Purse:	$2,000,000	Grade:	1
Distance:	1 Mile	Age:	3+

Oct 27 - A total of 24 horses have been pre-entered for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on turf, the largest of all the pre-entered fields this year. In the 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile, Derek Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Anne Marie O'Brien's Order of Australia (IRE) came off the also-eligible list for trainer Aidan O'Brien and swept to victory at 73-1.

This year, Order of Australia has just one win in six starts, taking the Grade 2 Romanised Minstrel Stakes at The Curragh in July. O'Brien has also pre-entered 3-year-old filly Mother Earth (IRE), who won the Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville in August. Godolphin's Space Blues (IRE) is a 10-time winner, which includes a 2-length win on Oct. 3 in the Qatar Prix de la Foret (G1) at ParisLongchamp.

Three American "Win and You're In" automatic qualifiers have been pre-entered. Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse's Got Stormy, second in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita, earned her way back into this year's race with a win over males in Saratoga's Fourstardave (G1) in August for trainer Mark Casse, while Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's In Love (BRZ) won the Oct. 9 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) for trainer Paulo Lobo.

Cannon Thoroughbreds' homebred Smooth Like Strait gained his invitation by winning the Santa Anita's Shoemaker Mile (G1) in May for trainer Michael McCarthy. Also in California,Bardy Farm and OG Boss' Mo Forza has back-to-back wins in the Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2) and then the Oct. 2 City of Hope (G2) at Santa Anita for trainer Peter Miller.

Blowout

Blowout (GB) was born in Great Britain, but she has spent her entire racing career in the U.S. while competing exclusively on grass. She was purchased as a weanling by Peter Brant in the name of his White Birch operation for $481,095 at the 2016 Goffs auction house in Ireland. She began paying back her purchase price in her debut by winning at Tampa Bay Downs as a newly turned 3-year-old.

All but one of her subsequent starts have been in the stakes ranks in which she is ultra-consistent. Blowout has been worse than third only once - she was fourth in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga in August facing males. Her triumph in Keeneland's First Lady Stakes (G1) presented by UK Healthcare Oct. 9 earned her the entry fee and travel expenses to the Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf (G1).

"She's a really special filly for us," trainer Chad Brown's assistant Baldo Hernandez said after the First Lady. "She does everything we ask. She's improving a lot. She tries every time she runs."

Blowout is a speedster who prefers to lead the pack from the start and is ready for any challengers.

"She fought really hard down the lane because she lost the lead for a little bit, but she dug in and fought back and really made a great stretch run," jockey Flavien Prat said after the First Lady.

A four-time Eclipse Award recipient, Brown has become known as a specialist with grass runners and has won 13 Breeders' Cup turf races including the 2018 Filly & Mare Turf with Sistercharlie (IRE) for Brant.

One of nation's top owners in 1980s, Brant has quickly rebuilt his stable and enjoyed great success since re-entering the sport in 2016 after an approximate 20-year absence from horse racing. He is President & CEO of White Birch Paper Co.

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Casa Creed

At first glance it would be easy to dismiss Casa Creed after a disappointing 12th-place finish in the 2020 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1), however, a turn back in distance by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott completely has changed this horse's trajectory.

By all indications Casa Creed really came into his own this spring at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old used his powerful late kick to win the 7-furlong Elusive Quality Stakes before his "Win and You're In" victory in the Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes (G1) as a 10-1 shot.

Although his 4-year-old season culminated with a trip to the 2020 Breeders' Cup, the year can be best be summed up as a time of growth and maturation for Casa Creed with his best finish being a third in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at his summer home, Saratoga Race Course.

Casa Creed began his 3-year-old campaign in 2019 with a turf win by a neck in the Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Casa Creed also recorded second-place finishes in the Palm Beach Stakes (G3) in March and the Penn Mile (G2) in June. He ended the year with a National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2) victory by a head at Saratoga.

A $105,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the bay son of Jimmy Creed took only two races to break his maiden and after additional seasoning, finished 2018 with a mid-pack finish in the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Mott is the youngest trainer inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer three times. He ranks sixth among trainers in Breeders' Cup history with 10 victories and $19.9 million in earnings.

