BC Classic (Grade 1)- $7,000.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
November 1, 2025

It’s time for the biggest race of the year, the $7,000.000 BC Classic. There is no bigger race that a virtual horse can win, as while it takes a lot to win the KYD, there is just something a little more special about this race. To get here is a true accomplishment, so for everyone that has a horse in this field, I want to offer my congratulations. For some, it is an expectation to get here, and maybe even enter multiple horses in the field, and for others, just getting one horse to the starting gate is a tremendous achievement. In 2003, the race got off to a smoking start, as Smokin got the win, for Wattos. That trainer only ran in 741 races, and none after January 2005, but will forever hold the glorious distinction of being the first ever BC Classic winner. As time went on, we saw Australia Wide win three times in a row, then a couple of years after that Mb Stables won with Commanding in 2013, the first of four races that he has won. Last year, The Sidley Stud added his name to the winners list as Spankersville took home the win, and that one will be looking to do what no other horse has ever done: win the BC Classic twice. Let’s take some time now to look closely at this field of fourteen:

1- Boss Spearman (3yo Gelding)

Trainer- John Henry (1 BC Classic win- 2018- Splash Mountain)
Jockey- L Saez (1 BC Classic Win- 2022)
Sire/Dam- Power/Blind Luck
Breeder- Panionios Racing (WV) (Jan)
BC Classic Points/Position- 20 (9th)

Form- He’s won three times over ten starts, but none of those wins have happened for John Henry, who purchased him for $500.000 a few days after he ran in the PRK. In fact, the best that he has done since the sale has been a pair of fourth place finishes, which were in the BEL in June, then the WV Breeder’s Classic last time out. The latter was only a five-horse field, and he should have been more competitive then running fourth, and three lengths from the win. When he was on, earlier in the year, he was winning the AR Derby and finishing second in the KYD. It would not be unprecedented for a horse of his talent to bounce back.

Outlook- I was a fan of Boss Spearman’s earlier in the year and am sure I picked him to win or at least finish second in some of those races over the spring. After he ran second in the KYD, he really has not been the same type of horse. The struggles likely began in the race right before the sale to John Henry, when he was sixth in the PRK, but one can always forgive a middle of the pack finish in a race such as that. He hasn’t been terrible, and he still works well, but I look at the WV Breeders Classic as a race where he should have been a lot better. It’s too early to write him off, and in a race other than the BC Classic, I would think better of him, but he must find his form from the spring right now in order to have a shot.

2- No Real Drama (3yo Gelding)

Trainer- Asgar (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- B Curtis (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- So Sincere/No Drama
Breeder- Asgar (LA) (Jan)
BC Classic Points/Position- 28 (2nd)

Form- When we last saw No Real Drama, it was out at PRX, where he went wire to wire to win the PA Derby with a 100 SRF. It was one of his three wins on the year out of six starts. Of course, the win that everyone will remember of his would be the PRK, where he stalked the pace to go on and win by a length. He hasn’t had any real poor finishes this year, as even the BEL where he finished eighth, he was only beaten by one. Something might not have clicked in the Ruby Stakes from March, but there is no reason to even think about that at this point.

Outlook- No Real Drama is an accomplished horse that has proven that he can win a big race, as evidenced by his PRK victory. He likes to get out to the lead early if he can, but will be content to stalk the pace, if need be, and that should continue here. The only time where we did not see that style out him was the Ruby, which was the only time he did not run well. He’s fresh, having not raced since the PA Derby, so we certainly should be anticipating this gelding to run well and be in the mix at the very end.

3- Spankersville (7yo Horse)

Trainer- The Sidley Stud (1 BC Classic Win- 2024- Spankersville)
Jockey- M Franco (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Ginger Haggis/Speedy Game (1)
Breeder- The Sidley Stud (ON) (Jan)
BC Classic Points/Position- 16 (19th)

Form- We know what Spankersville has done over this career, but his seven-year-old season has only seen one win out of nine starts, which came in April at the Grade 3 Ali. He’s still been able to hit the board and has been the runner up in his last two races, as well as three out of his last four. Those finishes happened in the Grade 3 Premiers, a race where his stablemate stole the show, as well as the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup and the Grade 3 MTH Cup. Perhaps after such a strong 2024, we just began to expect too much out of him.

