When Breeders’ Cup rebranded its annual event as the World Championships, it could not have anticipated the influx of global talent featured in this year’s turf races at Del Mar. Despite Ireland’s star horse City of Troy opting for the Classic, the turf lineup includes elite competitors from Japan, England, Ireland, and Argentina.
The highlight is the $5 million Longines Turf, boasting Rebels Romance, a 6-year-old Godolphin gelding who won the race in 2022 and has excelled in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Germany since skipping last year’s event. Also in the Turf is Japan’s Shahryar, who previously finished third at Santa Anita and was runner-up to Rebels Romance in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Other contenders include Ireland’s Luxembourg and England’s Jayarebe, who arrives off a victory in the Prix Dollar in France. Fillies and mares are represented by Wingspan and Emily Upjohn, both prominent in recent stakes races.
The $2 million Maker’s Mark Filly Mare Turf features War Like Goddess as the favorite, while the $1 million Prevagen Turf Sprint includes notable sprinter Cogburn. The $2 million FanDuel Mile boasts a robust field of international entries, including notable horses like Notable Speech and Porta Fortuna, alongside strong local competitors.
