Breeders’ Cup Championship Saturday preview and picks

The main event. Officially the Breeders’ Cup kicked off Friday with the 2-year-olds in the spotlight, but the O.G. of North America’s biggest weekend comes Saturday.

Dubbed Championship Saturday, the nine-race extravaganza figures to go a long way toward crowning the champions of 2025. Sovereignty is absent of course, knocked out of the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a fever this week after a brilliant run this spring and summer and an uninterrupted fall on the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course.

Plenty of stars remain on the program, from here and abroad. Defending champions Sierra Leone, Rebel’s Romance, Straight No Chaser and Full Serrano are all back, along with superstars Journalism, Fierceness, She Feels Pretty, Ag Bullet, Minnie Hauk, Notable Speech, Nysos, Mystik Dan, Cinderella’s Dream and so many more.

Our handicapping team returns for another go, looking to uncover some winners and hopefully pad their bankrolls. How’d they fare on Future Stars Friday?

Alec DiConza led the way with three winners – Cy Fair in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Ted Noffey in the Juvenile and Gstaad in the Juvenile Turf. Tom Law, Joe Clancy, Paul Halloran and Darby O’Brien came up with a pair of winners each, while Sean Clancy, Jessica Paquette, Rob Whitlock and John Shapazian landed one winner. Charles Bedard hopes for better luck Saturday. And we added one member of the team to the party, Miles Clancy.

Here are the picks for Championship Saturday. Take care, be safe and good luck.

Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). $1 million, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 7 furlongs. Post time 3 p.m. ET. The monster day leads off with strong renewal despite a relatively short field – nine runners after the defection of Japan’s Fee Blanche. The California contingent looks particularly strong with Sweet Azteca, Tamara, Hope Road and Richi leading the way. Praying, Vahva and Zeitlos – the first three from the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America – counter for the Kentucky contingent.

• Tom Law: Praying, Tamara, Sweet Azteca.
• John Shapazian: Hope Road, Tamara, Sweet Azteca.
• Jessica Paquette: Tamara, Sweet Azteca, Fee Blanche.
• Paul Halloran: Hope Road, Zeitlos, Sweet Azteca.
• Alec DiConza: Tamara, Richi, Hope Road.
• Sean Clancy: Hope Road, Tamara, Praying. 
• Charles Bedard: Sweet Azteca, Hope Road, Vahva.
• Darby O’Brien: Tamara, Praying, Sweet Azteca.
• Joe Clancy: Tamara, Sweet Azteca, Hope Road.
• Rob Whitlock: Splendora, Sweet Azteca, Hope Road.
• Miles Clancy: Praying, Hope Road, Zeitlos.

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). $1 million, 3-year-olds and up, 5 furlongs, turf. Post time 3:41 p.m. ET. Richard Baltas circled the 2025 Turf Sprint for Ag Bullet almost immediately after she finished a close second last year. Veteran mare will be tough against the likes of Motorious, Shisospicy, Reef Runner, Bring Theband Home and others.

• Tom: Ag Bullet, Bring Theband Home, Governor Sam.
• John: Shisospicy, Ag Bullet, Arizona Blaze.
• Jessica: Ag Bullet, Governor Sam, Invincible Papa.
• Paul: Ag Bullet, Shisospicy, Motorious.
• Alec: She’s Quality, Ag Bullet, Motorious.
• Sean:  Ag Bullet, Bring Theband Home, Governor Sam.
• Charles: Ag Bullet, Motorious, Pure Magic.
• Darby: Ag Bullet, Motorious, Bring Theband Home.
• Joe: Arizona Blaze, Ag Bullet, Bring Theband Home.
• Rob: Reef Runner, Ag Bullet, Governor Sam.
• Miles: Motorious, Buccanero Fuerte, Reef Runner. 

Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). $2 million, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs. Post time 4:21 p.m. ET. Throwback time with Kopion taking on the boys and what could be a serious throwdown. Kopion brings 2-2-0 record from 4 starts and shortens up for trainer Richard Mandella, who separated the Omaha Beach filly and Tamara (Filly and Mare Sprint). They’ll meet defending champ Straight No Chaser here, along with Bentornato, Imagination, Nakatomi and Mullikin.

