The second day of action at Santa Anita brings with it the real meat of the Breeders' Cup meetings with a whopping nine World Championships races on the card at Santa Anita.
They include a mouthwatering Breeders' Cup Turf just before the Breeders' Cup Classic itself at 22:40.
The Breeders' Cup races run from 18:30-00:00 UK-time on Saturday evening and Enda McElhinney has looked ahead to all the action from California.
18:30 - Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (1m)
The Bill Mott-trained CODY'S WISH looks to have plenty in hand on official ratings coming into the Dirt Mile. The son of Curlin knows where the winning line is and arrives into this having won the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont At The Big A over 7f. He took some time to get on top but returning to the mile will help and he should once more prove too good under Junior Alvarado.
Zozos for Brad Cox has plenty of early speed but also stays this mile trip and is shortlisted alongside National Treasure for Bob Baffert, but the interesting each-way option at the prices could be Skippylongstocking for Saffie Joseph and Tyler Gaffalione.
He's enjoyed four graded stakes victories from his past eight starts, showing versatility last time with an all-the-way success in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. He's better known as a pace-stalker and he could be a factor in this dirt mile.
19:10 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (1m2f)
One of the key contests from a European perspective comes early on the day-two card, with both INSPIRAL and Warm Heart amongst the fancied fillies' for John & Thady Gosden and Aidan O'Brien respectively.
The latter has won five of her last six, including the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in September. She handles all ground effectively and is a Listed winner at this trip, though her peak efforts have been over further. Ryan Moore is back on board for the first time since Ascot in June and this 3YO is a key player getting 4lb from the older horses.
One of those is of course Inspiral in the hands of Frankie Dettori. The Frankel filly has been amongst Europe's best milers for more than two years now. At the backend of last season and the start of this, she threatened to lose her way but successive wins at Deauville in the Jacques le Marois and Newmarket in the Sun Chariot Stakes have put her firmly back on track.
She arguably looked better than ever last time and while this will be her first time racing beyond a mile, the sharp nature of this Santa Anita track will offer her every chance to get the extra two furlongs. She can add a Breeders' Cup win to a fine CV.
Charlie Appleby's With The Moonlight is another that could go well, though US hopefuls In Italian (second in this last year) and Fev Rover have both taken her measure stateside this season already and they lead the home-team resistance.
19:50 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (7f)
Another odds-on jolly for the second dirt race of the day is Goodnight Olive for Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz Jr. She landed this race 12 months ago at Keeneland in clear-cut fashion, recording what was her sixth consecutive win at that time and she remains a major contender now.
Steve Asmussen's Society is a speedy daughter of Gun Runner and she set a track record in the Chicago Stakes at Ellis Park in June to emphasise that.
She had earlier finished third behind Goodnight Olive in the Madison Stakes at Keeneland in her comeback but comes here off an impressive win at Charles Town in August and is a key part of the jigsaw.
Michael McCarthy's CLEARLY UNHINGED is one of the outsiders to note. The 3YO Into Mischief filly has plenty of Santa Anita experience and while she was denied by Kirstenbosch here in September over a half-furlong shorter, the runner-up probably paid a price for helping to set a ferocious end-to-end pace as four contested the lead, while the eventual winner finished off strongly having taken no part in those early skirmishes. Under less pressing tactics, she might have more to come.
20:30 - Breeders' Cup Mile (1m)
Another of the races where Europe will seek to hold sway as they go for a fourth successive win. On the face of it, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained MAWJ should prove one of the best chances of the meeting for the raiding team in the hands of Oisin Murphy.
Twice a winner in Dubai to start her 3YO season, she then won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May after fending off favourite Tahiyra in what amounted to their own personal battle after they'd drawn clear. The Dermot Weld-trained second went on to win a hat-trick of Group 1s before finishing third in last month's QEII at Ascot on soft going.
Mawj meanwhile won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last month in her sole start since. She has plenty of tactical speed for the early part of the race and could be very hard to beat here with that Classic-winning form strong.
Her nearest pursuer on the betting is Songline for Japan. She's well-suited by a mile on the turf and, at her best, can surely go close but Toru Hayashi's mare is prone to throwing in a no-show and that is a concern.
Master Of The Seas for Charlie Appleby and French hope Kelina are other notables, the latter having won last month's Foret at Longchamp on her return to a quicker surface.
