For the fourth year in a row more than 200 pre-entries have been accepted for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Connections of top Thoroughbreds from around the globe have declared their intention to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar, with 207 pre-entries recorded this week for the international festival of racing. That number is down slightly from the 212 entered last year, also at Del Mar.

Pre-entries for all 14 races of 2025 Breeders’ Cup

Pre-entry is the first of a two-step process for all owners intending to start a contender in one of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. The entry stage takes place Oct. 27 when post positions will be drawn live on FanDuel TV beginning at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The draw will also be streamed on BreedersCup.com, the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app, and YouTube, Facebook, and X social channels.

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The World Championships will feature 14 Grade 1 races and more than $34 million in purses and awards, as the sport’s top horses, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys converge on racing’s biggest stage. Headlining the list of 191 individual contenders targeting the two-day celebration are the top three finishers from last year’s $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young — preparing to face off in a rematch for the ages, alongside leading 3-year-olds Sovereignty and Journalism.

Antiquarian, Baeza, Contrary Thinking, Locked, Mindframe, and Nevada Beach complete a deep cast pre-entered for the Classic. Chad Brown, trainer of late-running Sierra Leone, has entered the speedy Contrary Thinking in each of Sierra Leone’s previous two races — a win in the Whitney Stakes and runner-up finish in a roughly run Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes.

Sixteen Breeders’ Cup Classic winners have gone on to earn Horse of the Year honors at the Eclipse Awards, reflecting the elite caliber of competition that defines the World Championships.

Del Mar will host the Breeders’ Cup for the fourth time, following a record-setting 2024 edition that achieved a new global wagering benchmark of $203.7 million. Horses from five continents — Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America — have been pre-entered, including 58 from abroad. Contenders hail from Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, Ireland, France, Japan, Peru, South Africa, the United States, and Uruguay.

Straight No Chaser wins 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Eclipse Sportswire)

Underscoring the exceptional depth and quality across all divisions this year, eight Breeders’ Cup winners will seek another victory: Citizen Bull, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; Fierceness, winner of the 2023 Juvenile; Full Serrano, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile; Nobals, winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; Rebel’s Romance, winner of the 2022 and 2024 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf; Sierra Leone, winner of the 2024 Classic; Straight No Chaser, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint; and White Abarrio, winner of the 2023 Classic. 

Additionally, 46 individual pre-entered horses qualified through the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series — an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the World Championships.

“The incredible group of horses pre-entered for this year’s Breeders’ Cup reflects the unmatched quality and global prestige of the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “The divisions are loaded with champions, classic winners, and international stars. We are deeply grateful to the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and teams, whose dedication and care make it possible for these extraordinary Thoroughbreds to put on an incredible show.

“Our thanks also go to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for their partnership, to our nominators for their vital support, and to the passionate fans and bettors whose enthusiasm continues to drive our sport forward. We can’t wait to deliver another unforgettable edition of the World Championships at Del Mar.”

EXTENSIVE COVERAGE PLANNED

NBC Sports will produce more than 10 hours of racing coverage during the World Championships, airing live across NBC and USA Network. NBC’s full coverage will also be simul-streamed on Peacock, providing live, continuous coverage of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races.

The programming is anchored by a 3 1/2-hour NBC broadcast window Saturday (12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m. ET), featuring the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, alongside four other Championship races. FanDuel TV also will present live, continuous coverage of every Championship and undercard race through the Breeders’ Cup Players’ Show, available on FanDuel TV, BreedersCup.com, the official Breeders’ Cup app, Breeders’ Cup YouTube, Facebook, and X  social channels, all major advance-deposit wagering platforms, and simulcast outlets worldwide.

The Championships will reach fans in more than 180 countries, including live telecasts on ITV4, Sky Sports Racing, and Racing TV in the UK; Virgin Media in Ireland; ESPN in Latin America; Green Channel, Abema TV, and Netkeiba in Japan; Sportsnet in Canada; SuperSport across Africa; FanCode in India; and more. For complete domestic and international broadcast details, visit BreedersCup.com/Watch. 

Fans can learn more about their favorites via the contender profiles at BreedersCup.com, which provide extensive statistics, race replays, news, photos, and more, and via the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app. Additionally, information about each Breeders’ Cup race may be found at BreedersCup.com/Races.