Breeders' Cup 2025: all-conquering O'Brien arrives with sights on new record

Breeders' Cup 2025: O'Brien Eyes History as Europe Dominates Del Mar

Aidan O'Brien's relentless pursuit of Breeders' Cup history is back in focus, with the Irish trainer aiming to claim a record-breaking 22 victories at this year's meeting. His team's steady progress through the season suggests that O'Brien still has it in him to defy the odds and write another chapter in his illustrious career.

While the excitement surrounding City Of Troy's potential Classic run last year still lingers, there is no single showstopper on display this time around. Instead, O'Brien's squad boasts a talented array of horses with Group One wins already under their belts. Minnie Hauk, Gstaad, Precise, and True Love are all expected to give the Europeans a strong hand in the three juvenile turf races scheduled for Friday.

O'Brien needs just one more victory this weekend to surpass D Wayne Lukas' record of 21 Breeders' Cup wins. The accomplishment would be nothing short of remarkable, given the caliber of trainers vying for success at Del Mar – Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, and Francis-Henri Graffard are all in the mix.

The stakes will be high on Saturday as Rebel's Romance looks to make history by winning a Breeders' Cup race three times. Charlie Appleby's star filly has amassed an impressive record, with her most recent success coming in a lucrative event over the summer.

Andrew Balding, meanwhile, is hoping for his first Breeders' Cup win at Del Mar this weekend. The veteran trainer expressed nostalgia for the track's familiarity and noted that nothing seems to have changed since his last visit as a young man.

Sovereignty, initially set to be the favorite in the Classic, has been ruled out by Bill Mott due to an infection. As a result, Sierra Leone and Fierceness are now vying for favoritism at around 3-1, with Japan's Forever Young and Journalism also featuring prominently in the betting.

The O'Brien team dominates the markets for the juvenile turf races, with two short-priced favorites – Precise and Gstaad – providing Christophe Soumillon with valuable opportunities to improve his record. The French jockey's sole Breeders' Cup winner came 20 years ago, when he rode Shirocco to victory in a thrilling contest.

Soumillon faces an uphill battle given the unfavorable draw for both Precise and Gstaad. However, Joseph O'Brien believes that his talented filly Queen Of Hawaii could outrun her price of around 14-1 and exploit Dylan Browne McMonagle's tactical speed from a favorable draw in stall two.

In contrast, Soumillon may have more success aboard Gstaad, who possesses slightly more early speed than Precise. The Juvenile Turf Sprint looks like an event where Wesley Ward's Schwarzenegger could set the pace and overcome his wide draw to win the contest.

The two dirt races on Friday's card are also anticipated to be thrilling. Percy's Bar is seen as a value price for the rematch in the Juvenile Fillies' Stakes, while Ted Noffey boasts impressive credentials having won two Grade One events by a combined margin of nearly 11 lengths.

Omg what's up with these horses and trainers so many talented ones out there like who's gonna win that last dirt race on friday? Percy's Bar is looking good but ted noffey seems super strong too...

omg i'm so hyped for breeders cup 2025!! aidan o'brien is literally going to win his record-breaking 22nd victory and i'm not surprised one bit!!! christophe soumillon needs to ride precise & gstaad with confidence, those horses are gonna give the Europeans a run for their money can't wait to see queen of hawaii in action too!!

omg, Breeders Cup 2025 is gonna be so lit ! Aidan O'Brien is on fire and he's got his sights set on breaking that record . I mean, who wouldn't want to see him win like 22 times? the European squad looks strong as well, they're not going down without a fight .

I'm also loving the underdog story of Queen Of Hawaii she's got a tough draw but Joseph O'Brien thinks she can give it a go . And on the dirt side, Percy's Bar is looking like a total value . Can't wait to see all these talented horses run for their lives !

