European Horseplayers Strongly Backing City of Troy

As North American horseplayers ponder City of Troy's chances of handling a surface switch at the highest level when the Epsom Derby (G1) winner starts on dirt for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), many of their European counterparts already have expressed full confidence in the versatility of the 3-year-old son of Triple Crown winner Justify. In an Oct. 30 press release, a spokesperson for William Hill said strong early support of City of Troy could result in major losses for European-based bookmakers should he capture the Classic Nov. 2 at Del Mar. "Saturday night could be pivotal for us at William Hill as City Of Troy goes for Breeders' Cup Classic glory," said Lee Phelps of William Hill. "(Trainer) Aidan O'Brien's star is already a huge loser for us ante-post, and if he goes in at the weekend, along with some other big European runners, we could be staring down a seven-figure loss." City of Troy enters the 1 1/4-mile Classic off of three straight group 1 wins on turf in England. He followed his June 1 Epsom Derby (G1) score with victories against older horses in both the Eclipse Stakes (G1) and International Stakes (G1). To date, his only loss came in May when off the board in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket. Regular rider Ryan Moore is scheduled to ride Kentucky-bred City of Troy Saturday at Del Mar. "City Of Troy has gained tremendous popularity since the Juddmonte International," Phelps said. "After his Guineas blowout, he was a 33/1 shot for the Classic, but ever since we've laid him at various prices, and his current odds of 13/8 are still attracting significant attention from bettors." Phelps noted that typically international fields feature enough talent to spread out wagering interest. "This level of ante-post support is rare for an international race," Phelps said. "The last horse to attract such strong pre-race interest was Vauban in the Melbourne Cup last year, a race that nearly became a one-horse book. City of Troy is drawing similar enthusiasm this year, with global interest turning him into a leading figure for the Classic. "Market projections suggest that City of Troy's odds will likely stabilize at around 2-1 on Saturday night, though global market activity may influence his final starting price. Whatever his starting price, we'll be cheering home the United States runners come Saturday night." On the morning line that estimates what the final pari-mutuel odds of the race will be, City of Troy is the 5-2 favorite followed by Travers Stakes (G1) winner Fierceness at 3-1, and Japan-based Forever Young (JPN), who finished third in this year's Kentucky Derby (G1), at 6-1.