Rebel's Romance has history on his side.
Goliath paid a hefty entry fee.
Minnie Hauk is coming off a narrow loss in the world's most famous turf race.
Mix it all together and you have the overpowering foreign flavor providing the spice in a field of 14 entered in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Of the three, Godolphin's Rebel's Romance is best known by American fans off his past success stories in the World Championships. His victory in last year's Turf made him one of only three horses to capture the Turf twice and a win Saturday would make the 7-year-old gelding the historic first three-time winner of America's richest turf race.
A winner by a neck in the 2024 Turf, the homebred son of Dubawi out of the Street Cry mare Minidress has maintained his stellar form during a busy international campaign this year. He's started seven times in five different countries and has five wins. In his last two starts, he triumphed in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) in Germany and then breezed to a 3 1/2-length score in the Sept. 27 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Aqueduct Racetrack in his final Breeders' Cup prep.
"All the plaudits go to the horse for his constitution, which has allowed him to be successful for so long," trainer Charlie Appleby said about the winner of 20 of 29 starts with earnings of $14.4 million. "This horse has raced in so many different countries and for a flat horse to be able to campaign that long and not drop off is so remarkable and is a credit to the horse's talent."
Goliath has the credentials to beat Rebel's Romance and they can be found in both horses' past performances.
Last year, Goliath posted a stunning 2 1/4-length victory in the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse with Rebel's Romance settling for third, 5 1/2 lengths behind.
Owner John Stewart of Resolute Racing bought a 75% controlling share of the Adlerflug gelding after that win and this year, following the 5-year-old's win for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard in the Sept. 7 Grosser Preis von Baden (G1), he and co-owner Baron Von Ullmann anted up a $200,000 supplemental entry fee to run in the Turf since neither Goliath nor his sire were originally nominated to the Breeders' Cup.
With the supplemental and starting fees, it will cost the connections $325,000 to break from the gate in the mile-and-a-half Turf.
"He's a great horse. He won the big race in the fall in Germany and got back to top form, so we wanted to bring him over here and give him a try in the Turf," Stewart said. "We'll see how he does with the three turns, but the mile-and-a-half distance should work well for him."
The strong likelihood of firm turf in California will present something different for Goliath as the speedy gelding raced on good or soft turf overseas in his last four starts.
"The ground will probably be a little firmer than he is used to," Stewart said. "But we think he's one of the best turf horses in the world and winning a Breeders' Cup stakes is at the top of my list."
Stewart said he is excited about the prospect of a rematch with Rebel's Romance after Goliath took the first encounter as a 25-1 longshot.
"I think people would like to see them go head-to-head," Stewart said.
Minnie Hauk, a brilliant 3-year-old filly, was favored In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) and led in the final furlong but was collared late by Daryz and finished second by a head.
Owned by the Coolmore partners and trained by Aidan O'Brien, both of whom have a record seven Breeders' Cup Turf wins, the B. V. Sangster-bred Frankel filly has won five of her seven career starts with 3 group 1 wins.
The horses that finished second and third behind Rebel's Romance in the Joe Hirsch will return to face him in the Turf.
Klaravich Stables' Redistricting was the runner-up in the Joe Hirsch. The 5-year-old Kingman gelding was coming off a victory for trainer Chad Brown in the United Nations Stakes (G2T) at Monmouth Park.
Godolphin and Appleby will also send out El Cordobes, a 4-year-old Frankel gelding who won the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course to earn a free Breeders' Cup Challenge Series spot in the Turf but then finished third in the Joe Hirsch, a neck behind Redistricting.
"With a little cover, he would have finished second," Appleby said.
Little Red Feather Racing, Agave Racing Stable, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify's California-based Gold Phoenix was fourth for trainer Phil D'Amato in last year's Turf as well as in the 2023 edition. But in August the 7-year-old Belardo gelding won the 1 3/8-mile Del Har Handicap (G2T) for the fourth straight time.
Del Mar, Saturday, November 1, 2025, Race 8Entries: Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Rebel's Romance (IRE) William Buick 126 Charles Appleby 5/2 2 2Goliath (GER) Mickael Barzalona 126 Francis - Henri Graffard 8/1 3 3Amiloc (GB) Rossa Ryan 122 Ralph Beckett 10/1 4 4Redistricting (GB) Flavien Prat 126 Chad C. Brown 15/1 5 5Rebel Red (GB) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Cherie DeVaux 30/1 6 6Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) Lanfranco Dettori 122 James Owen 20/1 7 7Silawi (IRE) James Doyle 126 H.A. Al Jehani 30/1 8 8Minnie Hauk (IRE) Christophe Soumillon 119 Aidan P. O'Brien 8/5 9 9Gold Phoenix (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 126 Philip D'Amato 20/1 10 10El Cordobes (IRE) Billy Loughnane 126 Charles Appleby 15/1 11 11Rashabar (IRE) Joe Leavy 122 Brian Meehan 20/1 12 12Tawny Port (KY) Manuel Franco 126 Miguel Clement 30/1 13 13Hill Road (KY) David Egan 122 Chad C. Brown 30/1 14 14Ethical Diamond (IRE) Dylan Browne McMonagle 126 William P. Mullins 30/1
