Weekend Lineup: Breeders’ Cup Classic Rematch At Saratoga originally appeared on Paulick Report.
The first weekend of August features three Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, including the Grade 1 Whitney for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and G1 Fourstardave for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, on a loaded Aug. 2 card at Saratoga Racecourse.
In addition to the “Win and You’re In” races, the Saturday card at Saratoga includes the G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds over 1 3/16 miles on the turf, G1 Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, and the 6 ½-furlong G2 Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds.
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On Sunday, the Spa will run the 5 ½-furlong G2 Troy Stakes for older turf sprinters, and the G3 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies over 6 ½ furlongs.
At Del Mar, distaff mares take center stage as the connections of talented sprinter Kopion gauge if she can be as effective in the 1 ⅛-mile G1 Clement L. Hirsch. The Clement L. Hirsch is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Also this weekend, Ellis Park hosts Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend with seven stakes over two days, and G1 winner East Avenue makes his return in the G3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.
3:52 pm – G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga
California-based miler Johannes takes on the best turf milers the East Coast has to offer when he makes his 2025 debut in the Fourstardave. Johannes was last seen finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He will meet current year G1 winners Determinstic and Spirit of St Louis, who each cut back to the mile after recording their G1 wins at 1 ⅛-miles.
Also in the field is the Chad Brown-trained French import Intellect, who has been second in two turf mile graded stakes, but has yet to win in the U.S.
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5:41 pm – G1 Whitney at Saratoga
The Whitney has attracted the best older males in the country. Last year’s G1 Travers winner Fierceness is expected to be favored over the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Sierra Leone. White Abarrio, winner of the 2023 Whitney and this year’s G1 Pegasus World Cup, and 2024 G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Highland Falls are also entered.
G1 Stephen Foster winner Mindframe is entered, but is expected to scratch if his stablemate Fierceness remains in the field.
9:30 pm – G1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar
G1 Derby City Distaff winner Kopion leads a field of seven in the Clement L. Hirsch. The Spendthrift Farm homebred will stretch out around two turns for the first time since finishing fourth in last year’s G2 Santa Anita Oaks – a race won by Nothing Like You, who makes her seasonal debut in the 1 ⅛-mile graded stakes.
G3 winner Royal Spa ships in from Kentucky for trainer Rudolphe Brisset. She was second last out to Thorpedo Anna in the G2 Fleur de Lis.
Little Hidden Port, a two-time graded stakes winner in her native Argentina, makes her U.S. debut in the Clement L. Hirsch for trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing.
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.