The China Mail - Sierra Leone chases rare repeat in Breeders' Cup Classic

Sovereignty, the homebred that gave the Godolphin stable a long-coveted first Kentucky Derby victory in May before winning the Belmont and Travers Stakes, was withdrawn by trainer Bill Mott after developing a fever on Monday night.

That means the 2025 edition of the 1 1/4-mile Classic -- highlight of a 14-race, $34 million Breeders' Cup slate at Del Mar Racetrack near San Diego -- won't pit the year's dominant three-year-old against an outstanding group of older horses.

But with last year's second- and third-place finishers Fierceness and Forever Young back again, a still-formidable field of nine will go to the gate at the same Del Mar track where Sierra Leone benefitted from a fast pace and out-dueled a game Fierceness in the final straight.

"He's in a position to repeat at the same venue, and he's coming off his best work of the season," trainer Chad Brown said of Sierra Leone, who won the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga in a light 2025 campaign and could become just the second repeat winner of the Classic, after Tiznow in 2000-01.

Since then, six winners have attempted the repeat with 2009 winner Zenyatta coming closest when she lost by a head to Blame in 2010.

"On top of how magnificent the horse looks and how brilliantly he's training is the fact that he's got a really good race over this racetrack last year," Brown added of the horse that drew the seventh post and was priced at 7-2 after Sovereignty's withdrawal.

Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, was installed as the 5-2 favorite and will break from the first post -- from where he captured a huge victory in the 1 1/4-mile Grade One Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 30.

Sierra Leone stablemate Contrary Thinking is expected to set the pace out of the fourth post with Florent Geroux aboard.

Pletcher's Mindframe could pose a danger from the eighth post and the Pletcher-trained Antiquarian has shown speed that could make him a threat on a fast course.

Journalism, Baeza and Nevada Beach are all Grade One-winning three-year-olds, and Journalism and Baeza finished second and third behind Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Japanese import Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, is the only overseas raider in the field.

- History on line in Turf -

Rebel's Romance, trained by Britain's Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, will be chasing an unprecedented third victory in the 1 1/2-mile, $5 million Turf.

The seven-year-old Godolphin Racing gelding, winner of the 2022 Turf at Keeneland before last year's triumph at Del Mar, is showing no signs of slowing down with five victories in 2025.

"Most horses start to dip away in their careers," Appleby acknowledged. "He's still holding his own at Grade One level."

Only two other horses have three Breeders' Cup wins. Beholder won the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and the Distaff in 2013 and 2016. The great mare Goldikova won the Mile in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Primed to stop Rebel's Romance joining that group is Minnie Hauk, whose Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up finish ended a string of five wins including three Group Ones.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, who shares the record for most Breeders' Cup victories with the late D. Wayne Lukas with 20, is seeking an eighth Turf crown in a field that includes eight overseas contenders.

O'Brien not only needs just one victory this weekend to surpass Lukas, but with 25 Grade or Group One wins this year he arrives at Del Mar needing three to match his own one-year record of 28 set in 2017.

O'Brien opens with a strong contingent in Friday's five races for two-year-olds that includes Gstaad in the Juvenile Turf, Precise in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and True Love in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

C.Mak--ThChM