Outlook- Spankersville is a BC Classic champion and could potentially become the first two-time winner of the race. I’m a believer in a horse being able to recapture old glory from familiar surroundings in our game, and Spankersville is still running well enough to where it would not have to be anything crazy that happened for him to come out on top. Lately, we have typically seen Spankersville look to come from the middle of the pack early on, and he was four lengths back, in sixth, at first call last year. He’s tough to not pick, but I don’t expect him to be the post-time favorite like he was last year.

4- Quiet Return (5yo Gelding)

Trainer- John Henry (1 BC Classic win- 2018- Splash Mountain)
Jockey- M E Smith (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Graveyard/Return of Mai Mia
Breeder- Allinthegate (CA) (Feb)
BC Classic Points/Position- 20 (11th)

Form- Unlike his stablemate, Quiet Return enters the BC Classic red-hot, pulling off back-to-back wins in the Metropolitan Handicap and the JC Gold Cup, each a $1,000.000 Grade 1. Quiet Return arrived with John Henry in late February with a $300.000 purchase price, and while the first two races did not go well, he’s had a loud return to form, reminding everyone that he was a former KYD winner back in 2023. That year, he also finished second in the BC Classic, and if not for missing the head bob at the wire there, we could be talking about him having a chance to become the first two-time winner of this race as well.

Outlook- Something has clicked with Quiet Return over his last two races, pulling off consecutive 103 SRF’s en route to those two big wins. He’s also entering this race about as fresh as possible, having not run since the JC Gold Cup on the last day of August. Additionally, he has proven that he will run well when the stakes are at the highest, not only for his KYD win or his 2023 BC runner up, but he is a BC winner from 2022 in the Juvenile Turf and was third in a photo last year in the BC Sprint. He’ll change up his running style, so it’s hard to predict what to expect from him in regard to that, but he can find success in many ways. Plenty of reasons to love him in his field.

5- Charlie Jace (4yo Colt)

Trainer- Mb Stables (4 BC Classic Wins- 2013- Commanding, 2017- Black Mojo, 2021- Tactical, 2022- Individuation)
Jockey- I Ortiz Jr (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Soviet Warrior/Broomstick Storm
Breeder- Arindel (ON) (Apr)
BC Classic Points/Position- 20 (13th)

Form- As we move to the Mb Stables portion of the starting gate, we get Charlie Jace, who has only won once this year over his seven starts, with two other second place finishes. The good news for him is that he is trending in the right direction right now, with those three in the money results all happening in his last three races, which corresponded with his move from the turf to the dirt. After running second in the Grade 2 Suburban and the Grade 1 JC Gold Cup, Charlie Jace won last time out in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at SA.

Outlook- Charlie Jace has had a three-race winning streak earlier in his career, and after a short stretch of disappointing outings, he has been able to get back on track over his last three starts. All three of those races have seen progressively increasing SRF’s, with his Goodwood effort earning him a 103. While he did run well on the turf, he’s been excellent while running long on the main track while running for Mb Stables. There are several in here with a little more name recognition, so that may lead to Charlie Jace being lost in the shuffle on the odds board. He warrants consideration regardless, but if at a higher price, he’ll be all the more appealing.

6- Extreme Jet (3yo Gelding)

Trainer- Mb Stables (4 BC Classic Wins- 2013- Commanding, 2017- Black Mojo, 2021- Tactical, 2022- Individuation)
Jockey- J R Velazquez (1 BC Classic Win- 2003)
Sire/Dam- Con Will Con/Extreme Warrior
Breeder- Arkansas Elite (FL) (Feb)
BC Classic Points/Position- 47 (1st)

Form- The most concerning news for Extreme Jet did not come in a race, it came from the trainer on the ninth of October, when he stated, “RIP Extreme Jet”. The horse did not work well a few days before that, raising the concerns. He’s had a work since, and we’ll see now if the gelding simply had a bad morning, or if this concern is justified. On the track, there’s no reason to dislike Extreme Jet, as after all, he won the KYD, BEL, and the Travers this year, and always seems to have a competitive effort even when he does not win.

