Breeders’ Cup Classic 2024 Update

By Jarrod Horak

In this article, I will take a look at the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic news. The Grade 1, $7 million BC Classic will be run at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. 

We are two weeks away from the 2-day Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar (Nov. 1-2). The Breeders’ Cup pre-entry deadline is Oct. 21. Pre-Entries will be announced on Oct. 23. The final entry deadline is Oct 28. 

Let’s dive right into the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic news.  Grade 1 California Crown winner Subsanador (Richard Mandella) will miss the BC Classic after injuring his ankle at Santa Anita Park. No surgery is required and he will be out of action for three months. He is expected to return next spring.

Preakness (G1) and PA Derby (G1) winner Seize the Grey will not run in the BC Classic. He is targeting the BC Dirt Mile. He won the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard earlier this spring.  

The 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic could have as many as 20 pre-entries and 14 can run. Arthur’s Ride, City of Troy, Highland Falls, and Mixto all captured Win & You’re In races and are guaranteed a spot in the BC Classic starting gate.

Other top horses pointing to the BC Classic include Derma Sotogake, Fierceness, Forever Young, Newgate, Pyrenees, Sierra Leone, Tapit Trice, and Ushba Tesoro. Possible starters include Crupi, Il Miracolo, Next, Rattle N Roll, Senor Buscador, and Skippylongstocking.  

Now we’ll look at the latest workouts for the BC Classic hopefuls. Arthur’s Ride breezed five furlongs in 1:02.87 (1/2) at Saratoga on Oct. 13. He might set the pace in the Classic. 

Fierceness went five furlongs in company with Classic Catch in 1:01.69 (1/3) at Saratoga on Oct. 17. The final quarter was completed in 24.85, and the Travers winners galloped out six furlongs 1:14.67, seven panels in 1:27.94, and one mile in 1:42.57.  

Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Highland Falls fired a five furlong bullet in 1:00 (1/30) at Churchill Downs on Oct. 18. Luis Saez will be his BC Classic pilot.  

Grade 1 Pacific Classic upsetter Mixto worked five furlongs in 1:02 (22/52) at Santa Anita on Oct. 13. 

Dirt marathon specialist Next fired a five furlong bullet in 1:00.60 (1/15) at Turfway Park on Oct. 16. He will be cross-entered in BC Classic and BC Turf.

Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) runner-up Pyrenees went five furlongs in 59.60 (2/11) at Keeneland on Oct. 12.

Rattle N Roll breezed a half-mile in 49 (34/119) for trainer Ken McPeek at Churchill Downs on Oct. 12. 

Senor Buscador drilled a five furlong bullet in 1:00 (1/10) at Santa Anita on Oct. 16. 

Sierra Leone traveled a half-mile in 48.67 (37/160) at Belmont Park on Oct. 12. Flavien Prat will stick with Chad Brown’s consistent sophomore colt. 

Skippylongstocking breezed a half-mile in 49.92 (7/22) at Saratoga on Oct. 16. He was third in the 2023 BC Dirt Mile, and his connections will make a final decision on the Classic or Dirt Mile in the near future.  

Recent Woodward (G2) winner Tapit Trice worked in company with his stablemate Crupi at Belmont Park on Oct. 18. They went a half-mile in 49.06 (23/88). The gallop-out times were five furlongs in 1:02, six furlongs in 1:14.79, and seven panels in 1:28.90. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Tapit Trice in the BC Classic, and Crupi is still under consideration for the Classic.