2025 Breeders’ Cup
October 31 – November 1, 2025
Del Mar
2025 Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries
America’s Best Racing – Breeders’ Cup
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a ticket to the rodeo.
Hunter S. Thompson
This Is Horse Racing – Breeders’ Cup Championship Saturday preview and picks
The Haiku Handicapper: 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic
To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.
#1 – Fierceness
Loves the Del Mar track
Has to gun it from this post
Tricky assignment
#2 – Baeza
Grade 1 win at last
Can he leapfrog old rivals?
Part of the late charge
#3 – Nevada Beach
If not for Mike Smith
I’d ignore him completely
Still might anyway
#4 – Contrary Thinking
Peter Cottontail
Should be the only one with
A ticket on him
#5 – Forever Young
World domination
Falls just short on U.S. soil
Time to check the box?
#6 – Sovereignty
SCRATCHED
#7 – Sierra Leone
Back for another
And this time, he brought a friend
Zero excuses
#8 – Mindframe
A Gold Cup from hell
Robbed us of lone question left
Does he want this far?
#9 – Journalism
Someone must backslide
Connex rage-quitting on jock
Makes prime candidate
#10 – Antiquarian
Kicked through door at last
Lots with trouble behind him
True class test awaits
Prediction
Tag team champs prevail
But Sierra holds the belt
Eight, five, two follow
Secretariat – Steve Haskin – Classic With A New Frame of Mind
The Ringer – Jordan Ritter Conn – No One Is Having a Worse Time Than Bill Belichick
The Tyee – Andrew Nikiforuk – This Physicist Says We Don’t Take COVID Seriously Enough
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Homebred Dorth Vader Keeps Owner/Breeder Ropes Dreaming
There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.
Alfred Hitchcock
What does Frankenstein drive:
A Monster truck
The Haiku Handicapper: 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Joe Nevills
#1 – Intrepido
No traffic to fight
Staring down a field this small
Watch him if pace wilts
#2 – Blackout Time
Irad joins the fray
We’ll find out what he’s made of
If he chases Brant
#3 – Mr. A. P.
Ex-maiden claimer
Has a shot to hit the board
If a few more scratch
#4 – Comport
A Bluegrass summer
Not the same as Del Mar fall
Major class questions
#5 – Civil Liberty
SCRATCHED
#6 – Litmus Test
Always in the mix
But the divide’s clear between
The best ones in here
#7 – Brant
Has freak potential
But how will he like it when
Someone’s chasing him?
#8 – Ted Noffey
A tough choice ahead:
Pressure Brant from the outside
Or try to catch late?
Prediction
Ted figures it out
Him, Brant, then a long way back
One, four fill super
Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.
Steve Almond
The Conversation – Amy Anderson – How The Rocky Horror Picture Show reveals the magic of cult cinema
Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Three Witches
I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker colour.
Wednesday Addams
Bloodhorse – Joe Perez – Sovereignty Scratched From Breeders’ Cup Classic
TDN – Sovereignty Scratched From Breeders’ Cup Classic
I don’t know that there are real ghosts and goblins, but there are always more trick-or-treaters than neighbourhood kids.
Robert Brault
TDN – J.N. Campbell – Their Turf, Of Course: SoCal Grass Barns Chase Breeders’ Cup Glory
TDN – Bill Finley – Old Horse, Old Jockey Team Up in Attempt to Win Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
Francis Bacon
Bloodhorse – Hey Nay Nay to Try Favoured Gstaad in BC Juvenile Turf
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Horse of the Year on the Line in Breeders’ Cup Classic
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Seismic Beauty Aims to Continue Roll in BC Distaff
Secretariat.com – Steve Haskin – Bad Hare Day for Classic and Overlays to Watch
If an interesting monster can’t have an interesting hairdo I don’t know what this world is coming to.
Bugs Bunny
Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.
Edgar Allan Poe
A portion of Dorth Vader’s sale proceeds will be going to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which collaborates with LucasFilm and Disney to offer Star Wars-themed programs to sick children during their hospital stays.
Bloodhorse – Grade 1 Mares From Vinery Sales to Benefit Charities
TDN – T.D. Thornton – Nine Observations on The Eve of Breeders’ Cup Entries
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Incredibolt Goes Last-to-First in Churchill’s Street Sense
Bloodhorse – Olivia Newman – Journalism Puts in Final Breeze Ahead of BC Classic
Paulick Report – Half Dozen Breeders’ Cup Contenders Tune Up At Churchill Downs
Paulick Report – Bentornato, Program Trading Among Breeders’ Cup Workers At Keeneland
Paulick Report – Brant, Imagination, Hope Road Lead Breeders’ Cup Workers At Santa Anita
Paulick Report – Francisco Arrieta Will Ride Mystik Dan In Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Bloodhorse – Bear River Exuding Confidence Ahead of BC Turf Sprint
Phil has a question:
Whatever happened to the Bear.
Most animals show themselves sparingly. The grizzly bear is six to eight hundred pounds of smugness. It has no need to hide. If it were a person, it would laugh loudly in quiet restaurants, boastfully wear the wrong clothes for special occasions, and probably play hockey.
