DEL MAR — There were some cheers but also plenty of moans and groans heard throughout the Del Mar paddock late Monday afternoon as post positions were drawn for this weekend’s 14 Breeders’ Cup races.
Most of the negative reaction came from the connections of multiple contenders who were presented with potentially unlucky spots in the starting gate.
Trainer Doug O’Neill said Monday morning, “As long as we are in the gate, we’ve got a chance.”
No one would argue with O’Neill, but sometimes those chances can be influenced by starting position, and one of the loudest groans Monday was heard when his Raging Torrent drew the rail for the Sprint. The colt has speed, and he’ll need to show it from the break to avoid getting trapped behind horses from the outside that could cross in front of him.
Skippylongstocking, the second choice on the morning line for the Dirt Mile, can only wish he drew the rail. The horse has speed, but starting from the No. 14 spot he could be forced to use a lot of energy to avoid being caught very wide on the first turn, which comes up quickly.
Also stuck on the far outside in the 12-horse Mile is Carl Spackler, a top contender. At this summer’s Del Mar meeting, just two of 56 horses who started from gates 10 and out at a mile on turf won. Meanwhile, the inside three post positions captured nearly half the races (25 of 55), and the numbers here last fall were fairly similar (14 of 32).
That’s good news for Juvenile Fillies Turf favorite Lake Victoria, who will start from the rail in that one-mile race, but not so much for New Century, the morning-line choice in the Juvenile Turf who must break from No. 11.
On the dirt, two juvenile races will be run at 1 1/16 miles, and Juvenile Fillies favorite Scottish Lassie and Juvenile second choice Chancer McPatrick will be on the far outside. That probably won’t harm the latter nearly as much, though, since he prefers to drop back and should be able to save ground. Juvenile favorite East Avenue will be on the rail.
Six races drew full fields, and two others were one short of capacity. The morning-line favorites, in the order in which the races will be run (the first five are Friday, the other nine Saturday):
Juvenile Turf Sprint: Ecoro Sieg (7-2), unbeaten in two starts in Japan.
Juvenile Fillies: Scottish Lassie (5-2), winner of the Frizette at Aqueduct in her last start.
Juvenile Fillies Turf: Lake Victoria (8-5), an Irish-bred unbeaten in four starts for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Juvenile: East Avenue (5-2), who has won two starts in Kentucky by a total of 13 ¼ lengths.
Juvenile Turf: New Century (5-2), an English-bred who won a stakes race at Woodbine last month in a fast time.
Filly & Mare Sprint: Ways and Means (5-2), a 3-year-old who has won three straight.
Turf Sprint: Cogburn (7-5), who did the unthinkable two starts back, breaking one minute for 5 ½ furlongs on the turf.
Distaff: Thorpedo Anna (4-5), the Kentucky Oaks winner and the heaviest early favorite on the card.
Turf: Rebel’s Romance (5-2), who won this race in 2022, skipped it last year and has won five of six starts this year.
Classic: City of Troy (5-2), a 3-year-old son of Justify who has won all but one of his seven starts but has never raced on dirt. Travers winner Fierceness (3-1) is the second choice.
Filly & Mare Turf: War Like Goddess (5-2), starting in a Breeders’ Cup race for the fourth straight year but still looking for her first win.
Sprint: Federal Judge (3-1), who dominated the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland four weeks ago.
Mile: Notable Speech (7-2), out of the money in two of his last three but trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won this race the last three years.
Dirt Mile: Domestic Product (7-2), a 3-year-old who has not faced older.