BC Turf – Grade I
DMR Race #12 1 1/2m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $5,000.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

Next to the Classic this has to be one of the most sought after prizes at HRP and one that has thrown up so many amazing winners that it certainly ranks in the top five of most wanted wins in anyone’s calendar. First won in 2003, like many of the top BC races by the infamous Cincinnati Racing and On A Whim, can you believe that horse won it in only his fourth start and never raced again, thanks to his trainer’s removal from the game. What makes his win even more remarkable was that just 4 months earlier, he was claimed from his debut race at the free tracks, wow, can you imagine!! How far we have come as a game.
One of the most famous winners of this race would be Bronze Sabre, the only horse to have won it twice and still talked about when discussing the best ever racehorse at HRP. As with all racing at all levels three-year-olds dominated the race from 2014 to 2020 but with the adjustment made by HRP we see a much more level playing field than before and the two most recent winners have been five and six years old and both come here for a second win.
Grand Opening won last year, and he is in very similar form this year so a record-equaling win may be on the cards, King Que Niagra was fourth last year and the winner the year before but has been struggling as an eight-year-old to find his best form this year.
The two GOATS of HRP, Mb Stables and Australia Wide hold two wins each in the race but there is a long queue behind them looking for their second win, and this race has very much been about the horse and not the trainer.
OK, enough with this race’s great history, let’s take a look at this year’s quality field:

1 Chagrin Falls Curtis B 126
Trained by Mo Mentum Farm, bred by Chili King Stables
A seven-year-old gelding
2025 form: 1201420
Lifetime earnings: $1,752.710
WR 106

Whilst some of these good older horses may have a past very different from how things turned out this one certainly has a past that most would want to forget. He took 11 races to break his maiden and, in the end, had to go all the way down to a $5.000 maiden claimer to achieve it and was bought and sold 6 times through his first two racing seasons, late bloomers really don’t come much later than this one!
His current owner acquired him in 2023 but didn’t put him back to the turf until the following year when he quickly found a grade one in the shape of the Shadwell Turf Mile and then had a go in the BC Turf Mile where he finished eighth. This season he has taken on longer trips which seem to suit his level of maturity, but he was given another crack at the Shadwell Turf Mile last time out but was this time run off his legs early.
I think the longer trips suit him better these days and he has become an honest sort in recent years who always give a good account of himself. The ace draw will ensure an easy trip and as long as he doesn’t get trapped, he is sure to run a solid race.

2 Great Vault Corrales G 126
Trained by Winning Link Stables, bred by Smokey Stover
A six-year-old gelding
2025 form: 003210
Lifetime earnings: $662.730
WR 107

Gets in automatically thanks to his only win this year which saw him take the Sword Dancer by a nose. His form figures don’t look overly impressive, but he is actually much better than you may think and could give the trainer a real thrill.
Taking 5 goes to break maidens he was then a beaten claimer when moving from Smokey Stover to Mb Stables and never won for the champion trainer and didn’t moved out of claimers until finally being taken by Spinetingling to run at the free track, He won a fair few free races for the free track champ but was eventually sold last summer for just $20.000 to his current and most successful owner. Once again, we saw a free track runner making a success on the pay side, proving how very little there is any more between any level of racing.
Amazingly, he has only won once in ten tries for the new owner, and that was in an auto qualifier, proving once again how valuable sticking at something can be. He has drawn the perfect marble, and whilst he certainly doesn’t rank up there with some of the superstars in this race, he may just be the surprise package.

3 Sioux Arrival Bejarano R 126
Trained by High Voltage, bred by El Primero Rodeo
A five-year-old gelding
2025 form: 0033010
Lifetime earnings: $2,191.580
WR 105

Well, the qualification process can give horses a chance when they would have had none in the usual system and this five-year-old is a prime example as he is here because his one win this year came in the right race. Pretty good from debut he won the DMR Derby in his sixth start, but his wins were few and far between after that despite some really good efforts in top company. Fast forward to this year despite just having the one win he has run pretty well and was not far back in fifth in the Sword Dancer prior to his win. The KY Turf Cup is a rich race and if you are going to get one victory in a year that should be it and he was very game in gaining the upper hand to win by a head that day. I would’ve been quite hopeful had that been his last run, but he came out again in the Pattison Canadian International, where he was pretty ordinary in finishing a distant sixth.
I guess the wet track in the KY Turf Cup is an issue as it can certainly skew form lines here at HRP and if you took that win out of his record, there wouldn’t be much to go on. BUT, if the conditions suit or he has another day like that day, then who knows.

