The stars of world racing are heading to California, where 207 horses from five continents have been pre-entered for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, set for October 31 and November 1 at Del Mar.

For the fourth time, “where the turf meets the surf” will stage the $34 million international festival, which brings together champions from every corner of the racing globe. This year’s lineup includes 191 individual contenders representing 11 nations — among them Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, South Africa, the United States, and Uruguay. Fifty-eight of the entries are based outside the U.S., underlining the Breeders’ Cup’s growing global pull.

The 2025 renewal has a storyline worthy of Hollywood: the top three finishers from last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic — Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young (JPN) — are back for a rematch, joined by a powerful group of rising 3-year-olds including Sovereignty and Journalism. Other pre-entered Classic hopefuls include Antiquarian, Baeza, Contrary Thinking, Locked, Mindframe, and Nevada Beach.

Sixteen past Classic winners have gone on to earn Horse of the Year honors at the Eclipse Awards, a reminder of how defining this race has become in the sport’s modern era.

Eight previous Breeders’ Cup champions will also return seeking more glory: Citizen Bull (2024 Juvenile), Fierceness (2023 Juvenile), Full Serrano (ARG) (2024 Dirt Mile), Nobals (2023 Turf Sprint), Rebel’s Romance (IRE) (2022 and 2024 Turf), Sierra Leone (2024 Classic), Straight No Chaser (2024 Sprint), and White Abarrio (2023 Classic).

Forty-six contenders have qualified automatically via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series — 93 key races held across 15 countries that guarantee entry and paid fees into the corresponding Championship events.

“The incredible group of horses pre-entered for this year’s Breeders’ Cup reflects the unmatched quality and global prestige of the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, Breeders’ Cup Limited President & CEO. “The divisions are loaded with champions, classic winners, and international stars. We’re deeply grateful to everyone — owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, and fans — who make this global celebration possible.”

Del Mar hosted a record-setting Breeders’ Cup in 2024, when global wagering soared to $203.7 million. With this year’s deep international lineup, the event looks set to push those boundaries again.

Broadcast and Coverage

Fans around the world will have extensive ways to follow the action. NBC Sports will present more than ten hours of live coverage across NBC and USA Network, including a 3.5-hour window on Saturday (12:30–4 p.m. PT / 3:30–7 p.m. ET) featuring the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. Coverage will also stream live on Peacock.

FanDuel TV will provide continuous programming from start to finish, simulcast globally across the Breeders’ Cup’s digital channels, ADW platforms, and international partners.

The Championships will reach audiences in over 180 countries, including ITV4, Sky Sports Racing, and Racing TV in the UK; Virgin Media in Ireland; ESPN in Latin America; Green Channel, Abema TV, and Netkeiba in Japan; Sportsnet in Canada; SuperSport across Africa; and FanCode in India.

Full broadcast details, contender profiles, statistics, and replays are available at BreedersCup.com, where fans can explore every race in detail or follow along via the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app.

Field Selection and Procedures

Each of the 14 Championship races is limited to 14 starters, except the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Turf Sprint, which are capped at 12. In oversubscribed events, the Breeders’ Cup’s ranking system — based on automatic qualifiers, a points scale, and the judgment of an international panel — determines which horses gain priority.

Up to four also-eligibles (six for the Turf Sprints) will be named in order of preference. Scratch times are 8:00 a.m. PT on Friday, Oct. 31 for Friday’s races, and 8:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 1 for Saturday’s program.

Post positions will be drawn Monday, Oct. 27, live on FanDuel TV at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET, with streaming available across all major Breeders’ Cup digital platforms.

As anticipation builds for Del Mar’s latest chapter of Breeders’ Cup history, one thing is certain: the sport’s most coveted stage is ready for another unforgettable performance.