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Got Stormy

Got Stormy punched her ticket to the FanDuel Mile (G1) by winning the Fourstardave (G1), part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge series. The 12-1 longshot thundered to beat the males by 1 1/2 lengths and prove she still loves the Saratoga contest: She won the 2019 Fourstardave in record-setting fashion and finished second in the race last year.

"It turned out perfect," trainer Mark Casse said. "It's what she loves; they'll have some sharp turns at Del Mar (in the Breeders' Cup Mile), so that'll work out just fine."

The Fourstardave was her seventh graded stakes win and her third Grade 1, bring her career earnings to more than $2 million. The versatile 6-year-old chestnut mare also has recorded victories at Gulfstream, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Woodbine, Belmont, Penn National and Del Mar, the host track for the 2021 Breeders' Cup.

She finished second to Uni (GB) in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

The daughter of Get Stormy is following in her father's footsteps. He won the 2010 Fourstardave and competed in the Breeders' Cup Mile the same year.

Casse trained Tepin, a filly who won the Breeders' Cup Mile, and he has four other Breeders' Cup wins. He received Canada's Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer a record 13 times. This dominance led to his induction in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2016, and last year, he added the American Hall of Fame to his resume. Casse was born in Indianapolis on Valentine's Day, and his family moved to Ocala, Florida, when he was 5 years old, where his father was one of the founders of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company. In 2019, Casse won two-thirds of the Triple Crown, with War of Will taking the Preakness (G1) and Sir Winston capturing the Belmont (G1).

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Hit the Road

UPDATE (NOV 5): Hit the Road has SCRATCHED due to fever.

Hit the Road always will be extra special to trainer Dan Blacker, who set a goal of winning a Grade 1 race within the first decade of his career. The colt made it happen in nine years by winning the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita in March.

Blacker first saw something special in Hit the Road at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale. When the youngster did not reach his owner's minimum on a final bid of $200,000, Blacker purchased him privately on behalf of his clients.

"I don't want to make this all about me; it's all about the horse," he said immediately after the Kilroe victory. "He's such a professional animal, he is a true racehorse. He was born that way, he's just a true athlete and so mentally focused on racing."

Hit the Road, who is owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, was such a natural that he made his debut less than 10 months after the Keeneland auction in a 4 ½-furlong sprint at Santa Anita. He graduated to a mile on Del Mar's turf course a month later, and rallied from off the pace to win. From there he cruised to victory in the 1-mile Zuma Beach Stakes on Santa Anita's grass course before being placed 14th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) after encountering traffic trouble. He raced sparingly, but productively at age 3 by winning both of his starts last year.

He prepared for a return to the Breeders' Cup and a run in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) by finishing third in the Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2) Aug. 21 and third in the City of Hope Mile (G2) at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Blacker's extensive international Thoroughbred experience includes a stint as assistant to nine-time Breeders' Cup-winning trainer Richard Mandella. He is married to TVG analyst Christina Olivares Blacker. They have three daughters.

Hit the Road was bred by Fred Hertrich III who served as Breeders' Cup Board Chairman from 2017 his term expired in September. Hertrich owns Watercress Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

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In Love (BRZ)

Bonne Chance Farm's In Love (BRZ) arrived in the United States with only five races to his name in his native Brazil. His timing was tricky. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging around the globe, the race calendar in North America had been upended. Despite the hurdles, the gelding managed to get off two starts in allowance company in September and October for trainer Paolo Lobo, and the stage was set for a brighter 2021.

His first two starts of the year came at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, again in allowance company. His third start was a larger step up in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in which a slow start and a wide trip kept him toward the back of the field.

A trip to Arlington International Race Course proved to be exactly what the gelding needed, and he took home his first U.S. victory by a neck going a mile on the turf. That race was enough to convince connections that the gelding could try his hand at one of the split divisions of the TVG Stakes at Kentucky Downs going a mile and 70 yards.

It was in the TVG Stakes that In Love showed an impressive turn of foot and stayed sharp throughout the race, picking off his foes to win by a clear 2 1/4 lengths. The victory was the gelding's first stakes win, as he placed third and fourth respectively in Brazil when contesting the Eduardo Casey (G2) and Nacional (G1).

