From longshots to legends in the making — Breeders’ Cup 2025 delivered early drama. Cy Fair stormed home, Super Corredora wired the field, Balantina stunned at 41-1, and Ted Noffey confirmed his Derby potential in a thrilling Juvenile. The World Championships are officially underway at Del Mar.
DEL MAR, Calif. The 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships kicked off with emotion, surprises, and upsets on Future Stars Friday, as longshots Cy Fair, Super Corredora, and Balantina stunned the crowd, while Ted Noffey lived up to his hype to capture the Juvenile.
In the opening race of the two-day Breeders’ Cup, Cy Fair fought off Schwarzenegger in the stretch to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at odds of 5-1. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by George Weaver, the filly gave Weaver his first Breeders’ Cup victory and delivered a storybook moment for Swinbank Stables, who named her after Cypress-Fairbanks High School in Texas. “Lives were lost. Some families lost their kids at summer camp … six days later, this horse runs in her first race and wins,” co-owner Regan Swinbank shared. “For her to now win a Breeders’ Cup, it’s incredible.” Cy Fair, now 3-for-4 lifetime, returned $12.00 on a $2 win bet. Brussels finished second, followed by Aspect Island, Obliteration, and 3-1 favorite True Love.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) produced another upset when Super Corredora ($19.40) went gate to wire under Hector Berrios for trainer Mike Maker. The 8-1 filly held off Explora and favorites Tommy Jo and Percy’s Bar to win by three-quarters of a length just 20 days after breaking her maiden at Santa Anita. “She’s a filly we had high hopes for,” Maker said. “She has a beautiful stride and keeps improving. Training her here at Del Mar paid off. We knew she could handle the surface.”
In the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), bettors witnessed one of the biggest surprises of the day when Balantina ($43.20) slipped up the rail to win by 1¼ lengths for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, son of Hall of Famer Aidan O’Brien. Pacific Mission finished second in the 1-mile event, capping a remarkable string of upsets on Day 1 of the Championships.
Heavy favorite Ted Noffey lived up to expectations in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), holding off Mr. A.P. and Brant in the stretch to remain unbeaten. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Ted Noffey likely secured the Eclipse Award as top 2-year-old male and established himself as the early favorite for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
The action continues Saturday with nine championship races totaling $34 million in purses, headlined by the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at 6:25 p.m. ET. Despite the scratch of morning-line favorite Sovereignty (6-5), the Classic remains loaded with elite contenders: Fierceness (5-2) Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez, Sierra Leone (7-2) Chad Brown / Flavien Prat, Forever Young (7-2) Yoshito Yahagi / Ryusei Sakai, Mindframe (6-1) Todd Pletcher, Journalism (5-1) Bob Baffert, and Antiquarian (10-1) Todd Pletcher. Pletcher saddles three in the Classic, including Fierceness, Mindframe, and Antiquarian. “There’s some redemption,” owner Mike Repole said. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on all the thrills he’s brought to us.” Japan’s Forever Young aims for payback after last year’s third-place finish. “This is a redemption race,” said jockey Ryusei Sakai. “It may be his last chance to beat both of them, so we’ll give it everything.”
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
