Gulfstream Park Well Represented at 42nd Breeders’ Cup

Sovereignty Among Four GP Runners in $7 Million Classic
Total of 26 Gulfstream Horses Entered in 10 of 14 BC Races

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Led by four horses in the $7 million Classic (G1), three trained by 18-time Championship Meet leader Todd Pletcher as well as the country’s leading 3-year-old in Sovereignty, the March 29 Florida Derby (G1) runner-up, Gulfstream Park finds itself well represented in the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

A total of 26 horses that are based or have raced at Gulfstream were among those entered Monday evening in the two-day Breeders’ Cup featuring 14 Grade 1 stakes worth $30 million in purses Friday and Saturday at Del Mar.

The spotlight Friday is on 2-year-olds with five Breeders’ Cup races starting with the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) in Race 6 (5:45 p.m. ET) and ending with the Juvenile Turf (G1) in Race 10 (8:25 p.m. ET). The remaining nine Breeders’ Cup races are Saturday, beginning with the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in Race 4 (3 p.m. ET) and ending with the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) in Race 12 (8:25 p.m. ET). The Classic goes off as Race 9 (6:25 p.m. ET).

Friday’s race:

$1 Million Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1), 2-year-olds, 5 furlongs, turf

Florida-bred Leinster filly Lennilu will be making her second straight start against the boys following a 1 ¾-length victory in the Sept. 27 Hollywood Beach sprinting five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf. She drew outermost Post 12 in an overflow field of 17 and will be ridden by three-time Championship Meet leading jockey Luis Saez.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, Lennilu also won Gulfstream’s May 10 Royal Palm Juvenile at five-eighths on the grass and the six-furlong FSS Desert Vixen over Gulfstream’s main track Sept. 6 after running third in the June 18 Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot.

Royal Testament debuted running sixth behind Lennilu in the Royal Palm Juvenile then went on to graduate at Monmouth Park, beat boys in the 5 ½-furlong Rosies on the Colonial Downs turf and most recently finish second in the Matron (G3) Oct. 2. Flavien Prat is named to ride from Post 3.

Saturday’s races:

$7 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 1 ¼ miles

Saturday’s 1 ¼-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up is the highlight of the weekend and brings together the top horses in training including Sovereignty, the Hall of Famer Bill Mott trainee that won Gulfstream’s March 1 Fountain of Youth (G1) and has reeled off four straight wins following the Florida Derby – the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont (G1), Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers (G1). Sovereignty drew Post 6 with Junior Alvrarado.

Pletcher, who led Gulfstream’s prestigious winter meet standings every year from 2004 through 2021, will send out the trio of Antiquarian, Fierceness and Mindframe. Second in his career debut Jan. 13, 2024 at Gulfstream, Antiquarian launched his comeback from more than 10 months away with a optional claiming allowance triumph April 19 at Gulfstream in his first try against older horses. Most recently, the 4-year-old colt won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) Aug. 31. Saez rides from outermost Post 10.

Fierceness was the champion 2-year-old male of 2023, clinched with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), then opened his sophomore campaign with a third in the Holy Bull (G3) and a record-setting 13 ½-length triumph in the Florida Derby. Runner-up in last year’s Classic behind fellow returnee Sierra Leone, he exits a victory in the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount from Post 1.

Mindframe was a 13 ¾-length debut winner at Gulfstream March 30, 2024, then returned to launch his comeback with a popular 1 ¼-length triumph in the March 1 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), the 4-year-olds first start in more than seven months. Winner of the Stephen Foster (G1) June 28, he hasn’t raced since losing rider Irad Ortiz Jr. after some early bumping in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Mindframe will break from Post 8 with Gulfstream’s record six-time leading Championship Meet rider Irad Ortiz Jr. up.

$5 Million Turf (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 1 ½ miles, turf

Multimillionaire Tawny Port kicked off his 6-year-old season March 29 at Gulfstream, ending a five-month gap between starts by running sixth in the Pan American (G3), a race where he was third by a neck in 2024. The Miguel Clement trainee went on to place in three graded-stakes including seconds in both the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2) and Canadian International (G1). Manny Franco has the riding assignment from Post 12 in a field of 14.

$2 Million Mile (G1), 3-year-olds and up, one mile

Off the board after setting the pace in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream, his first time facing older horses, 4-year-old Formidable Man rebounded to win three of his next four starts, all in graded stakes – the Frank Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and Eddie Read (G2) and Del Mar Mile (G2) at Del Mar. John Velazquez gets the call for Pegasus World Cup-winning trainer Michael McCarthy from Post 8 of 13.

$2 Million Filly & Mare Turf (G1), fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 3/8m, turf

Be Your Best has won four of eight starts since joining trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., highlighted by wins in the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) and Suwannee River (G3) last winter at Gulfstream. The 5-year-old mare’s most recent win came in the 1 1/8-mile Gamely (G1) May 26 at Santa Anita. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from Post 7 of 14.

Now trained by Phil D’Amato, 5-year-old mare Mission of Joy was fifth by two lengths in the 2024 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream for trainer Graham Motion. She will break from the rail under jockey Umberto Rispoli.

