2025 Breeders’ Cup Picks: Saturday, November 1st

Key takeaways:

• Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Del Mar features nine championship races for older horses, headlined by the $7 million Classic.
• Fierceness is the one to beat in the Classic, with Baeza and Forever Young leading the challengers.
• Nitrogen stands out in the Distaff, while Hope Road looks sharp for Baffert in the Filly & Mare Sprint.
• Khaadem brings strong upset potential in the Turf Sprint, and Rebel’s Romance targets a Turf three-peat.
• Program Trading offers value in the Mile, and Nysos looms large in the Dirt Mile.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships continue Saturday, November 1, at Del Mar with nine races open to horses aged three and up. It is the second day of top-class racing in sunny Southern California, and the card features racing’s biggest stars—and some of the most exciting betting opportunities and exotic payouts of the year.

The richest race on the card is the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The three top finishers from the 2024 edition will rematch—Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young—and they face three-year-old stars like Preakness Stakes winner Journalism and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Baeza.

However, the Classic is only one of nine championship races on the day. Whether you like to bet routes or sprints, dirt races or grass races, there is a lot of money to be made in every division. After all, there is no day with so many full fields of top-class horses like Breeders’ Cup Saturday.

Naturally, you can bet which horses will win their Breeders’ Cup races at FanDuel Racing. Also, discover 2025 Breeders’ Cup odds and bet the Breeders’ Cup with exclusive bonuses and promos.

These are our top picks and predictions for each Breeders’ Cup race on the Saturday card.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

Questions abound around many of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint contenders this year, but Hope Road looks to be coming into form at the right time. Though she is based in California with Bob Baffert, he sent Hope Road east to face the east coast set in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga … and despite acting up before the race, she stalked the pace and cleared off to win by two lengths over the consistent Scylla. She has real California speed but also a stalking gear, she has hit the exacta five of her six starts at Del Mar, and the only time she missed the board there was for another trainer while she was still a juvenile maiden. She is at her best at age four, and in a field of horses with either class questions or form questions, she can build on this summer’s breakout effort.

Splendora, the longest shot of the Baffert trio according to the morning-line odds, comes out of a key race. Though that was a restricted stakes race at a mile, she finished a good second to Kopion in the La Brea (G1) last year and has shown enough tactical speed to make sense here, especially as a price for exotics. Vahva has to answer the question of whether she can revert to her best. It wouldn’t be worth betting she’d do that at a short price, but as one of the longer shots on the morning line, something near that price makes it worth betting that her seven-furlong ability will kick in. There are several in this field who can show speed, but Sweet Azteca shapes as the speed of the speed. She stretches from 6 ½ furlongs to seven, but has carried her speed well at that distance and been able to turn back bids, meaning she could just keep going.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is the best place to go looking for long shots on Breeders’ Cup Saturday, and Khaadem fits the bill nicely. He comes out of a win in the Woodford (G1) at Keeneland, a perennially live prep for this race—and he uncoiled such a strong late run that he passed every one of his foes in the final furlong. This race is half a furlong shorter, but he drew well, the blinkers may keep him a little closer early, and Frankie Dettori should be able to judge when to get this classy multimillionaire rolling for the stretch run.

Even if the favorite does not usually win this race, the favorite often finishes in the money. Such is likely with west coast mainstay Motorious, who was second in the race last year and comes into the race in good form once again, ready to run on late for as a reliable exotic key. She’s Quality will be a long shot despite cashing minor awards in two proper Group 1 turf sprints in Europe in her last two starts; she has every right to get a forward spot and stay on for a share of the exotics once again. Tactically versatile Arizona Blaze rallied for second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last year over the same course and distance as this race, and beat older company last out in the Flying Five (G1), a perennially live prep for this.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Bentornato was the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last year and comes to Del Mar with a good chance to do one better. Though he was laid off for an extended period after last year’s Sprint, he spent a long time on the work tab, suggesting he was actively training—and then all that preparation resulted in a huge return victory in a stakes at Churchill last month, his first race back since the Breeders’ Cup. His ability to press or stalk should translate well once again to the California dirt, and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has gotten a good rapport with him, riding in three of his last four starts.