Bred in Brazil by Fazenda Mondesir and Stud Rio Dois Irmaos, In Love is a son of the Group 1 winner Agnes Gold (JPN) and a grandson of Sunday Silence. Agnes Gold also is represented in the U.S. by another Bonne Chance/Stud RDI runner in Ivar (BRZ) who, like In Love, is a contender for the 2021 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1).

Sunday Silence brings plenty of Breeders' Cup prowess to In Love's pedigree. A six-time Grade 1 winner whose victories included two American classic races and the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Sunday Silence's time at stud in Japan helped define generations of top-level runners in the country and around the world.

In Love's penchant for turf, however, could stem from his mother's side of the family. Last Bet (BRZ), herself, was a Group 1 winner and had a daughter, Last Kiss (BRZ), who was a Group 1 winner in Brazil. His maternal grandfather, Know Heights (IRE), earned several stakes wins on the turf in Europe and in the United States for trainer Bob Hess Jr.

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Mo Forza

Mo Forza has proven himself on the Del Mar grass at the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) distance with two stakes victories. This "horse for course" captured the Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2) Aug. 21 for the second consecutive year. The triumph was a comeback for Mo Forza who had not raced since taking the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2) on Santa Anita's turf on Oct. 3, 2020, a race in which he successfully defended his title on Oct. 2, coming from off the pace to score a half-length win for his fourth consecutive victory.

A few days after the City of Hope, his co-breeder and co-owner Barry Abrams died of the throat cancer that he battled for 15 years. Abrams was widely revered for his almost magical connection with horses, generosity and success as a trainer. Mo Forza was bred in Kentucky in the name of Bardy Farm that combined Barry's name with his wife Dyan. He continues to race for Dyan, who resides in Arcadia California, and Onofrio Pecoraro of San Diego, who competes as OG Boss.

The son of 2010 Eclipse Award champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Uncle Mo was something of a late bloomer. He needed six starts to find the winner's circle after being consistently close. He more than made amends by then winning six of his next seven starts that were all in the graded-stakes ranks.

Last year, Mo Forza was gearing up to be one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Mile but was taken out of consideration two weeks before the race because of a minor setback.

"This horse kept Barry going," trainer Peter Miller said at the time. "(He) gave him something to look forward to. (The Breeders' Cup) meant a lot to Barry and meant a lot to me, so we were crossing our fingers and hoping he could 'Win One for The Gipper'." (The football phrase refers to winning in someone's honor.)

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Order of Australia (IRE)

UPDATE: Order of Australia has SCRATCHED

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who had yet to win the event, saddled the top three finishers including the 73/1 winner Order of Australia in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) at Keeneland.

Order of Australia was not supposed to even be in this race. At one point earlier this week, neither was his jockey, Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Order of Australia only drew into the race as an Also Eligible after One Master was announced as scratched, and he was thus saddled with having to break from the far outside post in the full field of 14. Boudot, originally named to ride One Master, earned the mount after original jockey Christophe Soumillon tested positive for COVID-19.

Order of Australia broke outward a bit, but Boudot hustled him up and angled him safely over to sit a two-wide trip in fourth as the field, led by Halladay, entered the clubhouse turn.

With Factor This tracking closely, Halladay posted opening fractions of :23.48, :46.97, and 1:10.39 but began to give way as he hit the top of the stretch.

Order of Australia ranged up gradually in the stretch and took over in deep stretch, then held off late bids from stablemates Circus Maximus and Lope Y Fernandez to win the firm event by a neck in 1:33.73.

"It's a dream come true," said Boudot, who also earned a mount on Audarya, winner of the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) earlier on the card, when her jockey also tested positive for COVID-19. "It is only by chance to get these rides and I'm sorry for Ioritz Mendizabal (previous rider of Audarya) and Christophe Soumillon. Audarya was amazing, a real warrior. It's a difficult situation with Covid, but I was given two nice opportunities. Order Of Australia is a fast horse, the mile is very good for him, and the good ground was perfect. He gave me a nice turn of foot, but when he got to the front, he's a tricky horse as he needs some help to concentrate. I'm over the moon."

