FORTY years. The sport of horse racing changed forever 40 years ago when the Breeders’ Cup made its debut at Hollywood Park.

Chief’s Crown won the opener. Outstandingly, Eillo, Royal Heroine, Princess Rooney and Lashkari fired over the bow. Wild Again won a thriller. The track is long gone. And the game has never been the same.

It’s that time of year again. The Breeders’ Cup World Championships return to Santa Anita for the 11th time. Cool air. Mountain views. The best in the world. And the annual end-of-the-year crescendo.

By the time you’re reading this, the Friday card will have come and gone and it’s on to Saturday. In what used to be a one-day, seven-race treat, the Breeders’ Cup is now a two day all-you-can-eat buffet with a starch, protein, vegetable and a desert for everyone. At least every division.

And, sadly, it’s been a tough week at the Breeders’ Cup. The anticipated crescendo has wailed and whimpered through devastating developments to some of the stars of the show.

Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride suffered a displaced condylar fracture Saturday, underwent surgery and was euthanized Wednesday. Dirt Mile second-choice Practical Move collapsed and died after a routine gallop Tuesday.

Classic favourite Arcangelo scratched earlier in the week, derailed by a sore hind hoof, his retirement was announced on the spot. A six-start comet, come and gone before you knew it. Beyond those, late scratches have dotted the line-up.

Without thinking about it, I texted my comrade, Tom Law, at the Breeders’ Cup this week.

“Any calamities today?” He texted back, “None, from all reports.” I exhaled, briefly. That’s how it feels, thankful, that nothing has gone wrong.

In a year of devastating lows and a far few highs, here’s hoping for a safe weekend.

6.30 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile 1 mile

A race that starts and stops with Cody’s Wish. A feel-good story in a sport and at a time when needed most, the five-year-old son of Curlin seeks his 11th career tally, his fifth Grade 1 triumph and second win in a row in the Dirt Mile, a race tailor made to his strengths.

Owned and bred by Godolphin, trained by Bill Mott, ridden by Junior Alvarado and cheered loudest by an overachieving beat-the-odds kid named Cody Dorman, Cody’s Wish should wallop eight rivals and go out a winner in his final start.

“He is going to be the fan favourite and one of the favourites in the race,” Mott said. “It’s a horse race and anything can happen. Wouldn’t it be great if he went out on top? It would be really special for a lot of reasons. Even if the story wasn’t part of it, it would be great, but the story would make it really special.”

Selections: 1 Cody’s Wish, 2 Stage Raider, 3 Zozos.

7.10 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf 1m 2 furlongs

Inspiral blew out an easy half mile on the turf this week. The move made you stop and stare. The eight-time winner glided, Frankie Dettori hovered. Get the paint brush and start swiping. The John Gosden trainee stretches an extra quarter mile, but this is California maths, surely she can handle it.

“We think she’ll get the distance well. As I’ve said with Mostahdaf, it’s firm ground and the first part is downhill, with tight bends, so I don’t worry too much about her ability to handle a mile and a quarter,” Gosden said.

“She’s flown to France before, but this is the longest journey for her. She’s taking it all well, but she did get very bored in quarantine and was itching to get out. She’s a little bit like a caged lioness, but she’s fit and doing well.”

Open the cage.

Selections: 1 Inspiral, 2 Warm Heart, 3 Didia.

7.50 PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint 7 furlongs

Without Echo Zulu (another dimmed star leading up to this), the seven-furlong stakes opens up to the likes of Goodnight Olive, Society and Matareya.

Eight-time winner Goodnight Olive drew the rail for trainer Chad Brown. The five-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper won this race last year, the culmination of a six-race winning streak. She made it seven in the Madison to start this season but has lost two of three since.

Selections: 1 Goodnight Olive, 2 Matareya, 3 Society.

7.30 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile, Presented by PDJF 1 mile

The real Mile.

As usual, the foreigners stand tall in the first turf stakes races of the Breeders’ Cup card. Japanese-bred Songline and Irish-breds Mawj and Master Of The Seas occupy the first three spots in the betting.

Of those three, Mawj drew the best in stall six. Fresh off a win in the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland, the three-year-old daughter of Exceed and Excel led every step of that nine-furlong contest. She’s undefeated in four starts this year for Saeed bin Suroor.

Songline ventures here fresh off a second in her most recent start. She was beaten a nose in the Mainichi Oaks, her first race since taking two Grade 1 stakes races this summer. The daughter of Kizuna drew post 10.

Master Of The Seas just missed to Up To The Mark in the Turf Mile at Keeneland October 7th. William Buick will need to navigate a trip from the far outside. Hey, William, cue up Mike Smith’s ride on Lure.