Craig Childs
Paulick Report – Ray Paulick – Will Mike Repole Go Rabbit Hunting Before The Classic?
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Linemaker White Tabs Sovereignty 8-5 Classic Favorite
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Rebel’s Romance Seeks Historic Third Win in BC Turf
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Shisospicy Seeks History in Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
TDN – Locked To Miss Breeders’ Cup Classic; Retires to Gainesway
Sovereignty: Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief finished a late-running fourth on Travers Day. “Finished up good. Closed from last. It looks like once he figures it out…Did you see him? That was 6 the other day and he was closing well. At 7 furlongs, he’s going to be in the game. He should get a mile. How long? I don’t know. He’s very muscular. When you say real long, you’re talking a mile and a quarter. But when you start talking nine and 10 furlongs, then I think you’re talking sometimes about a different type of animal. I don’t know. Maybe he does. I’m not ruling it out. He’s out of a good family. First dam is Crowned. The second dam is Mushka, who I won the Spinster with. The third dam is Sluice, who I won a stake with in Chicago. The fourth dam is Lakeway who was trained by Gary Jones. She won a bunch of Grade 1 stakes. I didn’t train the mother, but this would be the fourth generation that I trained out of the family. It would be pretty cool for me if he turned out OK just because of Sluice and Mushka. And I still train for Mr. Rutherford, who had Lakeway.
This Is Horse Racing – Tom Law – Sundays and Sovereignty
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Not This Time Leads Sires in Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries
TDN – Allan Carasso – Racing’s Elite Assembles At Del Mar For Breeders’ Cup 2025
Phil has a question:
Has Ray Gun ever danced to this song.
Bloodhorse – Horses From Five Continents Entered in Breeders’ Cup
Pre-entries for all 14 races of 2025 Breeders’ Cup
Paulick Report – Lillian Davis – Final Score To Miss Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf With ‘Sore Shins’
Bloodhorse – Sovereignty To Leave for Del Mar Oct. 22
Bloodhorse – Sweet Azteca Finding Her Groove Ahead of Breeders’ Cup
TDN – Sweet Azteca Among Breeders’ Cup Workers at Santa Anita Sunday
TDN – Full Serrano, Baeza, Brant Among Breeders’ Cup Workers at Santa Anita
TDN – Allan Carasso – Strength In Numbers As Japanese Breeders’ Cup Team Takes Shape
TDN – Pletcher Breezes Quartet At Spa With Eye On Breeders’ Cup Classic For All
Bloodhorse – Journalism Works Toward Classic; Jose Ortiz Gains Mount
TDN – Iron Orchard Sells For $2.5M In Fasig-Tipton Digital Fall Flash Sale; Breeders’ Cup Next
Power is like being a lady… if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.
Margaret Thatcher
Bloodhorse – J. Keeler Johnson – An Early Look at the BC Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies
TDN – T.D. Thornton – No 2-Minute CAW Cutoff In Win Pools For Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar
Bloodhorse – It’s Official: Thorpedo Anna Retired from Racing
Bloodhorse – Breeders’ Cup Issues TV Schedule, Post Times
TDN – Tamara, Kopion Among Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls on Santa Anita Worktab
TDN – Nysos, Citizen Bull Work for Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Bloodhorse – Nysos, Straight No Chaser Return to Santa Anita Worktab
Bloodhorse – Coolmore to Stand Champion Citizen Bull in 2026
TDN – Lush Lips Hands Laurelin A First Defeat In Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Upset
Phil has a question:
Have you ever seen a better Daily Double than Stilettos to Lush Lips.
Fasig Tipton – Fall Flash Sale
TDN – Journalism and Baeza Work Toward Breeders’ Cup Classic
TDN – Cavalieri Out Of Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – McPeek: Official Decision on Thorpedo Anna Coming Soon
Paulick Report – Lillian Davis – Napoleon Solo To Skip Breeders’ Cup, Focus On 3-Year-Old Campaign
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Number of Returning Winners Expected for Breeders’ Cup
Bloodhorse – Johnson, Cadman to Co-Host TCA Bash at Breeders’ Cup
Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – Not This Time’s Remarkable Weekend
Bloodhorse – Olivia Newman – Final Score Runs Away With Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Napoleon Solo Makes Champagne Rivals Say U.N.C.L.E.
Bob Ehalt just jumped to Number 1 with a bullet on Phil’s Punmaker List.
Before you go sell the farm and buy Kentucky Derby futures on Napoleon Solo check the time and fractions for Iron Orchard in the Frizette and ask yourself if it was a very fast track or 3 super horses.
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Ted Noffey Dazzles in Breeders’ Futurity Victory
TDN – Forever Young Runs Out An Easy Winner In BC Classic Prep
TDN – “Champions Give Back” Campaign Kicks Off Ahead of Breeders’ Cup
Paulick Report – Lillian Davis – Connections Ponder Breeders’ Cup Race For ‘Versatile’ Locked
Paulick Report – Woodward Victory Puts Locked In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings Top 10
Paulick Report – Ray Paulick – Breeders’ Cup Forum: ‘A Good Horse Puts That Fire In Me’
Phil M. Stockmen
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