Preakness winner Journalism and defending champion Sierra Leone head a loaded field pre-entered Wednesday for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.
Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty was scratched on Saturday after catching a fever, taking the favorite out of the world championship race.
The Classic field was among the 207 horses, including 58 from overseas, pre-entered for the over $34 million, 14-race world championships on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is hosting for the fourth time.
“The best of the best get invited to come here to Breeders' Cup," said Erin Bailey, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's vice president of marketing. "So this is where you'll see 14 great races, championship races of the best horses around the world. It’s an honor to be able to be in one of these races, let alone win one of these races.”
The 11-horse field includes Fierceness and Forever Young, last year's second- and third-place finishers. Others pre-entered Wednesday were Antiquarian, Baeza, Contrary Thinking, Locked, Mindframe and Nevada Beach, trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the Classic four times.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has four entries, and trainer Chad Brown has two.
The Classic has produced 16 Horse of the Year honorees.
Nine horses were pre-entered for the $2 million Juvenile, whose winner is tabbed as the winter favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby. Baffert has three entries — Brant, Desert Gate and Litmus Test — while Pletcher has Ted Noffey.
Eight previous winners return: 2024 Juvenile champion Citizen Bull, 2024 Dirt Mile champion Full Serrano, 2023 Turf Sprint winner Nobals, 2022 and 2024 Turf winner Rebel's Romance, 2024 Sprint winner Straight No Chaser and 2023 Classic winner White Abarrio.
"All eyes are on Rebel’s Romance this year," Bailey said.
Big-name celebrities are expected to be here too, like Elizabeth Banks, Bo Derek and Alex Bregman. And that means a lot of money will be spent at the tracks and around town.
"Collectively, Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup put about $300 million into this economy," Bailey said.
Last year, the Breeders’ Cup pumped more than $100 million into the local economy, through people staying here and eating out around town, such as Jennifer Call and Sarah Geary.
“We are staying at La Valencia in La Jolla," Call said. "It's our favorite place to stay. Yeah, it's so beautiful. And we love La Jolla.”
And they already have a favorite they’re rooting for.
“I’m going with Sierra Leone," Call said.
Last year, the Breeders’ Cup set a global wagering record of $203 million. Organizers say they expect around the same amount this year.
The world championships will open with five races for 2-year-olds in what’s billed as Future Stars Friday on Oct. 31, followed by nine races on Nov. 1.
