Ken McPeek, trainer and part-owner of Thorpedo Anna, was interviewed in a video clip Oct. 9 that seemed to suggest the 2024 Horse of the Year could be retired before getting a chance to defend her 2024 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) victory. We'll see.
While the racing world will learn the connections' plans for the 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna in the days ahead—and it certainly would be a blow to this year's Breeders' Cup roster—there are a number of former winners pointing to this year's World Championships.
As we're three weeks out from Breeders' Cup Friday, let's look at some of the past winners expected to return for one of this year's races. This year's Breeders' Cup is a return engagement at Del Mar, which could be a nice fit for winners returning from last year.
Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) figures to feature a pair of previous Breeders' Cup winners in Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
Campaigned by Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith, Sierra Leone will return to the same track where he rallied from 11th to post a clear victory in the 2024 Classic. That victory lifted him to the 3-year-old male championship.
At 4 this year, he has added a win in the Whitney Stakes (G1) and placings in two other grade 1 stakes.
Also back is last year's Classic runner-up Fierceness. Currently campaigned by breeder Repole Stable, as well as three of the Sierra Leone owners in Magnier, Tabor, and Derrick Smith; Fierceness captured the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) to secure champion 2-year-old male honors.
He enters this year's Classic off a win on the track, as he overwhelmed seven rivals in the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) to score by 3 1/4 lengths.
Turf
Rebel's Romance will aim to join one of the Breeders' Cup's most exclusive clubs when the Godolphin homebred son of Dubawi attempts to land a third victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) after scores in 2022 and last year, when he earned champion turf male honors.
He would join Beholder and Goldikova as the only horses to win three Breeders' Cup races and he would be the first male to win three times. Beholder won the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), 2013 Distaff, and the 2016 Distaff. Goldikova is the only horse to win Breeders' Cup races in three straight years, as she won each edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) from 2008-10.
Sprint
Straight No Chaser will try to provide more magic for his MyRacehorse owners when the 6-year-old Speightster horse attempts to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) for a second straight year. This season Straight No Chaser added a victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) in Saudi Arabia and enters off a third-place finish in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2).
Turf Sprint
Gelding Nobals will try to land this race for the second time in three years. Campaigned by Patricia's Hope, the now 6-year-old son of Noble Mission scored a narrow victory in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. He enters off a runner-up finish in the Oct. 4 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.
Dirt Mile
A trio of previous Breeders' Cup winners are expected to meet in this year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Last year's winner, Hronis Racing's Full Serrano, will enter off a runner-up finish in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. While the son of Full Mast will be making just his third start of 2025, trainer John Sadler told Daily Racing Form this week that his runner will enter in top form.
"I think he's right where he was last year," Sadler told DRF. "I don't see any drop-off on him. He's in good shape and strong."
Also expected is the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, White Abarrio, who earlier this season captured the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). The 6-year-old son of Race Day enters off a troubled fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
White Abarrio worked a half-mile in :45.86 at Gulfstream Park Oct. 9 and Joseph said the plan is to work him twice more at the South Florida track before shipping to Del Mar Oct. 23.
Also pointing to the Dirt Mile is last year's Juvenile winner, Citizen Bull, who races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
Last year's champion 2-year-old male will enter off a victory on the Del Mar surface as the son of Into Mischief captured the Shared Belief Stakes going a mile Aug. 31. Citizen Bull has won three of his four Del Mar starts.