Outlook- Extreme Jet has had a pattern of rotating back and forth between wins and non-wins, as that has happened since his run in the Hopeful in September of last year, a span of 12 races. After covering his second-place effort in the PA Derby, I joked that it was blessing in disguise as that put him in line to win the BC Classic. I love a horse that can win a big race, and other than not winning the PRK, he’s won probably the biggest races this year that a three-year-old could win. I’d have all the reason to make him my pick to win based on what we have seen on the track, but no one knows virtual racing like Mb Stables, and that’s why him saying “RIP Extreme Jet” is a concern. It may have been an overreaction, but it doesn’t matter what level we play do our virtual racing in, we all know that a horse can fall off suddenly, as we’ve dealt with it in-house in our own barns. When Mb Stables says it, it carries a little more weight. Despite that, I’m not planning his funeral yet.

7- Wahpekute Sioux (5yo Horse)

Trainer- Mb Stables (4 BC Classic Wins- 2013- Commanding, 2017- Black Mojo, 2021- Tactical, 2022- Individuation)
Jockey- P Lopez (1 BC Classic Win- 2017)
Sire/Dam- Sioux/Her Sneaky Command
Breeder- Kopites (CA) (Mar)
BC Classic Points/Position- 26 (3rd)

Form- Wahpekute Sioux has been first or second in four of his last five races. Ran second, losing the head bob at the wire here in the Pacific Classic in late August, then finished in that spot again in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic. His wins came a little earlier in the year, in Grade 2 Gold Cup at SA, as well as in the Grade 1 Foster in the mud at CD. He’s also looking to get some revenge on Spankersville, the one he finished second to in the BC Classic last year. It’s his third BC Classic overall, as also finished ninth back in 2023.

Outlook- For some reason, Wahpekute Sioux didn’t show up in the Whitney, but that really is just a small blemish on an impressive stretch of races. I’m a little surprised that he began the year running in an open allowance at TUP that he only finished sixth in, but that would not end up derailing his season. He’s shown that he can handle BC competition last year, and he is probably coming into this race on better form. You can count of Wahpekute Sioux to want to get right out on the lead, and he did set the opening fractions last year. It would seem to be a dramatic tactical shift at this point for him not to be on or near the leaders early again.

8- All Take (6yo Gelding)

Trainer- Alydar Stables (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- F S Valdez (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Niagra/Takethemoneyandrun
Breeder- Team 7 Illusions (BC) (Mar)
BC Classic Points/Position- 20 (12th)

Form- We’re treated to another former winner of a TC race, as All Take was the 2022 PRK winner. He’s managed four wins in eight starts as a six-year-old, but three of those wins came in his first three starts of the year. Hit a momentary rough patch, then bounced back with a win in the MTH Cup. Chased a check in his last two, placing fourth in the Pacific Classic and third in the Lukas Classic.

Outlook- All Take concerns me with his occasional cold spells. While it is good that he ends up being able to break out of them, I don’t know if I can fully trust him in a field that has more consistent options for me to look at. Other than his wins, he was 14th and beaten by five lengths in the Metropolitan Handicap, and seventh right before that in the Alysheba. Looking back further at history, it can be seen that this will happen with All Take from time to time. I can look past this in other races, but in this one, I have to look elsewhere.

