The countdown is on. As the summer heat begins to ease up and the chill of fall begins to creep in, the biggest event in American racing looms large on the horizon. That, of course, is the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This two-day torrent of adrenaline isn’t just about the staggering prize money on offer—it’s the place where legends are born or broken under the harshest of pressure.
Throughout the two-day extravaganza, 14 races will take place with a slew of contenders all gunning to have their names written in the history books. But what of the storied showcase’s most prestigious races? Well, there are four that stand somewhat clear of the rest, and here are the favorites to win each of them.
Can Sovereignty Cap A Blockbuster 2025?
Sovereignty is no longer just a contender. His sensational calendar year ensures that Bill Mott’s charge is very much the one to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the meeting’s marquee race. And don’t just take our word for it; take the word of horse racing betting sites.
One can bet on horses at Bovada, and the American betting giant has installed Sovereignty as the short-priced +150 favorite to reign supreme in the Del Mar crown Jewel in a couple of months. It’s unfamiliar territory for arguably America’s finest three-year-old, however, as he found himself as an outsider twice earlier in the year, only to storm to victory past the much-fancied Journalism on both occasions. Folks looking to bet on horses have enjoyed a roller-coaster ride in the last few months, courtesy of his work.
Start with the Kentucky Derby—a tactical masterclass to upset his well-backed rival and reign supreme. After sitting out the Peakness – allowing Journalism to claim a thrilling victory – many considered Sovereignty a narrow outsider for the Belmont. Once again, however, just like at Churchill Downs, he imposed his will on the rest of the field to claim his second victory in Triple Crown races.
The figures are as cold as they are compelling. Wire-to-wire speed, final quarter-miles in the sub-24 range, and the rare blend of a sprinter’s acceleration with a stayer’s lungs. It’s not just writing victories—Sovereignty is eroding the competitive will of an entire crop.
Yet, the Classic’s mile and a quarter is a place where certainty withers. Sierra Leone, the reigning king, launches his defense off a Whitney hammer blow. Fierceness, who shocked Del Mar in the Pacific Classic, is back with a vengeance and a fighter’s heart, odds shortening all the time. Then, there’s Journalism, who would be able to secure redemption if he could upset the odds like his rival has done twice before.
Does the script allow for an upset? Or is this Sovereignty’s coronation? We’re about to find out.
Rebel’s Romance and his Veteran Vigor
Switch gears to the 1½-mile Turf—a gallop where careers culminate and late bursts rewrite destinies. The veteran Rebel’s Romance heads into the clash as the +400 favorite; however, he is expected to be pushed hard throughout.
The Charlie Appleby-Godolphin axis has managed the seven-year-old with forensic precision, steering around setbacks to emerge with wins at Royal Ascot’s Hardwicke and Germany’s Grosser Preis von Berlin. Yet, this is turf where a single split-second jostle or a muddy patch turns the narrative upside down.
El Cordobes is Ireland’s answer, blending elegant cruising speed with stamina on an upward trajectory, his victory at Saratoga catching sharp analysts’ roving eyes. Rousham Park, Japan’s turbo-charged closer, makes waves with some of the best late splits this continent will see all weekend. And then there is the European phalanx—seldom hyped, never harmless.
Notable Speech Finds Rhythm at the Crucial Hour
The Mile is a study in chaos—wall-to-wall speed and willpower tested in a boiling cauldron of 14 runners. Notable Speech is another jewel for Appleby, and Godolphin takes his place as the people’s choice as the +450 favorite, not because his season was perfect, but because he lived through the fire and emerged sharper. His Sussex Stakes win wasn’t just a path to Del Mar; it was a balletic escape through traffic, capped by a punch-away that banished June’s doubts.
His data stack is compelling: race-best sectionals, recurrent ability to re-accelerate after trouble, and a closing kick that has rattled bookmakers to their core. Porta Fortuna, a filly as tough as a two-dollar steak, stays in the argument race-in, race-out, and owns the highest average Beyer in the field when the pressure’s on. Johannes represents the home team—consistent, resourceful, and never beaten for effort—while More Than Looks, with a devastating late engine, is primed to turn chaos into history.
The Mile is for the opportunists, the nimble, the tacticians—and in that swirl, will Notable Speech voice his class again?
Thorpedo Anna Remains Relentless
Under Kenny McPeek’s stewardship, Thorpedo Anna has sharpened her natural speed, and her ironclad finishing mentality secures her spot as the +250 favorite in the Distaff. Her three-length Fleur de Lis display was clinical, but her true mettle flashed in the Personal Ensign—a trench battle decided by inches over Dorth Vader, another gifted graduate of the division.
The aforementioned Dorth Vader returns, packing the Ogden Phipps as her calling card, and with an appetite for rematches. Randomized, the closer du jour, carries acceleration that could flatten any tired leader in the final sixteenth, while Hope Road is the wild card. Expert fireworks in this one.
