The $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash will likely be contested at six furlongs on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Del Mar, and the 2025 version has attracted a high-powered full subject, plus one also-eligible entrant. The Dash will go as Race 6 on Saturday’s Del Mar 12-race Breeders’ Cup program. Who will show to be the quickest of the quick? Here’s a look on the contenders for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dash.
1. Kopion (7-2 morning-line odds): Fleet filly takes on the boys for the primary time however gained’t be a discount on the tote board as one of many possible favorites within the race. She has additionally but to race as quick as this six-furlong distance in her nine-race profession to date. Her greatest promoting factors are her excessive Beyer Velocity Figures, that are among the many greatest within the subject, and she or he has run first or second in all 4 outings of 2025 to date in Grade 1 and Grade 2 stakes races. The one two horses that beat her this yr, Seismic Magnificence and Candy Azteca, are the favorites in Saturday’s Longines Distaff and PNC Financial institution Filly and Mare Dash, respectively, so clearly she has stored elite firm and held her personal. Mike Smith, the all-time winningest jockey in Breeders’ Cup historical past, picks up the mount. A lot to love but in addition comes with some elements to be skeptical about.
JOCKEY: Mike Smith; TRAINER: Richard Mandella
2. Banishing (15-1): Remarkably versatile runner earned wins at six furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs, one mile, and 1 1/8 miles this yr. He’s had success sprinting however seven of his 10 begins in 2025 have been route races. Owns two dash stakes wins this yr with Beyer Velocity Figures of 100 and 97 however each got here in opposition to lesser competitors. Modified barns since his final race and goes out for coach Chad Summers for the primary time with Tyler Gaffalione sustaining the mount.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Chad Summers
3. Lovesick Blues (10-1): Stunned nearly everybody along with his victory at 18-1 odds on this summer season’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at this distance at Del Mar which secured him a “Win and You’re In” berth into this race. His different 5 races this season have been turf sprints, however the Crosby victory was by far his standout profession second to date. Proudly owning a observe and distance Grade 1 win distinguishes him amongst lots of the horses on this race, however the primary query on everybody’s thoughts is that if he can duplicate that win or if it was a fluke. There are a whole lot of questions, however the one factor that’s for sure is the competitors within the Dash will likely be harder than the corporate he beat even on his greatest day.
JOCKEY: Geovanni Franco; TRAINER: Librado Barocio
4. Patriot Spirit (30-1): It’s exhausting to knock a horse coming into this race off two straight dash stakes wins, together with a victory within the Grade 3 Vosburgh Stakes Offered by Military Mule, however this horse however might want to run so much sooner than his current Beyer Velocity Figures of 88 and 90 in an effort to be aggressive on this race. The coach exuded confidence following the Vosburgh and indicated the horse will likely be even higher at six furlongs, however though the Vosburgh is without doubt one of the strongest conventional prep races for the Breeders’ Cup Dash, this yr’s version featured an unusually sub-par subject.
JOCKEY: Javier Castellano; TRAINER: Mike Campbell
5. Large Metropolis Lights (20-1): Ran a dynamite profitable effort in his solely 2025 outing to this point, nevertheless it got here in opposition to California-bred firm, and it occurred 9 months in the past. Now he enters this race with out a current prep. Did face the likes of Dr. Venkman in Santa Anita’s Triple Bend Stakes in mid-2024 and was in a position to run inside a size of that contender, nevertheless it’s troublesome to have any confidence in a horse that’s been away from the races this lengthy when he returns to motion in a top-level spot like this.
JOCKEY: Kazushi Kimura; TRAINER: Richard Mandella
6. Dr. Venkman (15-1): He’s been hanging across the higher echelon of the nationwide dash division all season and he’s held his personal with a win in Del Mar’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes and runner-up finishes within the Grade 2 Santa Anita Dash Championship Stakes offered by Estrella Jalisco behind Creativeness and earlier within the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes behind solely Nysos. Connections flirted with stretching him out to routes late final yr however when he concentrates on sprinting like he has this yr, he has confirmed troublesome to maintain out of the exacta. The one factor he appears to lack to date is that one single standout triple-digit Beyer efficiency which makes you marvel if he’s able to it.
JOCKEY: Umberto Rispoli; TRAINER: Mark Glatt
7. Creativeness (6-1): Exits a win within the Grade 2 Santa Anita Dash Championship over the likes of Dr. Venkman and defending Breeders’ Cup Dash winner Straight No Chaser. The Breeders’ Cup Dash has been held at Del Mar on three prior events, and the Santa Anita Dash Championship has been the important thing race in these years with 2017 winner Roy H coming again to win the Dash, 2021 winner Dr Schivel coming again to run second within the Dash, and 2024 winner Straight No Chaser profitable the Dash final yr. Coach Bob Baffert is the all-time winningest coach within the historical past of this race with 5 wins.
JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Bob Baffert
8. Nakatomi (15-1): Diehard “Die Exhausting” followers of Nakatomi obtained one thing to cheer for final time when the 6-year-old gelding obtained again into the winner’s circle in an enormous method in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes, which is traditionally one of many prime Breeders’ Cup Dash prep races. Nakatomi’s different profession highlights embrace a runner-up end by a neck on this yr’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen and a third-place end within the 2023 operating of the Breeders’ Cup Dash at Santa Anita. In a 14-horse subject loaded with world-class pace, Nakatomi will likely be biding his time close to the rear of the sector within the opening levels of the race and from there he will likely be pace-dependent on the leaders operating out of steam whereas additionally hoping fortune smiles on him sufficient to get a clear journey although or round a crowded subject. Yippee-ki-yay!
JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Wesley Ward
9. American Stage (30-1): Invades from Japan with three outings on his ledger this yr, together with a pair of races in Dubai earlier this season adopted by a near-miss second-place end in a 16-horse race in his lone Japan prep race. Confronted Nakatomi within the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen in April and completed sixth by 3 ½ lengths whereas 3 ¼ lengths behind Nakatomi. Owns front-end pace however can have loads of firm up entrance within the Dash.
JOCKEY: Ryusei Sakai; TRAINER: Yoshito Yahagi
10. Bentornato (5-2): Final yr’s Breeders’ Cup Dash runner-up at Del Mar is again once more this yr trying to take the subsequent step. Connections have opted for just one prep race this season, which Bentornato gained large within the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes in September at Churchill Downs. In three seasons to date in his profession, this horse has solely raced 10 instances however when he sticks to sprints, he has been practically unbeatable with six wins and two seconds in eight races. One of many losses got here on this race final yr a half a size behind Straight No Chaser, so in an effort to win he’ll want to begin by turning the tables on the defending champ. It looks like he actually might do it primarily based on his spectacular prep win and Straight No Chaser’s susceptible marketing campaign in 2025. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has gained the Dash three of the final 5 years and was not aboard this horse for final yr’s defeat.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Jose D’Angelo
11. Mullikin (15-1): Mullikin loved a superior season in 2024 and ran properly on this race final yr however fell three lengths quick behind Straight No Chaser and Bentornato with a third-place end. This yr, nevertheless, has not been as type to Mullikin and he’s winless in 4 2025 begins to this point. Appears to do a lot of his greatest operating in his profession at Saratoga however enters this race off a seventh-place end within the Grade 1 Forego Stakes on Aug. 23 and has not raced since. Ran his greatest profession pace determine two races in the past when second behind E-book’em Danno at this six-furlong distance and desires a rebound to greatest type in an effort to have solely an outdoor likelihood.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Rodolphe Brisset
12. Straight No Chaser (8-1): Defending Breeders’ Cup Dash winner and Eclipse Award champion goes for quantity two and there’s a precedent for back-to-back wins on this race because it has already been achieved thrice. Straight No Chaser obtained off to a terrific begin this yr with a win within the $2 million Riyadh Dust Dash and was starting to look unbeatable at that time till his air of invincibility was shattered by an eighth-place end within the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. Final yr, he got here into this race off a formidable wire-to-wire win within the Santa Anita Dash Championship, and he used that very same race as a prep once more this time however with out the identical outcomes, ending third behind two of those identical contenders. Which model of Straight No Chaser will we see on Saturday, the unbeatable monster that confirmed up final yr or the frustration we witnessed in his final two begins? Leaning towards the previous however wouldn’t be shocked by the latter.
JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Dan Blacker
13. Mad Home (30-1): Dash steamroller from Canterbury Park gained large in three races in a row in Minnesota after which took his present on the highway to Parx Racing final time and gained the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard. He’s a pleasant Cinderella story however the water is about to get a complete heckuva lot deeper within the Breeders’ Cup Dash. Makes use of blazing pace to nice impression in his victories so search for him to go for the lead at Del Mar and go as quick as he can so far as he can up entrance. If nobody else “sends,” you by no means know.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: David Van Winkle
14. Whatchatalkinabout (30-1): The far exterior of the beginning gate might not be the most effective place to search for your Breeders’ Cup Dash longshot except you’ve got a horse like Mad Home with the pace to ship and clear a lot of the sector. This horse lacks that early pace, nevertheless, and appears to lack the required profession credentials, apart from his Grade 3 win earlier this yr at Belmont on the Large A. Misplaced to Nakatomi final time when third in Keeneland’s Phoenix Stakes. Exhausting to consider that coach Wesley Ward, identified for coaching blazing speedsters, has by no means gained the Dash.
JOCKEY: Emisael Jaramillo; TRAINER: Wesley Ward
AE-15. Valiant Power (30-1): Irish invader lands on the also-eligible checklist and desires no less than one defection to get into the sector. Enters this race off a pleasant win final time going 5 furlongs, however that race was on an all-weather floor and in opposition to method lesser firm. He has by no means gained on dust and even ever raced on this floor earlier than, and it is a robust spot to try to make a profitable debut.
JOCKEY: David Egan; TRAINER: Adrian Murray
THE PICK: Bentornato
LIVE LONGSHOT: Mad Home
SUPERFECTA: 10-12-7-13
