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

idan O'Brien's Breeders' Cup ambitions have taken a slight detour from their usual trajectory in recent weeks, but his team's arrival at Del Mar for morning exercise remains a cause for celebration. For the 2025 Breeders' Cup meeting, O'Brien is bringing an impressive lineup, with four of his horses tipped to dominate the turf events on Friday and Saturday.

The Arc runner-up, Minnie Hauk, leads the market for the Turf, while Gstaad, Precise, and True Love are strong favourites in their respective juvenile turf races. The Lion In Winter and Havana Anna also have short odds, making Christophe Soumillon a prime contender to improve his Breeders' Cup record.

O'Brien needs just one success this weekend to surpass D Wayne Lukas's record of 20 Breeders' Cup wins. While Lukas's achievements are the benchmark for O'Brien to beat, he is not alone in European aspirations. Francis-Henri Graffard and Charlie Appleby also have high hopes for their horses, with Goliath and Rebel's Romance set to compete against each other.

The reality for Soumillon, though, is that his Breeders' Cup record remains a distant memory. He has struggled at the meeting in the past, and his chances appear to be hindered by the unflattering draw of his rivals. Precise, in particular, has attracted short odds, but her success may depend on luck rather than judgement.

O'Brien's stable also boasts another contender, Queen Of Hawaii, who could outrun her price tag if Dylan Browne McMonagle can exploit her advantageous draw. Meanwhile, Wesley Ward's Schwarzenegger looks poised to set a fast pace in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

The opening-day card on Friday offers value in the juvenile turf events, with Percy's Bar and Ted Noffey promising big races in the Grade One Spinaway Stakes and Juvenile respectively.

idk why people get so hyped about horse racing lol but obrien's crew does look pretty fire this year , especially with minnie hauk and gstaad leading the charge , i mean who wouldn't wanna bet on a team that's been doing well for years? it'll be interesting to see if christophe soumillon can finally break through and get that breeders cup record

O'Brien's squad is looking fire for Breeders' Cup! Minnie Hauk is giving everyone a run for their money . Can Soumillon finally break his dry spell? And that draw of Precise's? Not exactly horse heaven...

I'm kinda surprised by how focused Idan O'Brien is on this year's Breeders' Cup . He knows he has some tough competition, but his team seems confident about their chances . With Minnie Hauk at the front of the market for Turf and four horses looking strong in their respective juvenile turf races, I'd say they've got a solid shot . But let's not count out those other European trainers like Francis-Henri Graffard and Charlie Appleby . Their horses have the talent to give O'Brien a run for his money .

I'm not buying all the hype around this Breeders' Cup meeting... Don't get me wrong, O'Brien's team is looking strong, but let's be real, the odds are pretty stacked against him. Soumillon has a tough draw, and even if he gets a good ride, it's hard to beat a horse that's got 4/1 odds . And what about Queen Of Hawaii? Yeah, she's got an awesome draw, but I'm not convinced she can outrun her price tag. It's all about luck at this point...

I think we're overlooking some other horses that could pull off a surprise win. Percy's Bar is looking like a dark horse in the Spinaway Stakes - don't count him out just yet! And what about Wesley Ward's Schwarzenegger? He's got this fast pace thing down pat, but can he maintain it?

It's going to be an interesting weekend, that's for sure...

I'm loving how Idan O'Brien is still going strong, but gotta say, I think Soumillon's chances are way overhyped . He's had a tough time at Breeders' Cup before, and his draw just doesn't look good for him this time around. Like, I get it, Precise has short odds and all that, but sometimes luck just ain't on your side, you know? And yeah, O'Brien's got some solid horses, but we should be careful not to put too much pressure on them, right? I mean, they're not invincible or anything . And what's with all the fuss about beating Wayne Lukas's record? Like, it's a nice achievement and all, but at the end of the day, it's just racing .