

The next target for Bentornato according to D’Angelo may be a return trip to Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Cup (G1) in mid-February. In 2024, Bentornato finished third behind Forever Young in the Saudi Derby (G3). 

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile 

After taking inventory Sunday morning, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was, for the most part, pleased with how his Breeders’ Cup weekend went. 

He won two races – with Splendora in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and Nysos in the Dirt Mile (G1) – and that brings his all-time total to 21 Breeders’ Cup victories. He is tied for the most training victories with Aidan O’Brien. 

“Longevity has a lot to do with it,” Baffert said. “These races are so hard to win. I really don’t think about the records. This is once a year, and you just hope you can shine on the weekend. I feel very fortunate that we were able to win two. This is what we live for; we live for the big days, and we had a big day.” 

Baffert started nine horses on Saturday. Besides the two wins, he had two seconds with Imagination in the Sprint and Citizen Bull in the Dirt Mile as well as one third with Hope Road in the Filly & Mare Sprint. 

On Friday, he was second in the Juvenile Fillies with Explora and third in the Juvenile with Brant. Baffert started 13 horses over the two days, and they earned $2,420,000 in purse money. 

Baffert was proud of the effort turned in by his two horses in the Dirt Mile. Nysos and Citizen Bull had a spirited stretch drive with Nysos, owned by Charlie and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp, winning by a head. This year, Nysos won three of his four starts. His only blemish was a second – by a neck – in the Churchill Downs (G1) on May 3. That was his first race in 15 months. 

Baffert paid the son of Nyquist the highest compliment on Sunday. 

“He is probably as close to an American Pharoah type horse that I have had,” he said, referring to his 2015 Triple Crown winner. 

Baffert wanted to run Nysos in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but that plan was squashed when he missed the G1 Pacific Classic with a bruised foot. Baffert then focused on the Dirt Mile. 

No decision has been made on whether Nysos will stay in training. 

“I don’t think we’ll know for another month,” he said. “He looks sound and healthy. We were talking maybe Saudi Cup (G1) with him, and I think he would be a perfect for that race. That is one race I desperately want to win. We will let the horse tell us.” 

Splendora, owned by Michael Talla’s Talla Racing, also could return to race as a 5-year-old. The daughter of Audible ended her 2025 season with her third win in six starts with a 4 3/4-length win in the Filly & Mare Sprint. 

“I think Mr. Talla wants to keep her in training,” Baffert said. 

Baffert said that Seismic Beauty, the favorite in the Distaff (G1), grabbed a quarter leaving the gate and “she lost all interest after that” and was eased. She will be offered at the single session Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected sale on Monday in Lexington. 

Baffert will soon head back to his base at Santa Anita content that his barn did a good job at Breeders’ Cup No. 42. 

“The horses all came back and looked good this morning,” Baffert said. “It’s very satisfying and it’s why we work so hard. We have a great team.” 

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint 

Trainer Cherie DeVaux, who conditions both Filly & Mare Sprint runner-up Vahva and Filly & Mare Turf runner-up She Feels Pretty, expressed on Sunday morning her pride in her stable stars.

Vahva, a daughter of Gun Runner, kicked off the Saturday action for DeVaux with a rallying runner-up effort to Splendora in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), landing 4 3/4 lengths back under Irad Ortiz, Jr. In the day’s final race, She Feels Pretty, a daughter of Karakontie, finished a half-length second to Gezora in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) after a prominent trip engineered by regular pilot and Hall of Famer John Velazquez. 

DeVaux said both horses were in good order when shipping out of Del Mar early Sunday morning. 

“So far, so good; they left early in the morning” DeVaux said. “Vahva is headed over to the sale at Keeneland. She Feels Pretty, we’ll check her out when we get her home and make a plan from there. You come out here and it’s the best of the best from around the world. Even though we didn’t win, I’m super proud of both of them.”