$2 Million Distaff (G1), fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles

Grade 1 winners Clicquot, Dorth Vader and Nitrogen all launched their 2025 seasons at Gulfstream. Unraced at 2, the 3-year-old Clicquot was sixth behind subsequent Grade 2 winner Indy Bay in her career debut March 1 but is unbeaten in four starts since, taking the Indiana Oaks (G3) and Cotillion (G1) in her last two. Prat rides from Post 3 of 13.

Dorth Vader was second in a one-mile optional claiming allowance March 28, her first race in more than 10 months, but two starts later won the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Saratoga. The 5-year-old mare made six of her first eight starts at Gulfstream including wins in the 2023 Davona Dale (G2) and 2022 Juvenile Fillies. John Velazquez will be aboard from Post 12.

Nitrogen won the one-mile Ginger Brew on the Gulfstream turf Jan. 4 and established herself as the leading grass female with subsequent wins in the Florida Oaks (G3), Appalachian (G2), Edgewood (G2) and Wonder Again (G3) before switching to the dirt where she won the Alabama (G1) and was second in the Spinster (G1). Nitrogen drew the rail with Jose Ortiz.

Also entered are Grade 2 winner Gun Song, a season-opening third in a one-mile optional claimer March 13 at Gulfstream (Davie, Fla. native Tyler Gaffalione, Post 10; Dry Powder, a March 16 debut winner at Gulfstream that was second by a neck in the Cotillion (G1) Sept. 20 (Antonio Fresu, Post 11); and Scylla, runner-up in a March 2024 optional claimer that went on to win the Shawnee (G3) and Fleur de Lis (G2) and place in four Grade 1 stakes (Alvarado, Post 4).

$2 Million Sprint (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs

Bentornato, another D’Angelo trainee, won the first four races of his career at Gulfstream in the summer and fall of 2023 including the Proud Man, FSS Dr. Fager and FSS Affirmed. The 4-year-old ridgling has raced six times in the next two years, all in stakes, never worse than third with wins in the 2024 Gallant Bob (G2) and Sept. 13 Louisville Thoroughbred Society, his lone start of 2025. Second in last year’s Sprint to eventual sprint champion Straight No Chaser, he drew Post 10 with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the overflow field of 15.

Patriot Spirit was third in the 2024 Hutcheson and fifth in the Sabal Palm overnight handicap last Thanksgiving weekend at Gulfstream, the latter his lone try on the all-weather Tapeta. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the Championship Meet’s leading rider five consecutive years from 2011-12 to 2015-16, rides from 4.

The lone also eligible is Ireland-based Valiant Force, who ran fourth, 2 ¾ lengths behind Patriot Spirit, in the 2024 Hutcheson.

$1 Million Dirt Mile (G1), 3-year-olds and up, one mile

It’s the second Breeders’ Cup appearance for 2023 Classic hero White Abarrio, winner of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and Ghostzapper (G3) over the winter whose Gulfstream victories also include the 2022 Florida Derby and Holy Bull. The $7 million earner is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who owns 13 consecutive meet titles at Gulfstream, and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from outermost Post 10.

Also in the Dirt Mile are 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan, ninth to White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup (Francisco Arietta, Post 4); and Tumbarumba, the 2024 Fred Hooper (G3) winner that ran third in defense of his title Jan. 25 (Gaffalione, Post 5).

$1 Million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), fillies & mares 3 and up, 7 furlongs

Haulin Ice earned an automatic berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) for her victory in Gulfstream’s Sept. 20 Princess Rooney (G3). She is also trained by Joseph, who parlayed victories in the Princess Rooney and Filly & Mare Sprint into an Eclipse Award title for Soul of an Angel as champion female sprinter of 2024. Haulin Ice breaks from Post 7 of 10 with Gaffalione up.

$1 Million Turf Sprint (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 5 furlongs, turf

Multiple graded-stakes winner Shisospicy will take on both males and older horses in her Breeders’ Cup debut. The D’Angelo trainee captured a five-furlong optional claiming allowance Feb. 5 at Gulfstream in her first try on turf and has won all three of her subsequent U.S. starts including the Mamzelle (G3) and Music City (G2), the latter Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs. In a field limited to 12 starters but drew 15 entrants, Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from Post 10.

Reef Runner has made 16 of his 20 career starts at Gulfstream, where he is based with trainer David Fawkes. The 4-year-old gelding has finished first in each of his last three races starting with Gulfstream’s Aug. 3 Warrior’s Pride overnight handicap. He was placed second for interference in the Aug. 30 Green Flash (G3) at Del Mar but rebounded with a victory in the Sept. 27 Eddie D (G2) at Santa Anita. Gaffalione gets the riding assignment from Post 2.

Bring Theband Home was a two-time winner at during the 2023-2024 Championship Meet that opened 2025 with a pair of Gulfstream starts, finishing fifth in the April 5 Go Cats Go overnight handicap and second in an open allowance May 1. No Nay Hudson won a Dec. 1, 2023 optional claimer in his lone Gulfstream start. Castellano will be up from Post 5.

The last of four also-eligibles is Irish-bred 3-year-old gelding Incanto, who made six starts during the 2024-25 Championship Meet, graduating in a Feb. 12 maiden claimer on Tapeta and winning the five-furlong Texas Glitter March 22 on turf.