The past performances of Lovesick Blues are muddled, with so many turf races and so many different distances. But, not only does he frequently show up wherever he runs, but he does his best work on the dirt. In fact, he ran his best race ever in July when he won the Bing Crosby (G1) going six furlongs at Del Mar, and if he can run back to it second off the lay, he’ll be tough to hold off late. Another with cloudy form but significant upside at long odds is Big City Lights, who steps up from California-bred company but has tactical speed, fast recent form, and particularly good six-furlong form for Richard Mandella—a cautious trainer who rarely takes shots like this. Straight No Chaser won the race last year, and though he was defeated after setting the pace in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) last out, he has upside second off the lay and may be able to reprise his stalking style from last year.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Nitrogen has emerged as the best of the three-year-old class, and she should be able to keep that going in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She had a long season from the winter into early summer, but got a late-summer freshening that should have her ready for top performance in the Breeders’ Cup. Though she was defeated on her return from the break, she missed by a head in her first try against older fillies and mares, and had to go up against Keeneland-loving Gin Gin. Gin Gin won’t be at her favorite track this time, but Nitrogen can take her game anywhere, and she has proven that she can work a tactical trip even from an inside draw.

Clicquot, another sophomore filly, comes out of a win in the Cotillion (G1), a prep that has been punching above its weight at the Breeders’ Cup in recent years. Her tactical speed should play well at Del Mar, and her pedigree suggests that the step up to 1 ⅛ miles should suit her nicely. Scylla has muddled form after a long experiment in sprinting, but she ran a good third in the Spinster when returned to a route and should only improve with that fitness. Expect her to get a good tracking trip. Dorth Vader has run her best races this year at 1 ⅛ miles, the same distance as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and is versatile enough to come from right near the pace or a couple of lengths back.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf

Rebel’s Romance has been the ultimate globetrotter these last few years, including wins in the Breeders’ Cup Turf both in 2022 at Keeneland and 2024 at Del Mar. He prepared with a victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Aqueduct, a race that looked like a walk in the park for him. The firm ground suits him, as does the 1 ½-mile distance—and the presence of Minnie Hauk ensures Rebel’s Romance will be bettable.

If likely heavy favorite Minnie Hauk runs her best race, she may win this in a runaway. But, she just ran a huge race to be second as the favorite in the Arc, and there’s always a worry with horses coming from the Arc to the Breeders’ Cup Turf about whether the decision to go stateside afterwards is going to be one race too many—since the plan all season was the Arc.

Amiloc is a lightly-raced but pace-versatile three-year-old, with five wins in six starts. Though he comes off his only defeat, that was a 1 ¾-mile race, and now he turns back to 1 ½ miles, the same distance at which he won at Royal Ascot. Tawny Port is in the best form of his career. Though it hasn’t translated to a win this year, it has translated into three straight runner-up finishes for trainer Miguel Clement—he just keeps making up ground late, and if he runs back to his last few, he can finish out a trifecta or superfecta at a big price.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic

With the scratch of Sovereignty, there is a good chance Fierceness will go off the betting favorite—but he deserves it if he does, and if bettors shy away from him because of the rail draw, all the better. He gave Preakness winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Journalism no chance last out in the Pacific Classic (G1) over this course and distance despite veering in weirdly early, and if he is able to keep his head together in his second race at Del Mar, he can improve on what was already a strong race. His tactical speed and proven ability at Del Mar appeal—and Todd Pletcher giving him a local prep before a West Coast Breeders’ Cup raises thoughts of what he did with Vino Rosso, his only other horse to take the top spot in the Classic.