Circus Maximus took second by 3/4 of a length over Lope Y Fernandez, while Ivar finished best of the American-based runners, taking fourth over defending race champion Uni by a head.

Halladay, the 5/1 favorite Kameko, Factor This, Siskin, Raging Bull, Digital Age, Casa Creed, March to the Arch, and Safe Voyage completed the order of finish.

Order of Australia's win, his first at the stakes level, came in his American racing debut and improved his overall record to 8-3-0-1. The Irish-bred 3-year-old colt by Australia has now earned $1,096,675 for the Coolmore triumvirate of Smith, Magnier, and Tabor, who co-own him along with Aidan's wife, Anne Marie.

"It's a real team effort, we're very happy," said O'Brien's traveling head man Pat Keating. "First 3 home is unbelievable. You need a lot of luck in this game. We're lucky enough to have good horses and good jockeys. I'm just happy for everyone involved."

Order of Australia returned $148.40 to win, $57 to place, and $25.60 to show. Circus Maximus brought back $12.60 to place and $9 to show, while Lope Y Fernandez paid $12.40 to show.

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Raging Bull (FR)

Unraced as a 2-year-old, millionaire turf specialist Raging Bull (FR) launched his 3-year-old season in April 2018 with the first of two straight wins. He stepped up to stakes company in his third start, finishing second in Belmont Park's Manila Stakes. Continuing to race nearly once a month, he followed with back-to-back graded wins at Saratoga: the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2) in August and the Saranac Stakes (G3) in September.

Two races later, after an off-the-board finish in the Hill Prince Stakes (G2) at Belmont, Raging Bull crossed the country to win his first Grade 1, the 2018 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Displaying his trademark style-a patient, usually ground-saving early trip and strong late kick-he won by half a length.

Raging Bull began his 4-year-old season after a five-month break. Again racing almost monthly from April to September and only in Grade 1 races, he was winless for the year, but never far from the trophy. He was fourth in both the 2019 Maker's Mark 46 Mile at Keeneland and the Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, beaten less than two and four lengths, respectively.

He placed in his last three starts of the season, first finishing third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the Manhattan Stakes at Belmont behind the year's eventual Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Male, Bricks and Mortar. He next was an impressive second in the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga; still more than 18 lengths off the lead after four of the race's eight furlongs, he ended just 2 1/2 lengths back. Raging Bull finished his 2019 campaign with a third-advanced from fourth by disqualification-in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes, just 1 1/4 lengths behind despite traffic trouble early and late.

After an eight-month break, Raging Bull returned in May 2020 to start his 5-year-old season with his second Grade 1 win, the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). Six weeks later he was third in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland, beaten a nose and a neck. Raging Bull next was fifth in his second attempt at the Fourstardave Handicap (G1), only the fourth time in his 15-race career he finished out of the top three.

All of Raging Bull's races have come at a mile or more on the turf.

Raging Bull is owned by Peter Brant, chair and CEO of White Birch Paper Company. He is trained by Chad Brown, the Eclipse Award top trainer for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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Smooth Like Strait

A polished performance in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) May 31 earned Smooth Like Strait his first Grade 1 victory and a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile (G1) presented by PDJF. He led at every point of call and cruised to a 1 ½-length victory.

Smooth Like Strait also gave breeder and owners Cannon Thoroughbreds their first Grade 1 victory. When he won the Shoemaker, owner Michael Cannon had five horses in his stable.

"We're little guys in this sport," Cannon said. "I've been in the game a long time, and until Smooth Like Strait came around I was a complete failure. I was ready to give up, but he (got) me back into the game and look where we are now."

After the Shoemaker, trainer Mike McCarthy said, "I've had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year."

The 4-year-old bay colt has lost more narrow finishes than he has won, but he is ultra-consistent. In his 18 starts, the millionaire only finished off the board three times. His slew of second-place finishes include the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2) by a half-length on Oct. 2, Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2) by a head in August, Eddie Read Stakes (G2) by a neck in June, Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1) by a neck in March, and the Hollywood Derby (G1) by a head last November.

