City of Troy Draws Three, Made 5-2 Choice For Breeders’ Cup Classic

[Wandering Eyes]

Despite never having raced on the dirt in his two seasons at the races, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's champion City of Troy (Justify) was assigned gate three as the 5-2 morning-line selection in a full field of 14 and will be ridden by Ryan Moore in Saturday's $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Deemed by trainer Aidan O'Brien–a two-time runner-up in the Classic (Giant's Causeway, Declaration of War)–'the best he's ever trained,' the son of G1SW Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was well-beaten on seasonal debut in the G1 English 2000 Guineas in May, but has been untouchable since, with victories in the G1 Betfred Derby, the G1 Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York. He was given a hit-out over the all-weather at Southwell last month, sitting in behind stablemates before inhaling them and striding clear with confident strides beneath Moore. The obstacles are not insignificant, as the kickback could prove a serious hindrance should he not leave running from the low draw. He could be ridden in such a way as to mitigate that factor, and a victory would prove his trainer prescient in his analysis.

'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) looks to become the first horse to complete the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile/Classic double and the Todd Pletcher trainee will depart barrier nine as the 3-1 morning line second choice with John Velazquez. Brilliant winner of the GI Curlin Florida Derby, he was well-beaten in the GI Kentucky Derby, and connections subsequently fought any urge to contest the final two legs of the Triple Crown. Instead, he returned with a battling victory over fellow 'Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and followed suit with a narrow success over Distaff favorite and 'Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Travers Stakes when last seen Aug. 24. Sierra Leone, winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in April, is a 12-1 chance.

Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), a bang-up third in the GI Kentucky Derby, most recently overcame the one hole to win the Listed Japan Dirt Classic at Ohi outside of Tokyo and will have to do the same if he is to add the Classic. He will be partnered by his regular jockey Ryusei Sakai and starts at a relatively generous opening quote of 6-1.

The field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic:

Saturday, Del Mar, post time: 5:41 p.m. ET

LONGINES BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC-GI, $7,000,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m

1 Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), Sakai, Yahagi, 6-1

2 Highland Falls (Curlin), Saez, Cox, 20-1

3 City of Troy (Justify), Moore, A O'Brien, 5-2

4 Mixto (Good Magic), Frey, O'Neill, 30-1

5 Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), Rosario, Fincher, 30-1

6 Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Lemaire, Otonashi, 20-1

7 Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), Kawada, Takagi, 12-1

8 Pyrenees (Into Mischief), Hernandez Jr, DeVaux, 30-1

9 Fierceness (City of Light), Velazquez, Pletcher, 3-1

10 Tapit Trice (Tapit), Ortiz Jr, Pletcher, 30-1

11 Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), Prat, Brown, 12-1

12 Arthur's Ride (Tapit), Alvarado, Mott, 15-1

13 Newgate (Into Mischief), Dettori, 20-1

14 Next (Not This Time), Machado, Cowans, 8-1

Also Eligible:

15 Rattle N Roll (Connect), No Rider, McPeek

 

This story will be updated

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