THORPEDO Anna rips through another gallop in the dark, her 74-year-old exercise rider Danny Ramsey holding and hoping, fighting physics. Big Evs barrels down the horse path, head up, eyes wide, a ball of speed, back for another crack.

Emily Upjohn measures each step like she’s trying on a new pair of Pradas. Rebel’s Romance floats along the turf course, a $9.1 million hovercraft. War Like Goddess, a seven-year-old mare still going strong, straddles the line of boil and boil over, as her trainer Bill Mott tries to cajole her through another day. East Avenue, well, East Avenue stops you in your tracks; the days, the hours, the minutes can’t come quick enough for his trainer, Brendan Walsh.

And the Aidan O’Brien battalion strolls and struts two circuits of the Del Mar paddock Thursday morning. Luxembourg leads City Of Troy and eight stablemates with Porta Fortuna tagging along as the caboose. Two turns and out.

Photographers, security guards, fans, owners, trainers, agents, writers and general hangers on funnel into the tunnel from the paddock to the track. I stopped counting at 87. Most seemed to be wearing City Of Troy vests.

During a week of questions, there is one on the top of everyone’s mind, at the tip of everyone’s lips. Phrased differently but meant the same.

“Can he, or can’t he?”

“Will he, or won’t he?”

I’ve been asked by professional trainers and degenerate gamblers, lifelong horsemen and weekend warriors, my 90-year-old dad and my 15-year-old son. And, yeah, I’ve asked it a time or two, too.

In an era when sporting ventures seem fewer and farther between, Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore team lead the list of sporting ventures this weekend.

A once-beaten turf horse takes on the world in the toughest 10 furlongs on the dirt. The Breeders’ Cup Classic backs up its name. A classic. An international classic. When the Breeders’ Cup was created, this was the concept, right? The best of the world converge – an away game for most, step up, take a risk, throw your chips on the table.

7:00 PNC Bank Breeders’

Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

(Grade 1) 7 furs

The first three finishers from the Grade 1 Ballerina return for the Saturday opener. Society handled Scylla and Vahva that day. Ways And Means beat three-year-old fillies in the Test at Saratoga. Locals One Magic Philly and Pleasant are rolling, but face acid tests here.

We’ll side with Bill Mott and a target. The Hall of Fame trainer saw what he needed to see from Scylla in a trip to California earlier in the year.

Selections: 1 Scylla, 2 Society, 3 Vahva.

7:41 Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1) 5 furs

The fastest horse in the world, Cogburn, puts his three-race win streak on the line in the five-furlong dash for trainer Steve Asmussen. The son of Not This Time broke the minute mark in the Jaipur at Saratoga in June. Asmussen lives in awe of the fastest horse he’s ever trained.

“Nobody has ever had a horse go five and a half furlongs under a minute. That’s a pretty good indicator. That was insane. But it happened. We watched it. That was crazy,” Asmussen said. “When you think about it, a lot of horses have run before. Have you ever seen a five and a half under a minute? He was running, he’s generous. He’s a very confident horse, but he’s very generous. I’m not under the illusion you can go faster.”

He won’t need to.

Beaten once on the turf, the five-year-old drew post nine for Irad Ortiz Jr. The world is outside him with South African-bred Isivunguvungu, Irish-bred Big Evs and British-bred Bradsell drawing the far outside slots.

Don’t go to the fridge for a beer, don’t walk the dog, don’t scroll your phone, it’s five furlongs with Cogburn at the wheel.

Selections: 1 Cogburn, 2 Isivunguvungu, 3 Bradsell.

8:21 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade 1) 1m 1fur

Thorpedo Anna aims to cap a stellar season in the $2 million Distaff. Beaten once when chasing Fierceness in the Travers, the daughter of Fast Anna drew post two for Brian Hernandez Jr. Trainer Ken McPeek says the only thing that can beat her is racing luck.

“Someone gets an easy lead or you get boxed in, that’s it. She has done everything we have asked her to do,” McPeek said. “Even when we asked a lot of her in the Travers, she gave us everything she had. We are ultra-confident.”

Selections: Thorpedo Anna, Raging Sea, Awesome Result.

9:01 Longines Breeders’ Cup (Grade 1) Turf 1m 4furs

The All BC Pick 6 starts here.

Emily Upjohn tries to snap an eight-race losing streak going back to the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June 2023. Frankie Dettori tries to pull one more rabbit out of his deep hat. She had me at hello this week. But this is a tough goodbye. Shahryar missed by a length and a quarter to Auguste Rodin in last year’s race. The six-year-old Japanese-bred makes his third start of the year.

The O’Brien team Luxembourg, still the pacesetter, and Wingspan walked around the paddock like old pros Thursday morning. That was my only glimpse.

“Luxembourg has played second or third string to our horses in other races, but he’s here as first. We feel the track and trip will suit him and we look forward to seeing him run. He’s got a nice draw and he’s a very uncomplicated horse,” O’Brien said.

“Wingspan is a very uncomplicated filly and we look forward to seeing her over this trip and could run very big race.”

Rebel’s Romance has lost once in his last six tries and looked awesome on the turf Wednesday morning.