O'Brien gotta win this thing, it's almost like he's cursed or something lol, 21 is like his arch nemesis

But you know what's weird? Everyone's talking about O'Brien but the Europeans are putting out some top-notch horses too, Minnie Hauk and Gstaad are gonna give the boys a run for their money

And have you seen Rebel's Romance's record? That girl is on fire I'm loving Charlie Appleby's vibes right now

OMG I'm literally FREAKING OUT over this one! Aidan O'Brien is like, SO CLOSE to breaking that record and it's giving me LIFE I mean, the guy is on FIRE and his team is stacked with talent. City Of Troy was such an exciting prospect last year and Minnie Hauk, Gstaad, Precise, and True Love are all gonna bring that heat

And let's be real, O'Brien needs just ONE more win to take the record it's like, what even is the point of having a team if you're not gonna go for it? And can we talk about how intimidating it is to be competing against Bob Baffert and Chad Brown? Those guys are like, legends in their own right

But honestly, I'm most hyped for Queen Of Hawaii she's got a shot at pulling off that 14-1 upset and I'm here. FOR. IT. And can we please talk about how exciting the stakes are on Saturday? Rebel's Romance is like, totally breaking records left and right

And Andrew Balding's nostalgia for Del Mar is just giving me all the feels it's like, this track holds so many memories for these trainers and I'm loving every minute of it

The Breeders' Cup 2025 is shaping up to be an intriguing event, with Aidan O'Brien on the cusp of history . His team's impressive Group One wins and steady progress throughout the season suggest that he still has a strong hand to play in this year's meeting. However, I'm not entirely convinced that O'Brien will emerge victorious without some unexpected twists and turns .

The absence of Sovereignty from the Classic is a significant blow to Bill Mott's team, but Sierra Leone and Fierceness seem poised to fill the void . Meanwhile, Charlie Appleby's Rebel's Romance looks like a formidable force in the Saturday stakes, with her impressive record making her a dark horse in the running .

I'm also intrigued by Andrew Balding's nostalgia for Del Mar, as he prepares for his first Breeders' Cup win at the track . The veteran trainer's comments only serve to heighten my sense of excitement and anticipation for this year's event . With O'Brien, Appleby, and other top trainers vying for success, I'm expecting a thrilling spectacle that will leave us all on the edge of our seats .

I'm low-key excited about Aidan O'Brien's chances this year... 22 wins would be insane! But can we talk about how much I love the way the European trainers are dominating this year? It's like they're on fire Minnie Hauk and Gstaad look so talented, and it'll be interesting to see if O'Brien's team can keep up with the likes of Bob Baffert and Charlie Appleby. And I have a soft spot for Andrew Balding - he seems like such a nice guy . But what do you guys think about the betting odds? Do you think Sierra Leone has what it takes to take down the favorites?

I'm not buying all this hype around O'Brien and his record-breaking bid. I mean, sure, he's got some talented horses, but it's Del Mar we're talking about - one track that still feels like a relic from the past . I'm curious to see how O'Brien's team handles the less-than-ideal conditions on the turf. And what's with all the talk about City Of Troy? Last year's "showstopper" didn't exactly pan out... Maybe we're just being fooled by the European teams' strong performances this season. I'd love to see some solid analysis from someone who actually knows what they're talking about before I get too excited about O'Brien's chances

I cant believe how different this Breeders Cup is from back when I used to watch it with my dad remember the old days when you could see the likes of Funny Cide and Big Brown go head-to-head? Nowadays, its all about the Europeans dominating the scene. Aidan O'Brien's team is definitely a force to be reckoned with but can they handle the pressure on Saturday? I'm keeping an eye on Rebel's Romance, that filly is looking sharp

So I was watching this Breeders Cup thing last year and I'm still thinking about City Of Troy's potential run... Anyway, now it's all about Aidan O'Brien trying to break that record, like 22 wins or something? That's crazy! But you know what's even crazier? The fact that he's got a whole team of talented horses already winning Group One races. It's like they're all waiting for him to make his move.