Of the American contingent, root for Casa Creed. The venerable seven-year-old has over-achieved his way to nine wins and nearly $2.5 million. And, while you’re rooting for hard-trying Americans, Shirl’s Speight rallied to finish second in last year’s Mile, three-quarters of a length away from a 55/1 shocker for horseman of horsemen Roger Attfield.

Selections: 1 Mawj, 2 Songline, 3 Kelina.

9.10 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff 1m 1 furlong

Speed. Speed. Speed.

Hoosier Philly drew blinkers and the rail. Idiomatic has led every step in her two most recent wins. Adare Manor sports speed – California speed. Search Results possesses tactical speed while stablemate Randomized has never lost while leading early.

The somewhat forgotten one is Clairiere. The five-year-old mare lost this race by three-quarters of a length in 2021 and by a head in 2022. Fourth and third, amazingly. Joel Rosario will let her lag and close. Godolphin’s three-year-olds Pretty Mischievous and Wet Paint will try to employ the same tactics.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Pretty Mischievous won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Acorn and Test earlier in the year.

“If you asked me three months ago, I would have said we probably wouldn’t be running in the Breeders’ Cup, but she took a bit of a growth spurt from the time she ran in the Test to now,” Walsh said.

“She’s not going to look out of place on Saturday, whereas three months ago, she may have with these fillies. She’s done so well, gotten stronger, bulked up and filled out. That’s kind of why we thought ‘why not’ because she looks on paper that she’s good enough to win the race and she’s doing as well as she’s ever done.

“She’s outstanding because she just loves, loves, loves to train and she loves to race. Every time she gets out there, I’ve never seen anything like her.”

Selections: 1. Idiomatic, 2 Adare Manor, 3 Wet Paint.

10.40 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic 1m 2 furlongs

What a blow. The departure of favourite Arcangelo with a bum hoof took some gleam off the $6 million Classic.

In a year searching for a star, the Travers and Belmont winner had stepped forward. Alas, he’s off to Lexington. And the race is left to be determined.

White Abarrio inherited the co-favourite position. Fresh off a shocker in the Whitney at Saratoga, the four-year-old son of Race Day is trained by Rick Dutrow, who recently returned from a 10-year suspension. Not exactly a feel-good story but certainly a possible one at 4/1.

Sharing favouritism on the morning line is Ushba Tesoro. If you like him, rest your finger on the cancel button as the field loads into the gate. The Japanese star’s behaviour at the gate could determine the outcome.

He’s been tricky at best in the morning. The talent, that’s unquestionable. The six-year-old son of Orfevre rides a six-race win streak, including the Dubai World Cup, into the Classic.

Hard to call

Zandon snapped an eight-race losing streak in the Woodward for Chad Brown. It’s hard to call it a losing streak as he hit the board in six Grade 1 stakes, including the Kentucky Derby and Travers. Dettori climbs aboard the son of Upstart who has trained well all week.

Missed The Cut plied his trade in Europe before coming here, the son of Quality Road has one win in four starts. He would be a shocker.

Japan is also represented by Derma Sotogake. The son of Mind Your Biscuits makes his first start since finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby back in May.

Three-year-olds Saudi Crown, Dreamlike and Arabian Knight attempt to step into Arcangelo’s footprint. With speed from the outside, Arabian Knight, trained by Bob Baffert, will certainly put his mark on the race. How deep and how far a mark is the question.

The enigmatic Proxy needs to overcome the outside post. If anyone can navigate that, it’s jockey Joel Rosario, who will surely slide over and hope for a pace meltdown.

Bright Future holds the late-developing four-year-old bingo square for Hall of Famers Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.

Hard-trying Senor Buscador and Clapton would be shockers.

Selections: 1 Ushba Tesoro, 2 White Abarrio, 3 Bright Future

11.25 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 5 furlongs

The beat goes on. The Classic doesn’t provide the finale this year, somehow, trying to find a slot in television ratings and college football or something.

One of the lost beauties of the Breeders’ Cup. The down-the-hill turf sprint at Santa Anita. Now, it’s five furlongs around one turn. Disappointing.

Who won’t be disappointed is Caravel. Last year’s winner returns to firm turf for her carer finale.

Selections: 1 Caravel, 2 Motorious, 3 Gear Jockey

11.59 Qatar Breeders’ Cup Sprint 6 furlongs

Still going strong?

Now it’s American speed. Elite Power and Gunite square off for the fourth time this year. Awesome rivalry. The Bill Mott-trained Elite Power leads 2-1 over the Steve Asmussen-trained Gunite. They line up next to each other in stalls eight and nine.

Selections: 1 Elite Power, 2 Gunite, 3 Speed Boat Beach.