Rhetorical among New York connections to watch at Breeders’ Cup

New York racing fans will have plenty to look forward to at the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, including the New York-bred Horse of the Year Rhetorical in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, along with a host of New York-based contenders across the two-day, 14-race event. 

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships kicks off on Friday at Keeneland with five races on its Future Stars program, highlighted by the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Belmont Park will host a 10-race card that day, featuring the Listed $175,000 Athenia in Race 6, with a first post of 11:40 a.m. Eastern and the property open for simulcasting from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland. 

First post on Saturday’s 11-race at Belmont Park, which includes the Listed $175,000 Knickerbocker in Race 9 and the state-bred $175,000 Key Cents in Race 10, is 11:05 a.m. On Saturday, Belmont Park will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 6:45 p.m. so racing fans can watch and wager on the simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland, highlighted by the Grade 1, $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable’s Rhetorical is slated to contest the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile for the second consecutive year.

Trained by Will Walden, the 5-year-old Not This Time gelding enters from a pacesetting 2 1/4-length score in the Grade 1 Turf Mile on October 3 at Keeneland, which he won last year en route to a two-length fourth to returning foe Notable Speech at the Breeders’ Cup. 

“He’s doing great,” Walden said. “It’s almost like a home game for him, so we feel that helps us in a sense. We’re willing to grasp onto anything else that may be an advantage going into such a difficult race like this. This is going to be a wildly competitive race and we’re just excited to be a part of it.” 

Bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, Rhetorical was a $320,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale. He is out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor and is a half-brother to New York-bred millionaire Sterling Silver, who was ninth in the 2022 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. 

“We went to the Breeders’ Cup with his sister Sterling Silver, who was not a favorite in her race, but it was still a great time and we never thought we’d be going again,” said Mallory Mort. “Of course, we got to go again last year with Rhetorical, with a real chance to win. I think we’re in that same position again this year.”

Mallory and Karen Mort were named the NYTB Breeders of the Year, and Sheet Humor was honored as New York Broodmare of the Year, in 2025. 

When the Morts bred Sheet Humor to Not This Time, his stud fee was $12,500, which has climbed to a current North American high of $300,000. Not This Time, by Giant’s Causeway, finished a neck second to Classic Empire in the 2016 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park.

“I always liked Not This Time and really liked his performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile even though he finished second,” said Mallory Mort. “I waited until his fourth year at stud, and I planned on selling the mare in foal to him, but a Not This Time filly, Princess Noor, won the Grade 1 [Del Mar Debutante] in California, so I said, ‘Well, maybe I’ll just get this foal out of her first,’ and we just got lucky.” 

Now, Rhetorical has earned over $2.5 million through a 12-7-0-2 record. Jose Ortiz, subbing in for his injured brother Irad, will look to add to that ledger with a winning ride from post 9. 

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Two horses represent New York-bred program at World Championships

In addition to Rhetorical, Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures’ Vanta represents the New York-bred program at the Breeders’ Cup. Trained by Jeff Mullins, the Greatest Honour dark bay brings a 3-for-3 record to the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf going one mile on Friday’s Future Stars program. 

Vanta graduated on debut sprinting five furlongs on July 31 at Del Mar and returned at one-mile on September 6 to win the Listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. A late-running type, Vanta rallied from nine lengths back in 6th-of-7 to win the Grade 3 Surfer Girl last out on October 4 at Santa Anita Park. 

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and Truly Thoroughbreds, Vanta was a $370,000 purchase at the 2026 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She is out of the More Than Ready mare Goodn’ready and her second dam is Grade 2-winner Redaspen.

Umberto Rispoli rides from post 7. 

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A closer look at NYRA-based trainers with starters at the Breeders' Cup

Jena Antonucci: Luminous Beauty [AE- JFT]

Rob Atras: John the Beer Man [TS]

Chad Brown: Domestic Agenda [JFT], Gaudreau [JUV], Ways and Means [FMS], Kathynmarissa [FMT], Zulu Kingdom [Mile], Fully Subscribed [Distaff]

Mark Casse: Lexi’s Charm and Voyager [JF], Time to Dazzle [TS], Classic Q [FMT], Facteur Cheval [Mile], Nitrogen and Measure [Distaff]

Miguel Clement: Brickyard Belle [JTS], Citrus Springs [JFT], Oscar [JT], Deterministic [Mile], Far Bridge [Turf]

Brad Cox: Scarlett Begonia and Foxiest [JF], Further Ado [DM], Bless the Broken and Stellify [FMT], Immersive [Distaff]

Kelsey Danner: Agate [JT]

Jorge Delgado: Earth Song [JUV]

Mark Hennig: Rum Twist [JF]

Saffie Joseph, Jr.: R Disaster and Kerry’s Kiss [FMS], In Our Time [TS], Forged Steel [DM], Eunomia [Distaff]