As for America, well, we’re up against it as usual when it comes to this race. Far Bridge has turned it around his last two, but this is way tougher.

Selections: 1 Rebel’s Romance, 2 Jayarebe, 3 Wingspan.

9:41 The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) 1m 2 furs

You’ll know your fate – his fate – in a matter of strides. Breaking from post three, City of Troy must break sharply and cleanly. If he does that, he can utilise his natural speed to carve a position near the front of the 14-horse field.

Kickback from one or two won’t matter, kickback from the vanguard, that could end it, done and dusted right there. A sporting venture, poof. For his sake, for the sport’s sake, for the sake of a sporting gesture, I hope he gets away cleanly and the best horse wins from there.

O’Brien thinks he can get a position early. “He has pace naturally, which is what we saw when he was a two-year-old,” O’Brien said. “You saw him open up as a two-year-old, but we haven’t yet asked him to do that as a three-year-old and that’s what he’ll have to do here. He went out there and showed pace in the Guineas, but wasn’t 100% fit and a sprinter took him on and I didn’t prepare him right for that race.

“Then we started him out slow and started revving him up and revving him up more – but he’s a naturally fast horse, who likes to show pace.”

Why him? Why can he be the one to break the Coolmore duck in the Classic?

“His movement, ability, cruise, action, determination, makeup, the way he’s put together,” O’Brien said. “A very compact horse, who looks much smaller until you stand into him and realise how big he really is – all the things that make him different – his movement is massive with big, long strides; he’s aggressive and he’s hardy and you can see his dad (Justify) and granddad (Galileo) in him, so he’s always been an exciting horse. All the things that make him different, and he has the pedigree to back it all up.”

He’ll need all that as he drops his boat into unknown waters.

More options

John Velazquez, the most definitive jockey we know, has more options with Fierceness. Breaking from post nine, Fierceness can control the pace, the tempo, the flow.

Velazquez won’t make it easy on Ryan Moore and City Of Troy. Move. Counter move. Move. Counter move.

Along those moves and counter moves come a melting pot of contenders.

Forever Young has lost once in his life, a tough-trip third in the Kentucky Derby. He drew the rail for Japan. Highland Falls emerged as a contender with a romp in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup for Brad Cox. Mixto won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic and is one of just a few local horses in the Classic.

Senor Buscador won the Saudi Cup in March, but lost his two starts since. Japanese Derma Sotogake finished second to White Abarrio in last year’s Classic and adds blinkers. Japanese Ushba Tesoro is 11-for-35 in a $16 million career. Pyrenees chased Highland Falls in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Tapit Trice represents Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz Jr, two of the greats. Sierra Leone, well, if you’ve liked him, you’ll finally get some value here, but I can’t jump on that bandwagon now.

Arthur’s Ride dominated the Grade 1 Whitney in Saratoga, but came back and flopped in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Did he bounce? Newgate has Dettori and Baffert at the helm. And, last but certainly not least, is the over-achieving, stamina-loving, marathon-dominating Next. Talk about a sport venture. Enjoy.

Selections: 1 Forever Young, 2 City Of Troy, 3 Fierceness.

10:25 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (Grade 1) 1m 3 furs

Still going strong?

Kevin Attard is one of the most underrated trainers in North America, the Canadian-based conditioner brings Full Count Felicia and Moira into the $2 million stakes.

The former opened up 14 lengths and won the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor by three and a half lengths. The latter closed and finished second that day. Don’t discount either one.

Cinderella’s Dream loves North America with a 2-for-2 mark and handy draw for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.

War Like Goddess? Come on, stand back and cheer on a legend.

Selections: 1 Moira, 2 War Like Goddess, 3 Cinderella’s Dream.

11:05 Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) 6 furs

A little American speed to keep you up all night. Fresh off an easy return win at Santa Anita, Straight No Chaser could be coming to this perfectly. Mullikin and Skelly pile on the speed from the outside.

I’d pay attention to how the dirt track is playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday before wading deep into this or any of the dirt races. Speed was key earlier in the year.

Selections: 1 Straight No Chaser, 2 Federal Judge, 3 Mullikin.

11:45 Fanduel Breeders’ Cup Mile, Presented by PDJF (Grade 1) 1m

Hard to believe these races are coming after the Classic.

Johannes represents the local team. He’s won four in a row for trainer Tim Yakteen. Carl Spackler trained like a soldier Wednesday morning, if he’s near his 6/1 morning line, you might want to dig into your wallet. Cool horse.

I fell for Porta Fortuna when she was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year and she’s done little wrong since.

Selections: 1 Porta Fortuna, 2 Notable Speech, 3 Carl Spackler.

12:25 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (Grade 1) 1m

If you’re still tuned in, have a nightcap and give yourself a pat on the back. A long and hopefully brilliant day of racing fades out, with a competitive renewal of the Dirt Mile.

Saudi Crown galloped well Thursday morning and could cap a big weekend for Brad Cox. Preakness winner Seize The Grey tries to close a strong campaign for D. Wayne Lukas. Domestic Product hasn’t lost since stepping off the Triple Crown Trail back in May.

Cash your pick six and get to bed.

Selections: 1 Domestic Product, 2 Mufasa, 3 Full Serrano.