With the thinnest cloud cover in the sky and spectacular temperatures the morning of Oct. 31, Del Mar prepared to roll out the red carpet for the 42nd Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Del Mar is hosting the 14-race event for the fourth time after previously welcoming Breeders' Cup in 2017, 2021, and 2024. There will be five Breeders' Cup races on Friday and nine on Saturday, Nov. 1.
As usual Del Mar has delivered in the weather category, as the forecast calls for Breeders' Cup Friday to open with temperatures of 68 degrees for the first race at about 11:35 a.m. PT (2:35 p.m. ET). Temperatures will remain in that ballpark throughout the day, with a high of 70 degrees expected.
There is no rain in the forecast and the surfaces are listed as fast and firm.
The Breeders' Cup races will begin with Race 6 on Friday's card, the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at about 2:45 p.m. PT (5:45 p.m. ET). The five Breeders' Cup races, and 10-race card overall, will conclude with the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at about 5:25 p.m. PT (8:25 p.m. ET).
Early scratches from Breeders' Cup races announced as of 9:45 a.m. PT are:
Race 6: #2 Military Code and also-eligibles #14 Should've, #15 Bobrovsky, #16 Rogue Legend, and #17 Bacio
Race 8: #13 Precise
Race 9: #2 Blackout Time, #5 Civil Liberty
Race 10: also-eligible #15 Caro Buono
Precise was withdrawn due to a lung infection, trainer Aidan O'Brien told Racing Post. She was scoped after coughing repeatedly on Friday morning.
"So we got her scoped and she had phlegm in her throat," O'Brien said. "We sent off her (blood) to the lab for testing and she's got an infection. It seems like she has picked up a little bug or something and her temperature has started to rise.
"It's probably something of nothing and she'll be absolutely fine, but she obviously won't be running. Things like this can always happen when you're travelling. You're always at risk, but she will be absolutely fine in no time."
Blackout Time was a veterinary scratch.
BloodHorse will update this story with any additional Breeders' Cup scratches announced.