4 American Generals Bridgmohan S X 126

Trained by Riggins Racing, bred by Blazin D
A five-year-old gelding
2025 form: 11211100
Lifetime earnings: $1,811.880
WR 114

Made a slow start to his career eventually winning a maiden claimer at start five but that win seemed to make something click in his brain and he went on a winning streak that went right through to the grade two DMR Mile which earned him a slot in the BC Mile of 2023. That race came a bit soon for him though and he faded off the stalk into 13th, After another few starts his trainer clearly felt he had gone as far as he was going and sold him to Riggins Racing for $125.000 which turned out to be a bargain price in hindsight.
As is his style the new owner gave him plenty of time to settle in keeping him at lower level to gain his momentum back and then taking him back to the top with a repeat win in the DMR Mile. This season he looks to have really matured as he stepped up in trip and was quite dominant in the early stakes races taking the grade one Manhattan in the culmination of a five wins from six start streak. His last two have been a bit mysterious as he was just OK in the United Nations when fifth but was then too bad to be true in the KY Turf Cup last time. If you take those last two starts out of his form, he is a big chance in this race, but that last start was just a bit too bad to be confident.

5 Killer Instinct Franco M 126
Trained by Mb Stables, bred by the owner
2025 form: 0231131
WR: 118
Lifetimes earnings: $5,550.480

Top class from the womb he was a stakes-winning two-year-old and ran in the BC Juvenile of 2021 where he was right there until fading at the end. All of his first 23 races were on the dirt, a surface that saw him win the OK Derby, but it wasn’t until August 2023 that the trainer took him to the turf and that’s when things really started to happen for him. The winner of the 2023 KY Turf Cup it was quickly apparent that he was a better horse on the grass, and he went all the way to the BC Turf that year and very nearly pulled off a huge win when going down by just a neck to the great King Que Niagra. 2024 saw another huge season but when it came to the BC Turf, he once again had to settle for second this time to Grand Opening but was again agonizingly close to the win.
2025 has seen no slowing down for the now six-year-old, in fact in many ways it could turn out to be his best season ever after his very impressive all the way win in the WO Mile from a wide gate last time.
Could he finally get his BC win in this race? He is certainly one of the best to not to have won a BC race so it would be fitting for him to finally see the winner’s circle and this draw may be what he needed to go one better.

6 Ello Santa Ortiz J L 122
Trained by Mb Stables, bred by Iolaus Racing
A three-year-old gelding
2025 form: 03111121
Lifetime earnings: $3,224,600
WR 125

The top qualifier for this race he has been the best three-year-old on the turf recently and carries a huge chance into this race for the GOAT trainer Mb Stables.
Bought as a two-year-old for a cheap looking $150.000 he had already placed at grade one and was qualified for the BC at the time so was a great purchase by the owner. He took the Zumba Beach in his first start for the new trainer and the first on turf so was pointed at the BC Juvenile Turf and duly took that by just a nose after a typically game run. Those wins put him at the top of the juvenile turf tree but Mb Stables decided to give him his chance at the TC and could’ve gone there after a fine third in the Risen Star and a win in the Ruby Stakes but the canny trainer knew there was some big turf prizes coming up and switched him back to the grass for the rest of the season. That decision has paid off in spades as he produced wins in the SAR Derby, the BEL Derby and the JC Derby and sandwiched between them only just failed in the Nashville Derby. If there is a three-year-old winner of this year’s BC Turf this son of Ben Nevis fits the bill perfectly.

7 Cochabamba Ortiz I Jr 126
Trained by Riggins Racing, bred by the owner
A four-year-old entire
2025 form: 1211012
Lifetime earnings: $753.100
WR 109

Started well at three winning his first two races and then went pretty well in the FL Derby in only his fourth start when 6th just beaten a couple of lengths. The TC dreams weren’t persevered with which probably helped his development as he ran very well for the rest of the season but just couldn’t find the winner’s circle as often as his trainer would’ve liked. This season however the trainer is reaping the dividends of a patient career as he came out running as a four-year-old and has won four races this year including the Canadian Turf and the Pan American. His last start saw him beaten a length by whipped in the Henry Championship which was a typically consistent effort. I like that this one always does his best and whilst his best so far isn’t quite at the level of some his racing heart will take him a long way in this race.

