DEL MAR, Calif. (CNS) – Thousands of horse racing fans are expected at the Del Mar racetrack as the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championship begins Friday. The first day's events spotlight the sport's potential future stars.

It will be the third time one of horse racing's most prestigious annual racing series has been hosted in Del Mar, which also hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017 and 2021 and has already been selected as the site for next year's event.

“Our return to Del Mar in consecutive years marks the continuation of a wonderful collaboration and successful partnership, both with our friends at the track and with the greater San Diego area, and demonstrates our continued commitment to horse racing in California,” Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Ltd, said after Del Mar was selected to host the 2025 Breeders' Cup.

Attendance at Del Mar is capped at 37,500 on each of the two days of the Breeders' Cup.

Friday's events – dubbed “Future Stars Friday” – include five Breeders' Cup races for two-year-old colts and fillies, including the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

East Coast invader East Avenue — who is unbeaten in two starts and won his last race by 5 1/2 lengths — is the 5-2 morning favorite in a field of 10 for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Scot Lassie, who won her last race in New York by nine lengths, is the 5-2 morning favorite in a field of ten for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Other races on Friday include the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, where undefeated Japanese runner Ecoro Sieg is the morning favorite at 7-2; British-based and undefeated Lake Victoria as the 8-5 morning favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; and New Century as the 5-2 morning favorite in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

There will also be five additional races on Friday, starting at 11:35 a.m

Some of the world's best horses ages 3 and older will take to the track Saturday, with the premier race – the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic – moving to 2:41 p.m., a few hours earlier in the day than it normally runs.

Saturday's racing is scheduled to begin at 10:05 a.m., with the first Breeders' Cup race scheduled for noon.

City of Troy – who has six wins in seven career starts on turf in England and Ireland and is a son of Triple Crown winner Justify – will head into the Breeders' Cup Classic for the first time on clay as the 5-2 favorite . He is expected to compete against 13 other horses, including 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness (3-1 morning line) and Forever Young (6-1 morning line), a Japan-based colt who suffered his only defeat at one Third place in the Kentucky Derby.

Thorpedo Anna – who has won five of her six races this year, with her only defeat coming in a loss to Fierceness at the Travers in August – is the 4-5 Morning Line favorite for the $2 million Breeders' Cup US dollar distaff.

Other morning show favorites include:

– Rebel's Romance, seeking his second straight Breeders' Cup victory as the 5-2 morning favorite in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf;

– War Like Goddess, who returns for a fourth Breeders' Cup race as the 5-2 morning favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf;

— Federal Judge, seeking his third straight victory this year as the 3-1 morning favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint;

– Notable Speech, the European-based runner who is the 7-2 morning favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile;

– Cogburn, who is undefeated in three races this year and is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint;

– Domestic Product, seeking his third straight victory as the 7-2 morning favorite in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile;

– Ways and Means, seeking her fourth straight win as the 5-2 morning favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Some of the races will be televised on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and Fanduel.

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