And can we talk about the stakes on Saturday? Rebel's Romance is trying to win three Breeders Cups, which is wild! I mean, I've seen some impressive horses in my time, but that's just ridiculous. And Andrew Balding is hoping for a first win at Del Mar... I wish him luck because it's gonna be tough.

But what I love about this whole thing is the history and tradition of the Breeders Cup. It's like a big ol' family reunion with all these trainers and jockeys coming together to show off their horses. And let's not forget about the racing itself... I mean, it's not every day you get to see horses running at Del Mar.

So yeah, I'm excited for this whole thing!

omg u no w how crazy it wud b if Aidan O'Brien wins like 22 Breeders Cup thingys lol thats gonna b history!! European breeders r on fire rn and they got some sick horses like Minnie Hauk & Gstaad Bob Baffert & Chad Brown r gunna be tough competition tho . And Rebel's Romance is def tryin to make history 3x Andrew Balding needs to get his first win at Del Mar ASAP . and omg who thought it wuz a good idear 2 rule out Sovereignty?! . Guess we got Sierra Leone & Fierceness now tho

omg u can barely contain the excitement over O'Brien & his squad! he's literally on the cusp of history and i think its seriously gonna happen! no single showstopper in the juvenile turf races but a solid team effort & they're still crushing it

So I think O'Brien's got a good shot at making history , but what I'm more excited about is the horses themselves ! City Of Troy was a beast last year, and Minnie Hauk, Gstaad, Precise, and True Love are all so talented . And then there's Rebel's Romance, who could make some major history .

I made a little diagram to show how the odds are looking:
```
+---------------+
| Favorites |
+---------------+
| |
| Precise |
| Gstaad |
+-----+-----+-----+
| Soumillon | Soumillon |
| (favorable) | (unfavorable)
+-----+-----+-----+
```
It's gonna be a great weekend of racing, and I'm hoping to see some new names at the top !

O'Brien's got this in him I mean, dude's been around forever and still managing to churn out winners like nobody's business He needs just one more to break that Lukas record and I'm all for it The way his team's been progressing through the season suggests he's still the master of his craft . Europeans looking fierce too, can't wait to see how Minnie Hauk and Gstaad stack up . Rebel's Romance looks like a dark horse contender , but O'Brien's got experience on his side, so I'm tipping him for the win

I'm loving this year's Breeders' Cup so far! It's amazing to see Aidan O'Brien pushing for history and his team is looking super strong . The European dominance in the turf races is just incredible , and I'm excited to see how the horses will perform on Saturday . The competition is fierce with Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, and Francis-Henri Graffard all vying for success . And let's not forget Rebel's Romance, who could make history by winning a Breeders' Cup race three times ! It's shaping up to be an epic weekend at Del Mar

I'm low-key excited about Aidan O'Brien making history at Del Mar He's been riding this horse train for years and it's crazy to think he might actually get his 22nd win I mean, the guy's got a whole squad of talented horses and I'm not surprised they're dominating the competition. But you can't help but feel a little bad for Bill Mott's Sovereignty – an infection's no joke Still, I'm intrigued by Charlie Appleby's Rebel's Romance – making history three times at Breeders' Cup? Talk about staying power

omg u no how much i wanna see aidan o brien win this yr breeders cup lol he's like on his way 2 history rn 22 wins wud be insane!! and bob baffert r chad brown r already doin their thing so its gonna b a super competitive field i gotta say tho, i'm lowkey rooting 4 sovereign 2 come back & show them who's boss but idk if dat's gonna happen

man i think aidan o brien got this hes been on fire all season and his team looks super strong but like how does he do it every time tho? and omg rebel's romance is trying to win 3 breeders cup races lol that's insane!

the breeders cup is always so intense but im kinda rooting for obrien to break that record this year he's been going strong all season and his team looks solid minnie hauk and gstaad are gonna give the europeans a run for their money o'brien needs just one more win to tie luke and it's crazy to think about how hard he must be pushing himself at this stage of his career