Six Breeders' Cup Hopefuls for Triple Crown Winners

The pre-entries for this year's Breeders' Cup revealed a diverse group of runners for Ashford Stud's dynamic duo of Triple Crown-winning sires, American Pharoah   and Justify  .

The lone United States Triple Crown winners during the Breeders' Cup era, American Pharoah and Justify each saw three of their runners pre-entered in this year's World Championships Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.

American Pharoah, one of 25 Breeders' Cup winners to then sire a Breeders' Cup winner, wasted no time joining that club when from his first crop Four Wheel Drive  won the 2019 Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T). American Pharoah, who closed out his 2015 Triple Crown season with an eye-catching victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland, topped the first-crop sire list of 2019.

With three horses pre-entered this year, American Pharoah figures to add to his 10 Breeders' Cup starters as he has had at least one starter each year since 2019 in the World Championships.

While Justify did not race in the Breeders' Cup, he also saw a World Championships starter from his first crop when Verifying  finished sixth in last year's Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland. Justify would finish second on the first-crop sires list. He'll look for his first winner from the three horses pre-entered this year. All three are 2-year-old fillies.

American Pharoah's 2023 Trio

Jody's Pride , a 2-year-old filly out of Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy, is pre-entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) (second preference, Juvenile Fillies, G1), off of victories in her first two starts by a combined 13 3/4 lengths. Campaigned by Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable, Jody's Pride won the Matron Stakes Oct. 8 at the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

Jody's Pride was bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston.

American Theorem , a 6-year-old riddling out of Mighty Renee by Maria's Mon, is pre-entered in the Sprint (G1) (second option, Dirt Mile, G1) as the connections of owner Kretz Racing and trainer George Papaprodromou hope for a return to his 2022 form that saw him capture the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar and the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.

American Theorem was bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm.

Pharoah's Wine , a 2-year-old filly out of Sweeping Paddy by Paddy O'Prado , is pre-entered In the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) off a runner-up finish in the Jessamine Stakes (G2T) Oct. 6 at Keeneland. Trained by Dale Romans for owners-breeders William Pacella, Nancy Delony, and Frank Shoop, Kentucky-bred Pharoah's Wine earned her maiden win in her third start, a one-mile test at Kentucky Downs.

Justify's 2023 Trio

Buchu , a Kentucky-bred out of the Galileo mare Flowering Peach, defeated Pharoah's Wine in winning this year's Jessamine. She is entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf off that 3 3/4-length win for owner-breeder Rigney Racing and trainer Phil Bauer.

Just F Y I , a Kentucky-bred out of the Street Cry  mare Star Act, landed her second win in as many starts when she registered a 3 3/4-length victory in the Frizette Stakes (G1) Oct. 7 at the Belmont at the Big A meet for owner-breeder George Krikorian and trainer Bill Mott.

Hard to Justify , a Kentucky-bred out of the Quality Road   mare Instant Reflex, improved to 2-for-2 when she posted a clear victory in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) on the turf at Aqueduct during the Belmont at the Big A meet. She is campaigned by Wise Racing and trained by Chad Brown.

Hard to Justify was bred in Kentucky by Yeguada Centurion S. L.