• Tom: Bentornato, Kopion, Nakatomi.
• John: Bentornato, Imagination, Kopion.
• Jessica: Bentornato, Kopion, Straight No Chaser.
• Paul: Bentornato, Imagination, Lovesick Blues.
• Alec: Bentornato, Banishing, Kopion.
• Sean: Straight No Chaser, Bentornato, Big City Lights.
• Charles: Kopion, Bentornato, Patriot Spirit.
• Darby: Kopion, Bentornato, Big City Lights.
• Joe: Big City Lights, Straight No Chaser, Bentornato.
• Rob: Imagination, Kopion, Banishing.
• Miles: Bentornato, Kopion, Straight No Chaser. 

Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). $2 million, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 5:01 p.m. ET. Always a fan favorite and this year figures to be no different despite the recent retirement of Horse of the Year and defending champ Thorpedo Anna. Veterans versus the upstarts here with Seismic Beauty, Dorth Vader, Scylla, Gin Gin and Gun Song looking strong against upstart 3-year-olds Nitrogen, Clicquot and Dry Powder. Throw in some overseas intrigue with the likes of Sarawak Rim and Alice Verite and it’s got the makings of a good one.

• Tom: Clicquot, Dorth Vader, Seismic Beauty.
• John: Nitrogen, Seismic Beauty, Gin Gin.
• Jessica: Sarawak Rim, Clicquot, Alice Verite.
• Paul: Dorth Vader, Seismic Beauty, Nitrogen.
• Alec: Scylla, Seismic Beauty, Nitrogen.
• Sean: Seismic Beauty, Scylla, Dorth Vader.
• Charles: Nitrogen, Clicquot, Scylla.
• Darby: Dorth Vader, Nitrogen, Gin Gin
• Joe: Sarawak Rim, Seismic Beauty, Clicquot.
• Rob: Dorth Vader, Seismic Beauty, Sarawak Rim.
• Miles: Clicquot, Dorth Vader, Nitrogen. 

Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). $5 million, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/2 miles, turf. Post time 5:41 p.m. ET. The return of a living legend in Rebel’s Romance, who bids for his third victory in the race for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. Take a moment to honor the 7-year-old Dubawi gelding’s record – 20 wins and more than $14.4 million in earnings. He shows no signs of slowing down, based on victory in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last time out at Aqueduct. Typically strong group of Europeans made the journey, including superstar 3-year-old Minnie Hauk, multiple Group 1 winner Goliath, Godolphin’s “other” distance star and Grade 1 Sword Dancer winner El Cordobes, the Willie Mullins-trained Ethical Diamond and Canadian International winner Silawi.

• Tom: Rebel’s Romance, Minnie Hauk, El Cordobes.
• John: Rebel’s Romance, Minnie Hauk, Goliath.
• Jessica: Rebel’s Romance, Minnie Hauk, Tawny Port.
• Paul: Minnie Hauk, El Cordobes, Rebel’s Romance.
• Alec: Rebel’s Romance, Minnie Hauk, El Cordobes.
• Sean: Minnie Hauk, Rebel’s Romance, Amiloc.
• Charles: Goliath, Minnie Hauk, Tawny Port.
• Darby: Minnie Hauk, Rebel’s Romance, Ethical Diamond.
• Joe: Rebel’s Romance, Goliath, Rebel Red.
• Rob: El Cordobes, Minnie Hauk, Amiloc.
• Miles: Rebel’s Romance, Goliath, El Cordobes. 

Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). $7 million, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles. Post time 6:25 p.m. ET. The show goes on despite the midweek gut punch with news of Sovereignty’s defection. Stellar field of nine remains, including last year’s winner and champion Sierra Leone, last year’s runner-up, champion and Pacific Classic winner Fierceness, last year’s third and Japanese superstar Forever Young, multiple Grade 1 winner Mindframe and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Antiquarian. Not to mention star 3-year-olds in Preakness winner Journalism, Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza and late-blooming Nevada Beach. The time for fretting over who isn’t here is over. Sit back and enjoy this one.