Baeza is based on the west coast, so he has been able to train at home, and he put in a visually appealing final piece of work before the Classic. He put it all together when winning the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) last out, and if he keeps moving forward in this first start against older horses, he has longshot appeal. Forever Young returns to Del Mar after a third-place finish in this race last year. He is versatile enough to run well from near the pace or well off of it, and has never been out of the trifecta in 12 starts all over the world. Antiquarian was lucky to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) in the sense that he broke from the outside and was the only horse to avoid the chain reaction Phileas Fogg caused. But, he has run two fast races in a row at 1 ¼ miles, draws a clean outside gate again, and deserves respect at a big price.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Mile

Program Trading looked like a star in the making, but was off for over a year between his four-year-old summer and five-year-old summer. However, since returning in August of this year, he has finished second twice, including a three-quarter-length runner-up finish in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland. He comes back to Del Mar, where he won a Grade 1 in his only previous start. The fact that he is stringing together three starts in a row and coming back four weeks after the race at Keeneland reads as a vote of confidence from the top turf trainer in America, so don’t miss a chance to catch him at a price.

Notable Speech was the beaten favorite last year, but was beaten only three-quarters of a length in that third-place finish. He ran well enough to suggest he likes the ground and should make another sharp late run this year. Rhetorical, a fast-rising star for Will Walden, upset the Coolmore Turf Mile last out. He has never run a poor race and should make a sharp rally from midfield. Sahlan upset the top-class Rosallion in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) last out, and though that came on soft ground, his two-back win over good ground at Deauville suggests that this lightly-raced Wootton Bassett sophomore should be able to translate that class and that improvement over this firmer going.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Often, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is about finding the right horses to play under an eminently logical winner, and that appears to be the case this year. Nysos is a neck shy of perfect in six starts, and his two two-turn starts have both been impressive. Though the depth of the Dirt Mile field raises questions with some, he jumped into the class crucible earlier this year in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), first off a 15-month layoff, and ran a huge race. He just keeps running fast races, and with both good Del Mar form and reliable tactical speed, he should be hard to hold back in the lane.

Full Serrano won the Dirt Mile over the same track last year, and comes in off of a similar sort of prep as last year: a second-place finish over a longer trip. The cut back to the flat mile brought out the best in him, and especially if he can find the same stalking gear he found last year, he should be a threat. Citizen Bull loves a flat mile, he loves the dirt at Del Mar, and especially if there’s a speed bias, he may be fast enough to find the front and leave the rest trying to reel him in. A win may be a bridge too far for Touch of Destiny, a Southern Hemisphere three-year-old facing older horses for the first time, but the undefeated colt reunites with his regular rider, Luis Caceres, and trainer Michael McCarthy often gets horses into exotics in their first United States start.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

See the Fire is hung outside, but she should be able to drop in wherever there’s room, settle, and make a good late run. Her last race, a close second in the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l’Opera (G1) at ParisLongchamp, was a big effort after a brief freshening. If she can build on that at all, she’ll be tough. After all, her form this year fits the profile of a horse who holds her own with the best in Europe: she was third behind Ombudsman in the Prince of Wales’s (G1) at Royal Ascot, and fourth behind Ombudsman and Delacroix two back in the Juddmonte International. That’s plenty of class to make her a factor here, especially since she stands to handle 1 ⅜ miles.

Trainer Charlie Appleby has a pair of good ones in this race, with Diamond Rain being the more interesting of the two at the longer price. She only missed by a head to She Feels Pretty last out, going 1 ¼ miles, but with two wins at 1 5/16 miles leading up to that, the step up in trip should help her along. Her stablemate Cinderella’s Dream, second in this race last year, steps back up in trip to 1 ⅜ miles for the first time since that outing, and she comes out of a credible third behind the red-hot Fallen Angel in the Sun Chariot (G1)—a race which, despite being a mile, is a perennial live prep for this race. She Feels Pretty will be the best bet North American horse, but long shot Bellezza is the most interesting from a betting perspective: she is a multiple graded-stakes winner at 1 ⅜ miles, and her preference for firm turf makes California a great fit for this late runner.

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