NBC Sports will provide extensive coverage of the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar on October 31 – November 1. The season-culminating event features 14 races worth more than $34 million in prize money and prizes.
The action kicks off on “Future Stars Friday,” when promising 2-year-olds from around the world compete in five Breeders’ Cup races, with the first four airing on USA Network from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET. The $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, serves as the centerpiece of the card. The last of the five World Championship races, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Race #10), will be streamed live on Peacock.
Coverage on USA Network will resume from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET on Championship Saturday, before switching to NBC from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM ET. Post time for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, a 1 ¼-mile race that often goes a long way in determining the Horse of the Year, is set for 6:25 p.m. ET. Then it’s back to USA Network from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET. Additionally, all races will be streamed live on Peacock.
As always, NBC’s broadcast will rely heavily on Randy Moss’ expert analysis. He explored many aspects of the Breeders’ Cup during an extensive question-and-answer session on behalf of America’s Best Racing.
PEDULLA: I think defending champion Sierra Leone has gone a bit under the radar for a horse that has been on the board in all thirteen of his career starts. Can he repeat?
MOSS: He’ll need a fast pace, which is why they put a pacemaker in for him in Contrary Thinking. Last year you could have argued that Fierceness was the better horse because Fierceness had the pace high and Sierra Leone benefited from sitting back and picking up the pieces. That’s one reason why Sierra Leone might fly a little under the radar here. But he certainly has a chance.
PEDULLA: Fierceness finished fifth in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, then impressively won the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar. Are you bothered by this inconsistency?
MOSS: He has always been a bit inconsistent. That was the criticism of Fierceness in his 3 year old. He has improved in that area. The Whitney was a bit of a head scratcher. He ran a very good race in the Pacific Classic. For the first time in his career he overcame adversity. He seems to do better on the faster racing surfaces in Southern California.
PEDULLA: Saudi Cup winner Forever Young has completed just one race since finishing third in the Dubai World Cup in early April. Does that worry you?
MOSS: That doesn’t bother me at all. Last year in the fall he had one race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in Japan and that set him up well for the Breeders’ Cup. He was probably too close to the pace, just like Fierceness. He rode a great race and finished third. He may now be a better horse as a four-year-old than as a three-year-old. His race in the Saudi Cup was the best dirt race in the world so far this year. If he can duplicate that form in the Classic, he has a great chance.
PEDULLA: How costly is it for Mindframe to lose its rider in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, its last race before the Classic?
MOSS: Marginal I would say. If [trainer] Todd Pletcher noted that he got something out of the race because he was running there without a runner. Todd had the option of preparing him again and bringing him back for the Breeders’ Cup, and he felt like he didn’t really need to. I’d trust Pletcher on that one. The question is simply: ‘Is Mindframe good enough?’
PEDULLA: Can the switch to Jose Ortiz to ride Journalism make a difference for him or is it still an uphill climb?
MOSS: To me, you can take the names of the top 20 riders in the country, put them in a bag and take one out, and they’re all good enough to win these big races. I don’t think it makes much difference. [Umberto] Rispoli has shown in the Kentucky Derby, in the Belmont Stakes and in the Pacific Classic that he is able to ride the horse without incident and ride it very well. For me, I don’t pay any attention to the jockey change at all.
PEDULLA: Can Rebel’s Romance win the Longines Turf for a third time or is he possibly not the same horse at the age of seven?
MOSS: In his last race in New York he was as good as he ever was. He clearly has the advantage of being a seasoned traveler. This will be his fifth trip across the Atlantic Ocean to run in the United States. He was successful in the Breeders’ Cup twice before. That eliminates an ongoing cause for concern for horses coming into the United States from Europe. How do they deal with the journey? How do they deal with the difference in racing style in the United States, the tighter corners, things like that.
PEDULLA: Who is Japan’s best hope for a Breeders’ Cup winner this year?
MOSS: Maybe I underestimate some of their horses. Their form is difficult for us to gauge because not many Japanese runners come to the United States. In many cases we really don’t know how they compare to our best horses. But when I look at the Japanese horses on paper, Forever Young is the only one for me that I can say with any confidence that he has a very good chance.
PEDULLA: Who is your choice for the Longines Distaff?
MOSS: Seismic beauty, without a doubt. Even if Thorpedo Anna had been in the Distaff, I’d choose Seismic Beauty. She really is cooking on all cylinders. There isn’t much early speed in the race. It’s a home run for her and the Bob Baffert barn. If she runs like she did in her last two, you’ll probably see her in the winner’s circle.
PEDULLA: Can I ask you for a live longshot?
MOSS: It’s possible that See the Fire in the Filly & Mare Turf will go 8-1 or 10-1. Americans will not be very familiar with its European form. There’s She Feels Pretty, who always puts in a lot of effort. You have a pair of Godolphin [runners] as they have an excellent shape. See The Fire is perhaps the best prize game of the two days.
PEDULLA: Finally, which horses make up your top four for the Classic?
MOSS: Wildness, Sierra Leone, Forever Young, Baeza.
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