• Tom: Mindframe, Sierra Leone, Fierceness.
• John: Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Forever Young.
• Jessica: Forever Young, Antiquarian, Baeza.
• Paul: Journalism, Fierceness, Sierra Leone.
• Alec: Sierra Leone, Journalism, Baeza.
• Sean: Fierceness, Forever Young, Baeza.
• Charles: Journalism, Baeza , Fierceness. 
• Darby: Forever Young, Fierceness, Baeza.
• Joe: Mindframe, Journalism, Fierceness.
• Rob: Baeza, Journalism, Sierra Leone.
• Miles: Forever Young, Mindframe, Journalism. 

Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). $2 million, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile, turf. Post time 7:05 p.m. ET. Surprise, surprise, the Europeans brought a strong group for this one with Notable Speech, The Lion In Winter, Jonquil, Sahlan and Qirat here. They’ll take on top local threat Johannes, Grade 1-winning New York-bred Rhetorical, Program Trading, Formidable Man and others.

• Tom: Rhetorical, Notable Speech, The Lion In Winter.
• John: Notable Speech, Sahlon, The Lion In Winter.
• Jessica: Notable Speech, Formidable Man, Rhetorical.
• Paul: Jonquil, Rhetorical, Notable Speech.
• Alec: Rhetorical, Notable Speech, Sahlan.
• Sean: The Lion In Winter, Notable Speech, Rhetorical.
• Charles: Ashland, Notable Speech, Argine. 
• Darby: Sahlan, Rhetorical, Formidable Man.
• Joe: Johannes, Notable Speech, Sahlan.
• Rob: The Lion In Winter, Argine, Notable Speech.
• Miles: Notable Speech, Formidable Man, Rhetorical. 

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). $1 million, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile. Post time 7:45 p.m. ET. Full Serrano returns to defend title and making his third start of 2025 in the process. He finished second to Nevada Beach last time out in the Grade 1 Goodwood and reunites with Joel Rosario. Strong field lurks with Nysos, once considered a major player for the Classic, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, Goal Oriented, Citizen Bull, Chancer McPatrick and Tumbarumba in the field.

• Tom: Full Serano, Nysos, Tumbarumba.
• John: Nysos, Full Serrano, Goal Oriented.
• Jessica: Nysos, Mystik Dan, Full Serrano.
• Paul: Nysos, Goal Oriented, Mystik Dan.
• Alec: Full Serrano, Nysos, White Abarrio.
• Sean: Full Serrano, Nysos, Touch of Destiny.
• Charles: Nysos, Goal Oriented, Citizen Bull.
• Darby: Mystik Dan, Nysos, Full Serrano.
• Joe: Full Serrano, Nysos, Mystik Dan.
• Rob: White Abarrio, Goal Oriented, Will Take It.
• Miles: Nysos, Tumbaruma, Goal Oriented.

Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1). $2 million, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 3/8 miles, turf. Post time 8:25 p.m. ET. Almost 5 ½ hours after we started it all comes to a close here with a stacked field of 14 going long on the grass. She Feels Pretty flies the flag for the American contingent and showed she’ll most certainly be a player with a victory last time out in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor at Woodbine. Far from a layup with stellar cast from overseas led by last year’s runner-up Cinderella’s Dream and Diamond Rain for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, French Oaks winner Gezora, Bedtime Story and See The Fire.

• Tom: She Feels Pretty, Cinderella’s Dream, Bellezza.
• John: Gezora, Cinderella’s Dream, Diamond Rain.
• Jessica: She Feels Pretty, Cinderellas Dream, Diamond Rain.
• Paul: Diamond Rain, She Feels Pretty, See The Fire.
• Alec: Village Voice, See The Fire, Gezora.
• Sean: She Feels Pretty, Diamond Rain, Gezora.
• Charles: Cinderella’s Dream, She Feels Pretty, Cathedral.
• Darby: She Feels Pretty, See The Fire, Diamond Rain.
• Joe: Bellezza, Cinderella’s Dream, She Feels Pretty.
• Rob: She Feels Pretty, Cinderella’s Dream, Bedtime Story.
• Miles: She Feels Pretty, Cinderella’s Dream, Be Your Best.