21:00 - Breeders' Cup Distaff (1m1f)
Idiomatic is the standard-setter for Brad Cox after her latest win in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland last month took her 2023 record to seven wins in eight. She led everywhere in that Grade 1 contest and came home with clear daylight behind.
Her stablemate Wet Paint needs some considering too, while Chad Brown's Randomized held off re-opposing A Mo Reay to win the Grade 2 Beldame Stakes last time at Belmont At The Big A.
Brendan Walsh saw Pretty Mischievious go close in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Philadelphia Park last time and will hope she can be a contender but ADARE MANOR might be the Distaff answer.
An Uncle Mo filly for Bob Baffert, she is on a roll and looked supreme in winning the Zenyatta Stakes easily last time. Her earlier win at Del Mar in August in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes suggests she won't crack in a battle, which this should be, and that iron will could be key.
21:50 - Breeders' Cup Turf (1m4f)
A barnstormer of a contest in prospect, befitting the prize money of $2,520,000 for the winner.
Auguste Rodin flopped in the Guineas at Newmarket but rebounded to win the Derby at Epsom and the Irish version at the Curragh. Aidan O'Brien thinks an awful lot of him and after midsummer disappointment in the King George at Ascot, he returned to form in winning the Irish Champion Stakes in September dropped to 1m2f.
He has a major chance and clashes yet again with King Of Steel, second at Epsom in June but third at Ascot in July in the King George, having won the Kind Edwards VII Stakes in between. He was only fourth – beaten a length – at Leopardstown in September but produced a wondrous last-to-first effort in the Ascot Champion Stakes under Dettori since. That massive run was just a fortnight ago and that's a worry.
Mostahdaf was ridden superbly to win the Juddmonte International at York in August and missed that big race at Ascot recently after the ground got too soft. That freshness could be key for Jim Crowley's partner now.
American hope War Like Goddess might have some place claims for Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado but maybe ONESTO can have his day. The 2022 French Derby winner has rattled the crossbar on more than one occasion since and last month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe third at Longchamp was a return to something akin to his best.
22:40 - Breeders' Cup Classic (1m2f)
The main event and just shy of $4m to the winner in the Classic. No trainer has won this more than Bob Baffert and he's going for a fifth victory with Arabian Knight his sole representative. The son of Uncle Mo is progressing nicely and likely has had this target in his sights for some time.
Michael Stidham and Joel Rosario team up with outsider Proxy in the Godolphin colours and he could have a say if he's close enough when they turn for home.
With everything he has done this year already, Frankie Dettori on Zandon for Chad Brown won't be overlooked easily as the Italian bids for a second Classic win.
Japanese hopes are sky-high for USHBA TESORO and he's taken to deliver. He has looked a different performer since he switched to the dirt and the memory of his sweeping success in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March still holds strong. He had a break after that, won his prep race well and should be rattling home as fast as anything.
23:25 - Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (5f)
Shock Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream will go for another major prize here and what a story it would be for trainer Adam West if he can pull it off. He was beaten at Keeneland last month on his US bow but that run should stand to him.
Aesop's Fables has never been a star for Ballydoyle and this isn't a division they tend to thrive in, but his close third in the Abbaye at Longchamp last month was a fine effort and returning to a faster surface will surely aid him.
Connections of Big Invasion will be eager to see a fast early pace, which will allow Joel Rosario's Declaration Of War colt to make inroads late on. He isn't overlooked in haste but CARAVEL won this at Keeneland last year in decisive fashion and with no obvious superstar sprinter in the mix, trainer Brad Cox will be quietly confident of another big showing.
00:00 - Breeders' Cup Sprint (6f)
Gunite got the better of Elite Power in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes over 7f at Saratoga last time, denying the Bill Mott runner a ninth straight win. They've got plenty of history and while Steven Asmussen's winner has been defeated since at the mile at Philadelphia Park, there shouldn't be a lot to separate them.
They are drawn side-by-side and this trip suits Irad Ortiz Jr's partner well. They can keep tabs on their biggest danger on the betting.
This is no two-horse race and THE CHOSEN VRON could upstage that heavy-hitting pair. He landed the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar to book his place in this field and connections will feel super-confident at Santa Anita, where he has won nine times in ten starts. This could be his biggest yet.
