As the dust settles on another Breeders’ Cup, new stars have emerged, familiar faces reaffirmed their greatness, and the 2025 racing season moves closer to the finish line with storylines that have reshaped the Equibase Leaderboard.

This year’s $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar was one of the most competitive fields in its history with eight of the nine runners already having a Grade 1 win before the starting gates opened. Despite the scratch of dual classic winner and morning-line favorite Sovereignty, the field of nine had more than $36.6 million in combined purse earnings and featured a rematch the top-three from the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic: Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young.

Japan’s Forever Young returned to the U.S. with purpose and delivered a brilliant performance. The 4-year-old son of Real Steel cemented his place among the sport’s all-time greats, capturing the Classic by a half-length in his only North American start of the year. Taking command on the far turn, he powered through the stretch to claim the lion’s share of the purse for trainer Yoshito Yahagi under jockey Ryusei Sakai. The victory propelled Forever Young to third overall on the Equibase standings and first among older males, while also making him the all-time earnings leader among horses with at least one start in the U.S. or Canada.

Ethical Diamond, a 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding for the Willie Mullins stable, delivered a performance for the ages in his first career start stateside, setting a new course record going 1 ½ miles on the turf in 2:25.45 and surging clear to win the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of 27.70-1. Ethical Diamond took home $2.6 million in earnings from the monster Turf purse and moved into second in the 2025 older male division and fourth overall with just one start in North America. He earned a 124 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF) for his win, topping all 2025 Breeders’ Cup horses and all horses in North America last week.

Jose D’Angelo, right, congratulates Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Shisospicy (Eclipse Sportswire)

Trainer Jose D’Angelo celebrated his first career Breeders’ Cup victory on Saturday when Shisospicy, with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, captured the Prevagen Turf Sprint in dazzling fashion. The daughter of Mitole has been outstanding throughout her 3-year-old campaign, visiting the winner’s circle five times this season, including three graded stakes triumphs. Before her Breeders’ Cup success, she dominated the $2 million AGS Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs. With her Turf Sprint victory, Shisospicy vaulted to the top of the 3-year-old filly division and climbed to sixth on the overall Equibase Leaderboard with $2,044,645 in earnings this year.

In the very next race, D’Angelo earned his second Breeders’ Cup victory with Bentornato, again ridden by Ortiz Jr., who won the 2025 Bill Shoemaker Award given to the weekend’s outstanding jockey for the sixth time. Bentornato kicked clear to win the Cygames Sprint by 2 ¼ lengths, earning a career best 118 Equibase Speed Figure. This was just Bentornato’s second start of the year following a runner-up finish in the 2024 Sprint. The 4-year-old rocketed up the leaderboard into 31st overall and 12^th in the older male division with $1,190,350 in 2025 earnings.

Ted Noffey, a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt, remained perfect in four starts, winning the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance by a length under John Velazquez. Since breaking his maiden by 1 ½ lengths at Saratoga in August for trainer Todd Pletcher, Ted Noffey has gone on to win three straight Grade 1 races, dominating the Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes by 8 ½ lengths and the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity by 2 ¾ lengths before his Juvenile win. The Spendthrift Farm homebred moved into 13^th in the overall standings and first in the 2-year-old male division with $1,657,963 in earnings.

Super Corredora led from start to finish to win the NetJets Juvenile Fillies at 8.80-1 odds for trainer John Sadler with Hector Berrios aboard. Super Corredora broke her maiden in her third career start at Santa Anita Oct. 11 and graduated to a graded stakes winner in the Juvenile Fillies. The Gun Runner filly shot up the leaderboard into 36^th overall and is now first in the 2-year-old filly division with $1,093,600 in earnings.

John Sadler, a name that has been synonymous with success in the saddle, continues another incredible year of riding. On Saturday, Prat had two Breeders’ Cup victories, winning the PNC Bank Filly and Mare Sprint aboard Splendora as well as the Dirt Milewith Nysos over stablemate Citizen Bull. He returned to New York on Sunday and rode an unprecedented seven winners at Belmont at the Big A, the most of any jockey in NYRA history. He finished the week winning at a 29% clip with 10 wins and $3,383,300 in earnings, surpassing $35 million in 2025 earnings. Prat remains first in the standings over Irad Ortiz Jr. in second.

Last week’s top trainer by earnings — Yoshito Yahagi: 1 win, $3,740,000

Last week’s top jockey by earnings — Ryusei Sakai: 1 win, $3,740,000

Last week’s top Equibase Speed Figure — Ethical Diamond: 124 ESF

North American leaders lists for horses, jockeys, trainers and owners are available on equibase.com and you can filter the data to view by a wide variety of categories including age, sex, surface and race type.