BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Five Florida-breds, led by Dorth Vader in the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade 1) and Bentornato in the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), will head to the post Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Thoroughbred racing’s largest stage, The Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The 12-race card features nine Breeders’ Cup races with purses of $23 million highlighted by the $7 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Florida-breds are entered in three Breeders’ Cup races Saturday. In addition to Dorth Vader and Bentornato, Mad House also goes in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint while Reef Runner and Bring Theband Home are set for the $1 Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

With Lennilu in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) and Ground Crew and Ultimate Lover in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) today at Del Mar, eight Florida-breds are entered in Breeders’ Cup races this year—the most since 11 Florida-breds raced in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint goes as the fifth race on the card with a post time of 3:41 p.m. ET. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint will go as Race 6 with 4:21 p.m. ET post time and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff is the seventh race with a 5:01 p.m. ET post. Those three races can been seen on NBC, peacock and FanDuel TV.

John Ropes’ homebred Dorth Vader is labeled as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line for the Distaff, behind program favorite Seismic Beauty at 9-5 and Nitrogen at 4-1. A field of 12 fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older will assemble for the mile-and-one-eighth Distaff.

With earnings of $1,018,218 from five wins in 17 starts, Dorth Vader enters off a strong second-place finish to 2024 Horse of the Year and 2024 Breeders’ Cup Distaff-winner Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign going nine furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 23. Earlier this year, Dorth Vader earned her first Grade 1 with smart four-and-three-quarters-length victory in the nine-furlong Ogden Phipps at Saratoga on June 6.

Dorth Vader is by Girvin out of Hardcore Candy, by Yonaguska.

John Velazquez will ride Dorth Vader from post 11 after the scratch of Scottish Lassie.

The Breeders’ Cup Sprint has 14 3-year-olds and older entered to go six furlongs with Bentornato the 5-2 morning line favortie.

Bentornato comes off a five-and-a-half-length score in the $267,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 13. 

 

That was his only start of the year and first since finishing second to Straight No Chaser in last year’s Sprint.

By Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister, Bentornato is trained by Jose D’Angelo for Leon King Stable Corp and Michael and Jules Iavarone. The Iavarones purchased a 25% share in Bentornato for $1 million Wednesday evening at the Keeneland Champion Sale held in the Paddock at Del Mar.

Bred in Florida by Tanma Corp., Bentornato is out of Her Special Way by Put It Back and was a $170,000 purchase by Champion Equine out of the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He also went through the ring at OBS as a yearling in October of 2022, bringing $45,000 on a final bid from Pro Racing Stable. He was consigned by Stuart Morris.

Bentornato has won six of 10 starts with earnings of $1,282,180 and will be ridden from post 10 by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Florida-bred Mad House rides a four-race win streak into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for trainer David VanWinkle and owner James Thares. After winning three straight races at Canterbury Downs, Mad House upset the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing on Sept. 20, winning by nearly three lengths at odds of 23-1.

Mad House has won four of nine career starts with earnings of $281,815. He is by Vekoma out of Stifled Heiress, by Munnings and was bred in Florida by Jean White, Wavertree Farm and SGV Thoroughbreds. Wavertree consigned him to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale where Thares took him for $47,000.

Louis Saez will ride Mad House from post 13 and he is 30-1 on the morning line.

Reef Runner and Bring Theband Home are among a dozen 3-year-olds and older in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at five furlongs on the grass.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s homebred Reef Runner has crossed the finish line in three straight but was disqualified and placed second in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 30. Undeterred, trained David Fawkes rolled the 4-year-old gelding back into the Grade 2 Eddie D on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita on Sept. 27 when he came from last of eight to win by a half-length.

Reef Runner, a son of The Big Big Beast out of Paradise Bay, by Blame, has earned $502,405 from six wins in 20 starts.

He is 6-1 in the program and will be ridden from post two by Tyler Gaffalione.

Live Oak Plantation homebred Bring Theband Home, who earlier this year won the $150,000 Harvey Pack (Listed) and Grade 2 Troy, both going five-and-a-half furlongs on the grass at Saratoga, enters the Turf Sprint for trainer Mark Casse.

The 5-year-old gelded son of Into Mischief out of Tizatude, by Street Cry (Ire) has six wins in 14 starts with lifetime income of $508,556.

Javier Castellano will ride from post five and they are listed at 12-1 in the program.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Florida-bred Contenders

Return to the October 31 issue of Wire to Wire