Accelerate tops entries for 14-horse Breeders’ Cup Classic

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:30 a.m. ET

The Breeders' Cup World Championships has its biggest field of pre-entries along with a new race, which means plenty of story lines.

Especially in its main event.

Accelerate leads the 14-horse field for the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will offer the 5-year-old a rematch against West Coast in a marquee race that's missing unbeaten Triple Crown winner Justify.

Horse racing's 13th Triple Crown champion, who was trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, was retired with an ankle issue in July after winning all six career starts this year. Baffert's confirmed pre-entries in the Classic are McKinzie and West Coast, whom Accelerate beat by 2¼ lengths last month at Santa Anita.

Monomoy Girl will seek another Grade 1 win at Louisville's Churchill Downs in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. The filly has won eight of 10 starts, including the Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill.

A record 221 horses were announced Wednesday for the 35th World Championships on Nov. 2-3. The 14-race schedule totaling a record $30 million in purses includes the inaugural Juvenile Turf Sprint on that Friday, the 2nd.

The Distaff and Dirt Mile have been moved to Saturday's nine-race Cup card culminating with the Classic.

The Breeders' Cup pre-entries include a record 51 foreign horses aiming to race at Churchill Downs, which will host for the record-tying ninth time. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has 18 entries, including 2017 Juvenile Turf champion Mendelssohn in the Classic. Coolmore Stud's 20 pre-entries are up six from last year.

Final entries and the post-position draw are Monday.

No matter which spot Accelerate starts from in the Classic, the quest will be capping his roll with another victory.

The John Sadler-trained colt has won five of six starts including his victory over West Coast, who can avenge that finish and improve on a third place in last year's Classic that helped him earn the Eclipse Award as top 3-year-old male.

However, Sadler likes the current performance of the California-based son of Lookin at Lucky.

"He's got a good style that he can stalk the speed; he doesn't have to be in front," Sadler said in a teleconference. "He'll get a good trip, no doubt. The other thing I'm comforted by is he is proven on an off track if we get rain."

As for Baffert, a Classic win would be his fourth in five years. Besides McKinzie, which won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania on Sept. 22, the trainer has Collected among five horses just outside the 14-horse limit.

"We feel like he deserves a chance at the Classic," Baffert said. "I can't believe how many pre-entered. I was hoping to get Collected in there. He was a little late to the party, but he's doing well and working well."

Oscar Performance aims to defend his Cup Mile win on turf in his third consecutive Breeders' Cup start. The 4-year-old is coming off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Woodbine Mile and has won two of three starts this year.

Five races for 2-year-olds highlight the Breeders' Cup first day as "Future Stars Friday." The $1 million Turf Sprint is open to colts and fillies and will cover 5½ furlongs.