Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, November 2

The wait is finally over. Breeders’ Cup 2024, with 14 championship races over two days at beautiful Del Mar, is at long last upon us. While the youngsters will have their day on Friday, I will focus on the more established horses running in the nine big races on Saturday.

Leading the way will be the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). The 1 1/4-mile test on the main track is headlined by a trio of accomplished 3-year-olds from all over the globe. City of Troy, Europe’s finest, is a slight morning line favorite over the American champion Fierceness. Japan’s top hope, Forever Young, also should receive plenty of support.

Other races I will focus on from Saturday, include Thorpedo Anna seeking to put an exclamation point on a fantastic season in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1); Rebel’s Romance looking to make history in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), and Notable Speech and Porta Fortuna clashing in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Without further ado, let’s get to my top picks and plays for this sensational afternoon of racing from California.

Race #6 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade 1) $2,000,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt - 4:21pm EST

Only one 3-year-old filly in the last 78 years has been named America’s Horse of the Year. Can Thorpedo Anna join Rachel Alexandra as the second. A win in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff will go a long way in clinching the honor.

The daughter of Fast Anna has won five times this season with only a narrow defeat against the male Fierceness in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes preventing a perfect season. The four-time Grade 1 winner should have controlling speed with the recent scratch of the defending Distaff champion Idiomatic. Trainer Kenny McPeek says Thorpedo Anna will be back to race in 2025, but a win here would make her sophomore season one for the ages.

Standing in the way of the queen of American racing in the 9-furlong Distaff could be the undefeated filly Awesome Result. A 4-year-old daughter of the U.S. champion Justify, she has rattled off seven consecutive wins to begin her career in Japan. Most recently an easy winner of the Breeders’ Gold Cup in late August, this first trip outside her home base will be by far her biggest test to date. 

Raging Sea also merits respect here. Like Awesome Result, she is one year older than Thorpedo Anna and she has blossomed this year. Trained by Chad Brown, she has rallied to win three straight graded stakes wins, including a thriller over Idiomatic in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign two starts back. This race is all about Thorpedo Anna, however. If she runs her race, she will get the job done. She is the top pick.

My Play

• $20 Daily Double - Thorpedo Anna with Rebel's Romance and Shahryar = $40

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Race #7 Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1) $5,000,000 1 1/2-Miles Turf - 5:01pm EST

Looking to win his second edition of the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf in the last three years, the globetrotting star Rebel’s Romance should rule a strong favorite when he faces a full field of international runners on Saturday.

The 6-year-old gelded son of Dubawi has been a top performer since early 2021 for trainer Charlie Appleby. A winner of 14-of-21 lifetime, the veteran had little go right last season, but has come back stronger than ever this season. His four wins out of five tries this year have come in four different countries and all at the Breeders’ Cup Turf distance of 12-furlongs.

Chief among his competition here includes the talented French 3-year-old Jayarebe, as well as the top American hope, Far Bridge. The former is improving with every start and comes in off a nice win in Paris. He will have to prove himself at the distance, however. The latter has won two straight Grade 1 races at the distance, but now will face his toughest test yet.

I believe a live long shot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf is the Japanese-based Shahryar. Well proven at the distance, he has big wins in his past performances in both Japan and Dubai and ran a very good third in last year’s edition of this race. I will include him for sure, but Rebel’s Romance is strictly the one to beat here. He is the top pick in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

My Plays

• $10 Daily Double - Rebel’s Romance with Forever Young, Arthur’s Ride, Sierra Leone, and Newgate = $40

• $5 Daily Double - Shahryar with Forever Young, Arthur’s Ride, Sierra Leone, and Newgate = $20

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Race #8 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) $7,000,000 1 1/4-Miles Dirt - 5:41pm EST

City of Troy, a champion in Europe, and Fierceness, a champion in the United States, should vie for favoritism among a full field of 14 set to duke it out in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar.

A son of Justify, City of Troy has been a dominant presence on the European turf since making his career debut 16 months ago. Group 1 wins in the Epsom Derby, Coral Eclipse, and Juddmonte International in his last three races have pointed him out as the world’s best turf horse, but this difficult assignment will be his first ever start on dirt.

Fierceness, meanwhile, has already won a Breeders’ Cup race on Southern Californian dirt. That came last year in the Juvenile at Santa Anita, which clinched a championship for the son of City of Light. Coming off a tough win in the Grade 1 Travers over Thorpedo Anna, he will look to secure another championship on Saturday in the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

This is not a two-horse race, however. While a host of others are in with a chance, Japan’s Forever Young is the one I like best. He was unlucky when just missing in the Kentucky Derby and has been an impressive winner of his other six starts. Freshened after his first trip to America, he came back with a nice prep win recently and should be ready to prove himself at Del Mar. He is the top pick.

My Plays 

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Forever Young over Fierceness, City of Troy, Arthur’s Ride, Sierra Leone, and Newgate = $50

• $4 Exacta Part Wheel - Arthur’s Ride, Sierra Leone, and Newgate over Forever Young, Fierceness, City of Troy, Arthur’s Ride, Sierra Leone, and Newgate = $60

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Race #11 Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade 2) $2,000,000 1-Mile Turf - 7:45pm EST

Europe’s top two 3-year-old milers, Notable Speech and Porta Fortuna, rate top billing among an excellent field of a dozen taking to the turf for Del Mar’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on Saturday.

Notable Speech, from the powerful combination of Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, will likely be the one tabbed for favoritism. The English runner has won 5-of-7 overall, including a pair of important miles in his home country. An impressive winner of the English 2000 Guineas earlier this year, he also was a sharp victor in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood two starts back.

The filly should not be overlooked, however. Porta Fortuna came over last year to run a solid second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and has taken things to a whole new level this year. After just missing in the English 1000 Guineas to begin her season, the Irish-bred has rattled off three straight Group 1 victories in England and Ireland since.

America will also be well represented in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Carl Spackler in the East and Johannes in the West have both compiled sparkling turf records against stakes competition, while More Than Pretty should be flying late. All three are in with a chance. Having said that, I love the chances of the filly in this one. Porta Fortuna is the top pick.

My Plays

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Porta Fortuna over Notable Speech, More Than Pretty, Carl Spackler, Johannes, and Ramatuelle = $50

• $4 Exacta Part Wheel - More Than Pretty over Notable Speech, Porta Fortuna, Carl Spackler, Johannes, and Ramatuelle = $20

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