This was the reported activity Tuesday for the horses entered in Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Arthur’s Ride

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Morning activity: Galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Damian Hinds.

Planned activity: Repeat of Tuesday routine on Wednesday.

Mott: “The post (12) is fine. It’s a long run down to the turn, it’s like running in the (Kentucky) Derby. I don’t think it will be a problem; it could be an advantage. I haven’t really looked at the others yet because, unfortunately, I was watching the Yankees game (Monday) night.”

City of Troy

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Jockey: Ryan Moore

Morning activity: In his first look at the Del Mar dirt track, City of Troy left the European side of the quarantine area and followed four-time Group 1-winning stablemate Luxembourg as part of an 11-strong throng from trainer Aidan O’Brien, who was on hand to watch the team go through their paces. After walking down and back the seven-furlong chute, the team walked and jogged one clockwise lap of the track before having an easy gallop of the same mile circuit. Porta Fortuna, trained by son Donnacha O’Brien, capped the group to make for an even dozen.

Planned activity: More of the same was planned.

Odyssey begins for City of Troy

Seventeen times this century, trainer Aidan O’Brien has led over a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and 17 times he left empty-handed. Coolmore’s private trainer and the master of Ireland’s Ballydoyle has, of course, come close in the past, including the narrow runner-up Giant’s Causeway in 2000 and photo-finish third Declaration of War in 2013. But for a man with 18 overall World Championships victories in other races, the big donut he has been served is anything but sweet.

Enter City of Troy, O’Brien’s reigning champion and the world’s top-rated 3-year-old, fresh off consecutive Group 1 victories in the Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes and Juddmonte International. In this bright luminary, the world’s most prolific trainer has arguably his best chance yet to acquire North America’s top race and his most elusive target.

“We thought, even before he ever ran at 2, that running him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic was always the dream,” O’Brien said. “That was the dream about getting (sire) Justify originally. We didn’t think we could get him, but the boss persevered and got him and the dream for us was to have a stallion that was going to be dual-purpose and perform on grass and dirt and that’s obviously why the boss has sent the best mares and that’s been the way since.

“This horse has always been highly rated,” he continued. “When he was a foal, he was rated an 8 out of 10, a very high rating, but usually that’s the kiss of death on a horse because the spotlight is on them and there’s always extra pressure. Usually, a horse will fail when those kinds of expectations are there, but when we started working on him as a 2-year-old, we knew he was different. He was always bred to be a 7 furlong-plus horse, but he would have been able to run at Ascot as a 2-year-old and you have to be fast to do that, so he was obviously different all the time. It was a matter of getting experience in him at 2, so we’d have him ready to rock at 3.”

City of Troy drew post 3 of 14 and was established as the slight 5-2 morning-line favorite. Blessed with more pace than the average European middle-distance horse, he and jockey Ryan Moore appear to have options from said barrier.

“I think it’s a good post. In is better than out and I suppose the danger of being in is (the question of) are you going to be quick-enough away,” O’Brien said. “We have done everything we can do from when he ran the way he did (finishing ninth) in the Guineas to restructure a lot of stuff. We went back and got him to go slowly throughout the gears, to relax and slow down, because we were thinking about The Derby, while all the time preparing him for the Classic through the whole year.

“He blew up in the stalls because I didn’t put him in the stalls in the winter and prepare him properly, so then we had to get him back to relax for The Derby. After that, we had to go through all the stages and we knew the Classic was going to be at the end. That’s why in York, we went a little bit forward with him and he’s obviously very happy to be forward. We knew if we did that earlier in The Derby, we would have been in trouble. We were happy with what he did in York, but he still wasn’t opened up properly. That’s why we went to Southwell (for a workout) instead of going to an Irish Champion.”

In a well-covered public workout on Sept. 20, City of Troy and four other workmates had a 1-mile breeze from the gate over the all-weather surface of Southwell. After breaking and settling, he passed all his overmatched stablemates to finish up double-digit lengths superior.

“We just needed to open him up a bit more,” O’Brien said. “We didn’t want him to hit the gates and lead, but we wanted the pace to be very strong. We wanted him to be forward, but not be in front. The work was far more about the first half, rather than the second half. He was very comfortable following the fast pace and I don’t think the fractions were much slower than the they would be the first four furlongs in America. We opened him up even more since Southwell.”

“We think we’ve looked under every stone we can. We think we have him prepared to go forward. Whether he will be quick enough to have a nice position from that slot in this type of race, this is probably the most demanding race for any horse all year. He’s a 3-year-old running against older horses, as well as 3-year-olds in America who would be more used to it — so he has an awfully lot of things to overcome, to be realistic. We’ve prepared him and done everything we can do and it’s going to be interesting. He can only break as quick as he’s prepared to break and when that happens, Ryan will make his own mind up. He will be opened up, but whether he is quick enough to lead, he may not be. The fractions are fierce here and that’s the way racing is and that’s the way it has to be.”

Derma Sotogake

Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi

Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

Morning activity: Worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds

Lemaire: “American dirt track suits him as he ran well in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup. His 2024 campaign has been disappointing, but he likes America. Hope we can get his form back to the top level. We will put him blinkers in the race.”

Fierceness

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

Morning activity: Galloped one mile under exercise rider Danny Wright

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop a mile again. Will visit paddock and gate for schooling.

Pletcher on drawing Post 9: “I prefer to be a little towards the outside, so maybe you’ve got a good run to the turn. I’m happy with that draw.”