He gets his name from his dam: Smooth as Usual. His sire, Midnight Lute, won back-to-back editions of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in 2007 and 2008.

Cannon has donated 50 percent of the horse's earnings to The Special Operations Care Fund, which provides support to soldiers who served in special forces such as the Navy Seals. He owns a venture capital firm, an outdoor lighting company, and a cattle ranch. He lives in the Las Vegas area and has a home in Del Mar.

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Master of The Seas (IRE)

**Coming Soon**

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Mother Earth (IRE)

**Coming Soon**

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Pearls Galore (FR)

**Coming Soon**

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Space Blues (IRE)

**Coming Soon**

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Vin de Garde (JPN)

**Coming Soon**

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What is the Breeders' Cup Mile?

The Breeders' Cup Mile (Grade 1) has created an interesting pattern of sorts in that, for this $2 million series on turf of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, good things have come in two's. Four Mile events of the Breeders' Cup races have had repeat winners. Also, the Mile has had three horses who have posted two victories each.

Miesque, bred by owner Stavros Niarchos' Flaxman Holdings Ltd., sparkled in the Breeders' Cup Mile in 1987 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, and conquered a significantly slower surface at Churchill Downs in Louisville the following year. Trained by Francois Boutin, the remarkable filly won by 3-1/2 lengths in California and by 4 lengths in Kentucky - the largest winning margins in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships race's history.

On the strength of her single North American victories, Miesque was voted champion grass female in 1987 and 1988. The Niarchos family also campaigned Mile winners Spinning World (1997), Domedriver (Ireland; 2002), and Six Perfections (France; 2003) in the name of Flaxman Holdings, Ltd.

In 2003, 5-1 shot Six Perfections, a 3 year old filly taking on boys, stayed in between horses back in eighth early, then came on strong down the stretch splitting rivals to win by 3/4 length over 12-1 shot Touch of the Blues. The time for the mile distance on the firm turf course was 1:33 4/5. It was a neck back to 39-1 longshot Century City. 3-1 favorite Peace Rules set the early pace but had nothing left turning for home, fading badly and finishing last.

At the 2004 Breeders' Cup Mile, Singletary emerged as the champion at 16.50 odds with jockey David Romero Flores. Antonius Pius with jockey Jamie Spencer won second at 31.40 odds while France's Six Perfections with jockey Jerry Bailey placed third at 5.90 odds.

Goldikova, based in France, won the Breeders’ Cup Mile back to back in 2008 and 2009with jockey Olivier Peslier. In her second win in 2009 she was second last for much of the race and at the top of the stretch she was forced to go 5 wide. It looked like she was going to lose, but then she changed leads again and blasted past Coragious Cat to win in 1:32.26, 0.8 seconds off of the world record held by Mr. Light.

Claiborne Farm's homebred Lure, arguably one of the most accomplished horses never to win a year-end championship, also scored two daylight victories, winning by 3 lengths in the 1992 Breeders' Cup Mile at Gulfstream Park, and by 2 ¼ lengths in the following year at Santa Anita Park for trainer Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey III.

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While not necessarily possessing talent to equal Miesque's or Lure's, Da Hoss became a two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner by virtue of his courage and the innovative training regimen of Michael Dickinson. In 1996, Dickinson had his assistant, Joan Wakefield, test the Woodbine turf course in high heels to determine the best path for the Gone West gelding, who won by 1 1/2 lengths.

Da Hoss missed the entire following season of the Breeders' Cup races due to injury and came back to run in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile with only one start in two years. He rallied on a firm Churchill Downs turf course to overtake Hawksley Hill (Ireland) and win the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Mile race by a head.

Also experiencing consistent success in the Breeders' Cup Mile are the European-based horses. Nine of the Mile's first 20 winners had been based with European trainers prior to their wins.

Most remarkably, the Breeders' Cup Mile has also seen the domination of the Northern Dancer sire line. Although the great Windfields Farm stallion did not sire a winner himself, six of his sons and two of his grandsons have sired winners, accounting for 12 victories in the Mile's first 20 years. His sons Danzig and Nureyev have each sired three winners.

2024 BREEDERS' CUP RACE SCHEDULE