The Breeders’ Cup is the richest weekend on the horse racing calendar with purses totaling more than $34 million for the 14 races. The weekend features the sport’s top trainers, jockeys, and thoroughbreds.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the highlight of the event with the richest purse in the sport at $7 million.
Pre-race favorite Sovereignty was scratched due to a fever, but the race still features an elite field of nine horse, eight of whom have won Grade 1 races.
While Triple Crown races are restricted to three-year-olds, the Breeders’ Cup Classic is open to thoroughbreds three years old and older. This year’s Classic features horses from 3-5 years old.
That is why this race can feature among others, last year’s Classic winner along with this year’s winner of the Preakness. Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young finished 1-2-3 in last year’s Classic, and each is in the field in 2025 pitted against younger talent including Baeza and Journalism from this year’s Triple Crown races.
How to Watch the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic
- Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
- Post Time: 6:25P Eastern
- Purse: $7 million
- Distance: 1¼ miles
- Site: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
- City: Del Mar, CA
- TV/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
- Weather forecast: Sunny, high of 71
NBC Betting Analyst and horse racing enthusiast Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) broke down the star-studded field.
“Despite the scratch of the pre-race favorite Sovereignty, this is still one of the best races of the last few years and in fact may be more compelling now that the top six choices are so close in terms of consistency and strength. The market will ultimately dictate the best value for this race but as we look at the Morning Line and trends it seems the bet will be on Sierra Leone at 7/2 to repeat as the BC Classic Champ considering he is the strongest closer in the field and can put together the best sustained closing kick. No real concern about a pace meltdown here and he will almost certainly have to catch and pass the pre-race favorite Fierceness in the stretch, but I think it will be deja vu all over again from last year with Sierra Leone over Fierceness in the exacta.”
2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic Full Field and Post Positions
The following is a snapshot of each horse in the field including their age, lineage, jockey, trainer, and a career note.
(Horses listed by Post Position)
- Age: 4 | Sire: City of Light
- Jockey: John Velazquez | Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- Career Note: Wins in 7 of 13 races last 3 years
- Age: 3 | Sire: McKinzie
- Jockey: Hector Berrios | Trainer: John A. Shirreffs
- Career Note: Finished 3rd in the 2025 Kentucky
Derby and the Belmont Stakes
- Age: 3 | Sire: Omaha Beach
- Jockey: Mike E. Smith | Trainer: Bob Baffert
- Career Note: 1st in the Goodwood Stakes (G1)
- Age: 5 | Sire: Into Mischief
- Jockey: Florent Geroux | Trainer: Chad C. Brown
- Career Note: Began racing as a 4-year-old
Has not finished Top 3 in only 2 Stakes races (G1)
Jockey: Ryusei Sakai | Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi
Career Note: 3rd in the 2024 Kentucky Derby
and 3rd in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic
- Age: 3 | Sire: Into Mischief
- Jockey: NA | Trainer: William I. Mott
- Career Note: Won 2025 Kentucky Derby
and 2025 Belmont Stakes
Jockey: Flavien Prat | Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Career Note: Won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2024
Won the Eclipse Award in 2024
- Age: 4 | Sire: Constitution
- Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. | Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- Career Note: 2nd in 2024 Belmont
1st in 2025 Stephen Foster (beat Sierra Leone)
- Age: 3 | Sire: Curlin
- Jockey: Jose Ortiz | Trainer: Michael McCarthy
- Career Note: Won 2025 Preakness
2nd at 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes
- Age: 4 | Sire: Preservationist
- Jockey: Luis Saez | Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher
- Career Note: Won 2025 Jockey Gold Cup
Enjoy the weekend of racing on NBC/Peacock.