8 Martinez Gaffalione T 126
Trained by Spankys Barn, bred by Royalty Stables
A five-year-old gelding
2025 form: 1000142
Lifetime earnings: $1,565.070
WR 105

He has only won 5 in his long career and followed a similar path to a lot of these late maturing types in taking a while to break his maiden. He was a three-year-old when he got his first win, but the owner breeder recognized something in him and set him to stakes racing pretty quickly being rewarded by a win in the SAR Derby and getting a start in this race in 2023. Drawn poorly in the BC he didn’t run well but was set on a path again in 2024 with a win in the BEL Gold Cup and lined up again in that year. Sadly, once again he didn’t run his best so it will be third time lucky in 2025. The current owner acquired him in May this year when bringing him from High Voltage for $130.000 and he cemented his place in this year’s race with a gutsy win in the United Nations. Maybe the new owner will invigorate him to run his best race at the BC, and he probably deserves to as he has been knocking on the door for a long time.

9 King Que Niagra Lopez P 126
Trained by DJC Racing Stables, bred by Jediminds Stable
An eight-year-old gelding
2025 form: 31344040
Lifetime earnings: $7,687.600
WR 102

I am glad this great horse squeezed in the field because although it would take a monumental effort to win this he deserves to go out in style, and you don’t get more stylish than the championship race. Amazingly, he ran his first race in 2019 but straight after that debut was sold by his breeder for $125.000 to Aer Stables. After four efforts on the dirt and one maiden win, he was sold again this time to his current owner for $200.000 a purchase that has no doubt been a subject for much discussion by the frenemies ever since. D J C had success straight away but despite three grade one wins in 2022 did not set him into the BC, choosing instead to wait a year until 2023. 2023 saw him take second wins in the Sword Dancer and Hirsch Turf Classic but this time he was allowed to take his chance in the BC Turf which he duly won by a neck.
2024 was less prolific on the winning front with just one grade one win but he lined up again in the BC where he ran a super race from a difficult draw to finish fourth just a length off the winner. This year age looks to have finally caught up with him, but he has still managed a grade two win and whilst, I am sure. like many we would love to see the old champ go out in style. This does, however, feel like his swansong.

10 Derby Dreams Davis D 126

Trained by TwinTowersRacing , bred by the owner
A four-year-old entire
2025 form: 10040321
Lifetime earnings: $962.200
WR 108

This four-year-old took nine races to win his maiden and would be a lesson for any player here at HRP about the need for patience and perseverance at HRP. It didn’t take him as long to get his second win and rather than bothering with allowances, it was in the Texas Derby and was the first sign that the penny had finally dropped. Since then, he has been running in top grade and to be honest for the most part wasn’t making much headway but just recently he has hit his stride and has finally begun to shine. A close third in the Fourstardave Handicap was followed by a good second in the DMR Handicap but then came his last start when he was massive in taking the Hirsch Turf Classic by a hugely impressive two lengths. He is really hitting his best ever form at the right time and maybe the best chance the stable has ever had of taking this race down.

11 Grand Opening Velazquez J R 126
Trained by Riggins Racing, bred by Team 7 Illusions
A six-year-old gelding
2025 form: 14221
Lifetime earnings: $7,249.810
WR 117

