The NBC network coverage of the Breeders' Cup Championships Nov. 1 from Del Mar will sign off just as the horses are going to the gate for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). And that's too bad, because the Mile is always a highlight of the event and deserves to be seen by the widest possible audience.
Of all the Breeders' Cup races, the Mile has been the ultimate melting pot, sporting an array of winners over its 42 years almost evenly divided between Europe and North America, while boasting such epic scene-stealers as Miesque, Lure, Da Hoss, Tepin, Goldikova, Royal Heroine, and Wise Dan.
Then again, Tim Yakteen won't care who's watching if stable star Johannes can improve on his second-place finish in the 2024 Mile, also run at Del Mar. The 5-year-old son of Nyquist found himself in a salty stretch duel with the favorite, Notable Speech, and actually had the Godolphin colt measured, when along came More Than Looks to catch them both. Johannes, who beat the only horse he could see, lost by just three-quarters of a length.
After taking the Woodbine Mile Stakes G1T) in September, Notable Speech is back again for the Breeders' Cup, along with Formidable Man, who is unbeaten in six races on the Del Mar grass, and Rhetorical, whose nearly flawless record was embellished last time out in the Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. Program Trading, winner of the 2023 Hollywood Derby (G1T) at Del Mar, will try to improve on his close second in the Keeneland race.
Besides Notable Speech, Europe will be well represented by Sahlan, the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) winner from the powerful Francis-Henri Graffard stable, and Jonquil, who took the Celebration Mile Stakes (G2) at Goodwood Racecourse in August before a close fourth in Keeneland's Turf Mile.
Longshots from across the pond include Coolmore's The Lion in Winter, who has been running well recently without winning, and Juddmonte's Qirat, who has yet to prove his score at 150-1 in the Sussex Stakes (G1) was anything but the wildest fluke. The Irish-trained Bucanero Fuerte, who has never raced beyond 7 furlongs, has been cross-entered in the Mile and the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Adding additional international spice to the Mile field will be Chile's Gran Oriente, South Africa's One Stripe, and Japan's Argine. Canada's grade 2 winner Gas Me Up, who broke his maiden as a 2-year-old at Del Mar, is alone on the alternate's list.
Yakteen sees very little to choose between the Johannes of 2024 and the current model. The difference is how he got to this point. Last year, Johannes entered the Mile for Joe and Debby McCloskey's Cuyathy LLC off four straight stakes scores, including the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) over the course. This time, the Mile will be only his third start of the season, following an early break to heal what the trainer describes as minor bone bruising.
"Johannes had bone bruising after he ran at Churchill Downs as a 3-year-old," said Yakteen, referring to his swing at the 2023 American Turf Stakes (G2T). "We gave him plenty of time off for that, and the results of last year speak for themselves. But then, after six races in his 4-year-old campaign, he gave me the impression that the bone bruising was starting to rear its head. We confirmed that with some diagnostics, and instead of managing it we were able to give him some time.
"We're so fortunate today to be able to detect these situations early," Yakteen said. "The bruising wasn't as advanced the earlier occurrence, so he didn't need as much time. Once he scanned clean, we were able to go on with him and try to pick up where we left off."
Yakteen and the McCloskeys were so delighted with the progress of Johannes that they shot for the moon in his comeback race and shipped to Saratoga Race Course for the Fourstardave Stakes (G1T) in August. The public agreed and made the California invader their favorite.
In the nightmare that ensued, Johannes surrendered any tactical position early under Umberto Rispoli, who was in his 11th collaboration with the horse. So compromised, Rispoli had to take up in tight quarters several times into and around the first turn and found himself at the rear of the field by the time they hit the backstretch. Johannes ground out the final 6 furlongs of the mile race to make up about half of an earlier 10-length deficit to the winner, Deterministic, who is passing on the Breeders' Cup.
"He had trained beautifully, and everything went perfect ... until he came out of the gate," Yakteen said. "Then everything went sideways.
"When you're involved in racing, or in any sport, you have days like that," the trainer added. "You need to put them behind you and go forward. Fortunately, he came out of the race in great shape, and then he ran an absolute dynamite race."
That race was the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Sept. 27. Favored at 20 cents on the dollar, Johannes had a much better trip, although he did take up briefly going into the far turn while nearly running up on the heels of Cabo Spirit. Rispoli quickly righted the ship, and Johannes went on to win by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths.
"By my calculation, he came home that day in 22-and-1, or very close to that," Yakteen said. "I mean, he was smokin'."
Johannes was scheduled to work once more at his home base of Santa Anita before shipping down Interstate 5 Oct. 27 to bed down with the rest of the Mile contenders at Del Mar. The race is scheduled to air at 4:05 p.m. PT on NBC's B-team channels—USA and Peacock—as well as FanDuel, which is only fair, since FanDuel is a sponsor of the Mile along with the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Del Mar, Saturday, November 1, 2025, Race 10Entries: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 One Stripe (SAF) Juan J. Hernandez 126 H. Graham Motion 30/1 2 Notable Speech (GB) William Buick 126 Charles Appleby 5/2 3 Sahlan (IRE) Mickael Barzalona 123 Francis - Henri Graffard 6/1 4 The Lion In Winter (IRE) Christophe Soumillon 123 Aidan P. O'Brien 6/1 5 Program Trading (GB) Flavien Prat 126 Chad C. Brown 10/1 6 Gran Oriente (CHI) Hector Isaac Berrios 126 Jose M. Alvarez 30/1 7 Johannes (KY) Umberto Rispoli 126 Tim Yakteen 8/1 8 Formidable Man (KY) John R. Velazquez 126 Michael W. McCarthy 10/1 9 Argine (JPN) Lanfranco Dettori 123 Mitsumasa Nakauchida 20/1 10 Jonquil (GB) Colin T. Keane 123 Andrew Balding 10/1 11 Rhetorical (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 William Walden 5/1 12 Gas Me Up (ON) Jose L. Ortiz 126 Kevin Attard 30/1 13 Qirat (GB) Rossa Ryan 126 Ralph Beckett 20/1