More on the post position: “He needs to break alertly then it’s kind of up to Johnny to decide how quickly they’re going and where he wants to position himself. He’s shown in the Florida Derby that he can win on the lead. And he’s shown in those other races that he doesn’t have to have the lead. It’s really going to be up to Johnny to determine how they run.”

Forever Young

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai

Morning activity: Worked 5 furlongs in 1:04

Yahagi: “Difficult draw in stall 1 but he is in much better form compared to how he was back in May. He is a different horse I would say. He breezed well, and I am happy what he did and his workout time.”

Closer Look: Redemption or replication for Yahagi at Del Mar

The man in the hat, 63-year-old Yoshito Yahagi is one of the most successful Japanese trainers on the international stage having won Grade 1 races in six counties including two Breeders’ Cup races.

In 2021, Loves Only You brought a first Breeders’ Cup success to the Land of the Rising Sun by winning the Filly & Mare Turf. A few hours later, Marche Lorraine claimed the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

As the first Japanese trainer to find success at the Breeders’ Cup, Yahagi is sending one horse to Del Mar this year. His 3-year-old colt Forever Young seeks to replicate his Breeders’ Cup success in 2021.

A son of Real Steel, he is out of the Congrats mare Forever Darling and has established himself prominently on the international scene by winning dual Saudi and UAE Derbys this season. Forever Young also ran for the roses as an undefeated horse in May, being narrowly beaten in third in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“It was disappointing we couldn’t win,” Yahagi said after the Kentucky Derby. “He was 80 percent fit and he did his best though we wanted to win.”

Forever Young raced once in the Japan Dirt Classic, locally considered as Grade 1 class, and he won it very easily as a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“Everyone’s expecting him to win this race, so it is relieving for me,” jockey Ryusei Sakai said. “Forever Young remains unbeaten domestically and it was very frustrating result in America. We would like to win and get redemption in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Forever Young arrived at Del Mar on Oct. 22 with Yahagi and Sakai arriving Monday the 28th.

“Forever Young is doing well here after his travel,” Yahagi said. “Everything is good, and I am happy so far. “I am staying at the same hotel as I did in 2021. Hopefully it is a sign of good luck. My room got upgraded though.”

With the best Japanese result in the Breeders’ Cup Classic coming last year courtesy of a second-place finish from Derma Sotogake under Christophe Lemaire, Yahagi is poised to make history once again. Forever Young was the first Japanese trained horse to place in the Kentucky Derby. Can he be the first Japanese horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic?

Highland Falls

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Luis Saez

Morning activity: Galloped over the Del Mar track for the first time after arriving Monday from Kentucky.

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday.

Cox: “He looks great this morning. He’s a horse that based on pedigree, is bred to get better as he gets older and I think we’re seeing that now. He handled a mile and a quarter at Saratoga on a demanding track (when winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup), so we are hopeful here.”

Mixto

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Jockey: Kyle Frey

Morning activity: Jogged a mile alongside pony with Tony Romero up.

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday

O’Neill: “That was the plan (to train up to the Classic after winning the Pacific Classic on Aug. 31). With (Hot Rod) Charlie here in 2021, he didn’t have that much time off.”

Hot Rod Charlie had won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) six weeks before finishing fourth in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

Newgate

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Frankie Dettori

Morning activity: Jogged under exercise rider Umberto Gomez, schooled in the paddock

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday.

Baffert: “He looked happy today and was full of energy.” (On the draw, 13 post) “I would like to be a little closer, but as always, the break is most important. Frankie will work something out.”

Next

Trainer: Doug Cowans

Jockey: Luan Machado

Morning activity: Galloped for the first time since arriving from Kentucky Monday.

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop

Pyrenees

Trainer: Cherie DeVaux

Morning activity: Galloped 1 3/8 miles in first visit to the track after shipping in Monday.

Planned activity: Same routine Wednesday

DeVaux: “He galloped well and happy, and that’s all we can ask for. Nothing bothers him.”

Rattle N Roll

Trainer: Kenny McPeek

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Morning activity: Jogged a turn and galloped a turn under exercise rider Danny Ramsey

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday

McPeek: “He traveled OK here. There are expectations for (Thorpedo Anna, the morning-line favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff). He has none (and is on the also-eligible list). There is nothing to worry about there. Totally different ends of the spectrum.”

Señor Buscador

Trainer: Todd Fincher

Jockey: Joel Rosario

Morning activity: Walked with paddock visit after training hours.

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday

Sierra Leone

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Flavien Prat

Morning activity: Had an easy gallop around the dirt track, per his conditioner.

Planned activity: Scheduled to do more of the same Wednesday.

Brown: “All my horses galloped today, even the Kentucky horses (Carl Spackler and Chili Flag) that arrived yesterday, because they all had the same actual breeze day on Saturday. Everyone went fine and I’m really pleased with what I saw today. Sierra Leone continues to look great.”

Tapit Twice

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Morning activity: Galloped one mile under exercise rider Amelia Green.

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop a mile again. Will visit paddock and gate for schooling.

Pletcher on drawing post 10: “I’m happy with that. He probably won’t show quite as much speed as Fierceness, but it gives Irad some time to survey things inside of him, see where he wants to land.”

Ushba Tesoro

Trainer: Noboru Takagi

Jockey: Yuga Kawada

Morning activity: Easy exercise on the dirt track

Planned activity: Scheduled to gallop Wednesday

Takagi: “He is in good form. Nothing significantly different from last year. He is not straightforward, but we are trying to get along with it.”