I love writing about these older horses and great champions because their early careers are so interesting when you compare them to where they are now.
This champions life started with two sales before he even raced, the second of those saw him go for just $3.000 at auction as Fractious outed him and Night Mare Racing took him on. By the time he had got 8 races into his career he had barely raced out of claimers and had been bought and sold no less than 7 times, leaving seven trainers that can only rue the short time they owned a future BC Champion. Once Riggins Racing got him, buying him for just $20.000 from Tockyrocky, it took one win at TAM to see him pick up an ungraded stakes race and then on his third start for the new owner he took the grade three Dangers Point. There was no magic combination, no change of adds, trip or surface, just a new home and a trainer that seemed to want to keep him. 2023 saw him qualify for the BC Mile where he ran a cracker to be fourth after winning the grade one WO Mile and it started to look like the now four-year-old was becoming a champion. 2024 saw more grade ones as he took The Forester Turf Classic and the AP Million on the way to taking the big one, this very race. That day he was so game in beating Killer Instinct from Mb Stables and that trainer will be very aware of this horse’s ability as they try and steal his crown this year.
Things have gone very well this year and in an almost prolific way he has doubled up in the same two grade ones in the lead up and looks just as good as he was last year when he took this race. That is ominous for his rivals as he tries to match the great Bronze Sabre with a second win in this great race and it would take a brave man to bet against him.

12 One Last Punch Line Pennington F 126
Trained by Saratoga Stud and bred by Jediminds Stable
A six-year-old gelding
2025 form: 3100314
Lifetime Earnings: $800.720
WR 104

Another than would have been way down the list if it wasn’t for automatic qualifiers he made it in thanks to a win in the DMR Handicap.
In 2021 Alydar Stables would acquire this one from the breeder Jediminds Stable for $205.000 but had to wait 3 years for any significant return on that investment when he won the Louisville and San Diego Handicap in 2024. With a career on both dirt and turf and over a variety of trips Alydar looked to an optional claimer this year to get him back to winning ways but in offering a tag saw Saratoga Stud pick up the horse for $80.000. In five appearances since that one win came in the DMR Handicap at nearly 50/1 and leads him into the BC as an unlikely starter. I didn’t mind his run in the Patteson Canadian International last time though and whilst he would be considered an outsider, I can see a few reasons why he may run well.

13 Fourth Estate Prat F 122
Trained by High Voltage, bred by Barcelona Farms
A three-year-old gelding
2025 form: 10012100
Lifetime earnings: $604.920
WR 107

A lightly raced sort he hit a purple patch of form when finishing second in the BEL Derby and then sharing the win in the SAR Derby. If you stopped looking there, he would be a fine chance but his last two, in particular his last run starts the alarm bells ringing. Only ninth in the Nashville Derby, the run was better than his finishing position suggests as he was only a length down at the end and came from a long way back. The last run however in the JC Derby saw him go back again but he didn’t find the gaps and toiled home a long way from the winner. His biggest problem in finding any consistency is his running style as deep closers like him rely so much on pace and traffic that it is really a gamble in every race as to how they will run. On his BEL and SAR Derby runs he is among the best of the three-year-olds, so must be considered.

14 King Z Santana R Jr 126
Trained by Mb Stables , bred by Gdp Inc
A six-year-old gelding
2025 form: 14012001
Lifetime earnings: $1,477.540
WR 110

He saw a lot of owners and was a long way from a BC Contender for the first two years of his life and will leave a long list of owners that will look at him now and wished they had kept him. He changed hands six times and ran in claimers down to just $3.200 but when Mb Stables got him at the age of four for just $16.000 things changed dramatically. The biggest change was the swap to turf and within 2 months he was winning the grade three McKnight and has never looked back after that. Eighth in last year’s BC Turf I think he may be a little better this year and his win in the Pacific Classic last time says he is running hot and he will be a lot better than eighth this year. The car park will test him but being an on-speed type I wonder whether the trainer will take advantage of the wide gate speed push and send him to the lead, a tactic that was successful in the BEL Gold Cup in June.

15 Gold Vault – Also Eligible – 126

Won the Sycamore last time but it just wasn’t quite enough to get him in the starting lineup. If there is a defector, he has proven in his last three races that he could be a big chance.

16 State Cavier – Also Eligible – 126

Another that is unfortunate not to make the top 14, he, like the other AE would certainly make his presence felt if he got a run.

SUMMARY

Well, what a great race this will be and like any BC race there are plenty of winning chances. We have two going for a second BC Turf in King Que Niagra and Grand Opening and the latter has a good chance of achieving it if he can overcome this draw. Ello Santa is a huge chance for the three-year-olds, but I rather like the chances of his stable mate Killer Instincts who gets a much better draw this year to go one better than his last two attempts at this race.

Categories: BC 2025, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP