2025 Breeders' Cup: 10 observations from pre-entries

The 14 races comprising the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar have attracted 207 pre-entries courtesy of 191 horses.

The deadline for pre-entries was Monday, and the prospective fields were revealed on Wednesday.

Catch up on the latest news and developments with 10 observations from the 2025 Breeders’ Cup pre-entries:

Number of horses pre-entered is the lowest since 2019

The number of individual horses pre-entered in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup is 191, down from 212 in 2024. It’s the lowest number of horses pre-entered since 2019, when 188 turned out at Santa Anita.

International competition drops from 2024 record

Last year, a record 80 foreign-based horses pre-entered the Breeders’ Cup, smashing the previous record of 60 set in 2023. This year, the number is down to 58, though participation remains geographically broad with horses representing Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, Ireland, France, Japan, Peru, South Africa, and Uruguay.

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series yields 46 pre-entrants

Of the 86 horses who earned fee-paid automatic berths to the Breeders’ Cup via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, 46 (53%) have pre-entered the Breeders’ Cup.

Breeders’ Cup Classic attracts stellar field

The Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) has drawn a tremendous group of 11 pre-entrants.

Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young—the top three finishers in the 2024 Classic—are back for a rematch. They’re joined by 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty, 2025 Preakness (G1) hero Journalism, and Grade 1 winners Antiquarian, Baeza, Locked, Mindframe, and Nevada Beach.

Contrary Thinking, a pacemaker for Sierra Leone, completes the lineup.

Four proven Breeders’ Cup winners seek additional glory

Eight past Breeders’ Cup winners have pre-entered the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, up from four in 2024. They are:

• 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Citizen Bull, pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
• 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness, pre-entered in the Classic.
• 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano, seeking a defense of his Dirt Mile title.
• 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner Nobals, aiming to regain his title.
• 2022 and 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Rebel’s Romance, seeking a first-ever three-peat in the Turf.
• 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone, back to defend his title.
• 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Straight No Chaser, looking for back-to-back Sprint wins.
• 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, cutting back in distance for the Dirt Mile.

Three races attract 10 Kentucky Derby alumni

A total of 10 starters from the Kentucky Derby (G1) are pre-entered across three Breeders’ Cup races.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic has drawn Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza (the top three finishers from the 2025 Kentucky Derby) plus Sierra Leone (second in 2024), Forever Young (third in 2024), and Fierceness (15th in 2024).

The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile drew 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, plus White Abarrio (16th in 2022) and Citizen Bull (15th in 2025).

Lastly, Tawny Port (seventh in 2022) has pre-entered the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Juvenile, Juvenile Fillies draw small fields

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) have drawn only nine pre-entrants apiece, the smallest prospective fields among the 14 races.

Nevertheless, quality runs deep. The Juvenile attracted two-time Grade 1 winner Ted Noffey, plus American Pharoah (G1) winner Intrepido and unbeaten Del Mar Futurity (G1) conqueror Brant, while the Juvenile Fillies drew Grade 1 winners Tommy Jo, Iron Orchard, and Bottle of Rouge plus runaway Oak Leaf (G2) winner Explora.

Juvenile Turf Sprint draws 22 pre-entries

The always-popular Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) has drawn a staggering 22 pre-entries, the most of any Breeders’ Cup race. Only 12 will be allowed to start.

Trainer Wesley Ward, who has won the Juvenile Turf Sprint three times, has pre-entered five horses: Speakeasy S. runner-up Bacio, Keeneland allowance winner Outfielder, the multiple stakes-placed Rogue Legend, Indian Summer S. winner Schwarzenegger, and Matron (G3) third-place finisher Should’ve.

Aidan O’Brien pre-enters 19 horses

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won 20 Breeders’ Cup races, tying the record first set by the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. O’Brien has many chances to seize the record outright in 2025. He’s pre-entered 10 horses, including acclaimed three-time Group 1 winner Minnie Hauk in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Wild Desert withdrawn from Juvenile Turf

One pre-entrant has already been withdrawn from the Breeders’ Cup. Wild Desert, runner-up by a head in the Summer (G1), would have been a respected contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), but the Charlie Appleby trainee will, in fact, skip the race.