Breeders’ Cup Roundup: Big wins for Fierceness, Antiquarian

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar is 59 days away. Catch up on the latest news and developments with our weekly Breeders’ Cup Roundup:

Fierceness, Antiquarian earn Classic berths on opposite coasts

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher achieved a remarkable double when sending out Fierceness and Antiquarian to win Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) qualifiers at opposite ends of the country.

On Saturday at Del Mar in California, Fierceness proved a decisive winner of the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic (G1). Despite ducking in sharply during the early stages of the race, Fierceness recovered to save ground in midfield before splitting rivals around the final turn. He held a daylight lead by the top of the stretch and extended his advantage to the wire, scoring by 3 1/4 lengths over Preakness (G1) and Haskell (G1) winner Journalism in 2:01.00.

The following day, Antiquarian delivered a career-best performance in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga in New York. After stablemate Mindframe lost his rider early on, Antiquarian rose to the occasion as a 12-1 longshot, rating in midfield behind a runaway leader before taking over in the final furlong to beat reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:02.16.

Fierceness has already competed twice at the Breeders’ Cup, winning the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and finishing second in last year’s Classic. Antiquarian is a newcomer to the Breeders’ Cup scene; his only previous start at the Grade 1 level yielded a fifth in the 2024 Belmont (G1).

Bellezza, Tommy Jo impress in Saratoga qualifiers

Two Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers took place on Saturday at Saratoga.

Firm turf is ideal for Bellezza, as she reiterated with a decisive victory in the Flower Bowl (G2), a 1 3/8-mile stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). During the spring, she won the Sheepshead Bay (G3) over firm going, then struggled a bit when third in the New York (G1) and second in the Glens Falls (G2) on yielding ground.

The turf was firm for the Flower Bowl, and Bellezza promptly unleashed a last-to-first rally to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 2:14.80. The Miguel Clement trainee is shaping up as one of North America’s top hopes for the Filly & Mare Turf, which typically draws a strong contingent of international challengers.

A little while later, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) picked up its first qualifier when Pletcher’s Tommy Jo delivered on her even-money odds in the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1). Coming off a sharp debut win at Saratoga, the daughter of Into Mischief tracked the pace in third place before seizing command to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:23.39.

Gold Phoenix stamps ticket to Breeders’ Cup Turf

Gold Phoenix, the fourth-place finisher from the last two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), earned a return ticket to the Turf when taking Saturday’s 1 3/8-mile Del Mar H. (G2) at Del Mar for the fourth year in a row.

Three of his Del Mar H. wins have come by a neck or less, including this year’s edition. The seven-year-old gelding found himself racing in midfield through slow fractions of :25.05, :50.89, and 1:16.51 before outkicking a bevy of other closers to score by a neck in 2:16.09.

Bear River, Motorious qualify for Turf Sprint

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) picked up a pair of qualifiers on Saturday.

Motorious stamped his ticket via a third consecutive win in Del Mar’s five-furlong Green Flash H. (G3). After getting shuffled back in the early stages, he rallied to finish second by a nose, but was upgraded to first via the disqualification of the winner.

Motorious is now unbeaten in three starts since finishing second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, having won the Joe Hernandez (G2) and Daytona (G2) in the meantime. His near-perfect 4-for-5 record at Del Mar suggests he’ll be a major player in this year’s Turf Sprint as well.

At Kentucky Downs, Bear River continued his ascent through the division with an upset win in the six-furlong Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2). Coming off a 17-1 surprise in the KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint S. at Ellis Park, Bear River delivered an even bigger surprise at Kentucky Downs, leading all the way to defeat last year’s Franklin-Simpson (G1) winner Howard Wolowitz by half a length in 1:07.71.

Whereas the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is shaping up as a logical goal for Bear River, Howard Wolowitz has different plans. The Kentucky Turf Sprint marked his first start in six months and is a first step toward stretching out in distance for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

Korea Cup, Korea Sprint award Breeders’ Cup berths

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series heads to South Korea on Sunday for a pair of Win and You’re In qualifiers.

The Korea Cup (G3) awards a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). The prospective field includes Dura Erede, winner of Japan’s 2022 Hopeful (G1), and Ramjet, who made noise on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby when he took the 2024 Hyacinth S.

The Korea Sprint (G3), a stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), could likewise feature Japanese raiders such as Chikappa, Sunrise Hawk, and Tagano Beauty.

Fort Washington takes aim at Kentucky Turf Cup

Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs is a lucrative springboard to the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). The race carries a maximum purse of $2.5 million, making it one of the richest races in North America.

One expected starter is Fort Washington. In the past, he campaigned primarily over one mile to 1 1/8 miles, but after stretching out to win the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million (G1) last month, the son of War Front is giving the Breeders’ Cup Turf distance a try.

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Qualifiers

The following horses have secured Win and You’re In berths to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series:

Breeders’ Cup Classic

Antiquarian
Costa Nova
Fierceness
Forever Young
Journalism
Hit Show
Mindframe
Ombudsman
Sierra Leone

Breeders’ Cup Turf

Calandagan
Danon Decile
El Cordobes
Gold Phoenix
Intense for Me
Meisho Tabaru
Ombudsman
Sinsel

Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Dorth Vader
Sarawak Rim
Seismic Beauty
Thorpedo Anna

Breeders’ Cup Mile

Deterministic
Docklands
Gran Oriente
Jantar Mantar
One Stripe
Qirat
Soul Rush

Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Dark Saffron
Lovesick Blues
Straight No Chaser

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Book’em Danno
Dr. Venkman
Raging Torrent 
Touch of Destiny

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Ascoli Piceno
Bellezza
Double Grand Slam
La Kika
Minnie Hauk
She Feels Pretty
Whirl

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

Hope Road

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Ag Bullet
American Affair
Asfoora
Bear River
Motorious

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Tommy Jo

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

Gewan

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Precise

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Charles Darwin
Lady Iman