Mike Maker: Foie Gras [FMS]

Ken McPeek: Coach Pope [JUV]

Bill Mott: T Kraft [DM], Sovereignty and Knightsbridge [BCC]

Todd Pletcher: Badittude and Life Changing [JF], Damavand and American History [JUV], Liam’s Law [JT]

Joe Sharp: Serenas Ghost [JFT], Possiblemente [TS]

Chad Summers: Napoleon Solo [BCC]

Brendan Walsh: Emphatic [JF], Expensive Queen and Lush Lips [FMT]

George Weaver: Wood Island [AE- JTS], Revenge of the Sis [JF], Cy Fair [TS]

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New York-based riders will feature prominently at the Breeders' Cup

Junior Alvarado: Foxiest [JF], Earth Song [JUV], Induction [JT], T Kraft [DM], Immersive [Distaff], Sovereignty [BCC]

Kendrick Carmouche: John the Beer Man [TS], Deterministic [Mile]

Javier Castellano: Voyager [JF], Kilwin [FMS], Classic Q [FMT], The Puma [BCC]

Manny Franco: Brickyard Belle [JTS], Scarlett Begonia [JF], Citrus Springs [JFT], Gaudreau [JUV], Popcorn [AE- JT], Simply Joking [FMS], Roja [TS], Moonlight [DM], Thought Process [FMT], Liam Smith [Sprint], Facteur Cheval [Mile], Measure [Distaff], Test Score [Turf]

Jose Ortiz: Good to Be King [JTS], Fanshell Beach [AE- JTS], Lexi’s Charm [JF], Coach Pope [JUV], Liam’s Law [JT], Explora [FMS], Possiblemente [TS], No Nay Hudson [AE- TS], Kathynmarissa [FMT], Englishman [Sprint], Rhetorical [Mile], Nitrogen [Distaff], Minaret Station [Turf], Golden Tempo [BCC]

Flavien Prat: Libertango [JTS], Wood Island [AE- JTS], Miss Monica [JF], Domestic Agenda [JFT], Hughes [JUV], Avec Toi [JT], Ways and Means [FMS], Yellow Card [TS], Further Ado [DM], Stellify [FMT], Stradale [Sprint], Zulu Kingdom [Mile], Fully Subscribed [Distaff], Survie [Turf], Magnitude [BCC]

Joel Rosario: Badittude [JF], He Is No Lie [JUV], Full Serrano [DM], Super Corredora [Distaff]

Luis Saez: Love a Warrior [JTS], Manuka Honey [JF], Serenas Ghost [JFT], Damavand [JUV], Evanescence [FMS], Shisospicy [TS], Owen Almighty [DM], Expensive Queen [FMT], Built [Sprint], Telescopic [AE- Turf], Knightsbridge [BCC]

John Velazquez: Crownbreaker [JTS], Adonius [AE- JTS], Rum Twist [JF], American History [JUV], Praying [FMS], Cy Fair [TS], Bracket Buster [DM], Gimme a Nother [FMT], Little Thunder [Sprint], Formidable Man [Mile], Far Bridge [Turf], Napoleon Solo [BCC]

Edgard Zayas: Revenge of the Sis [JF], Let Em Know [JT]

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A total of 17 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge races were contested at NYRA tracks in 2026:

TRACK – DATE – RACE – WINNER – WAYI

BSRF - June 5 - Ogden Phipps presented by Ford - Nitrogen - Distaff

BSRF - June 6 - Jaipur - Reef Runner - Turf Sprint

BSRF- June 6 - Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap - Nysos - Dirt Mile

SARATOGA - August 8 - Fourstardave - Deterministic - Mile

SARATOGA - August 8 - Whitney - Sovereignty - Classic

SARATOGA - August 15 - Christophe Clement Turf - Survie - Turf

SARATOGA - August 29 - Personal Ensign - Fully Subscribed - Distaff

SARATOGA - August 29 - Forego - Hymn - Dirt Mile

SARATOGA - August 29 - Ballerina - Ways and Means - Filly and Mare Sprint

SARATOGA - September 5 - Spinaway - Summer Starlet - Juvenile Fillies

BEL - September 18 - Jockey Club Gold Cup - Forever Young - Classic

BEL - October 1 - Vosburgh - T Kraft - Sprint

BEL - October 1 - Flower Bowl - Kathynmarissa - Filly and Mare Turf

BEL - October 3 - Miss Grillo - Domestic Agenda - Juvenile Fillies Turf

BEL - October 3 - Champagne - U. S. S. Valor - Juvenile

BEL - October 3 - Futurity - Good to Be King- Juvenile Turf Sprint

BEL - October 3 - Pilgrim - Let Em Know - Juvenile Turf

Belmont Park has been selected to host the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will mark the first edition of the Breeders’ Cup to be held in New York State since 2005. For more information about the new Belmont Park, visit NewBelmont.com.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.