9- Without Warning (3yo Colt)

Trainer- TwinTowersRacing (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- F Geroux (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Neon Wolf/Ruffian Gal
Breeder- TwinTowersRacing (NY) (Feb)
BC Classic Points/Position- 24 (5th)

Form- In seven starts this year, Without Warning has one win, and has run second three times as his only in the money finishes. Two back, he ran a great one in the Travers, coming on strong late to miss by a length at the wire, settling for second. Earlier, he would run second in the BEL, getting his picture taken with Extreme Jet, so he has certainly proven that he loves SAR. Even further back in his career, you can see how successful he has been at the Spa. He’s hit and miss but steps up in big races.

Outlook- It’s not uncommon for TwinTowersRacing horses to have inconsistent phases. I don’t know why this is the case exactly, but it’s something that I have certainly picked up on in my years of covering these races. This can be a good thing, too, because when they show up and run their races, they can be as good as any of their rivals in any race, and Without Warning has that ability. Unfortunately, in a similar manner as to why I could not pick All Take, I have to look away from this one as well, simply because I feel there are more consistent horses here that I could be more comfortable with. If Without Warning’s odds climb, he should be considered more, but I’ll have to pass.

10- Fried Chicken (5yo Gelding)

Trainer- Angelos Stable (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- S Elliott (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Storming/Aix En Provence (2)
Breeder- Wood Duck Stables (CA) (Mar)
BC Classic Points/Position- 16 (17th)

Form- Two of his last three races have not been strong, placing seventh and eighth, and losing by four lengths in both the Foster and the JC Gold Cup. In between them, it went about as good as it possibly could go, as he scored the win in the Grade 1 Whitney, earning a 103 SRF in the process. On the year, he has won three out of eight, with the other stake win being the Ali, which came in a dead heat with Spankersville.

Outlook- There is concern over the fact that two of his last three races have seen him finish out of a check cashing position and were non-competitive showings. Then, I feel a lot better when I look at how he worked at PRX, particularly on the 7th of this month, and perhaps that will mean that the Whitney side of him will show up. It will still be tough to put him in my top four here, but he does certainly warrant consideration for that. He’s a closer, and it would be unlikely to see him go with any other tactic in this race as it has worked for him. He’s also used to coming from double digit posts.

11- Berlin (7yo Gelding)

Trainer- The Sidley Stud (1 BC Classic Win- 2024- Spankersville)
Jockey- R Bejarano (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Ginger Haggis/Flashy Mach
Breeder- Patterson Stables (CA) (Apr)
BC Classic Points/Position- 20 (11th)

Form- Berlin has two wins on the year and has hit the board in five out of eight races. Over his last three, he has finished in the fourth spot twice, coming in the MTH Cup and the Grade 2 Woodward, and in between them, he would win at the bullring in the CT Classic. His other big win on the year came in the Grade 3 PIM Special. Forgetting a race at TAM at the start of the year, Berlin usually finds a way to be with the leaders at the end.

Outlook- When you are in the same barn as Spankersville, it will be easy to be overshadowed. Berlin has been very productive over his 41-race career and picked up a check in the BC Classic last year, when he ran fourth. I’m confident that he will be competitive again, and he may be able to get the better of his more accomplished stablemate. I don’t know if I could put Berlin on top in this field, but I would not rule out, at all, him picking up a piece of this purse as well. He’s typically a front runner, if he is not on the lead at first call, you’ve normally been able to count on him being within a length at that point. However, that was not the case in the Woodward last time out, so one cannot be completely sure.

12- Frenchman (5yo Gelding)

Trainer- Threshold (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- A Fresu (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Edge Of Darkness/Never Can Tell (1)
Breeder- Wood Duck Stables (CA) (Feb)
BC Classic Points/Position- 16 (18th)

Form- Scored a massive win over this racetrack back in August, winning the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, which punched his ticket to make it into this race. If you can win that race, you can certainly capture this one as well. However, I don’t really like what happened to him in his last start, when he was in an open allowance at PRX, and finished fifth while being beaten four lengths. His other victory came in July, and was a good one, in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.

Outlook- I would love to report on fellow long-time writer, Threshold, winning the BC Classic, but Frenchman will have to be at his absolute best. In other words, that Pacific Classic side of him must show up. Now, that open allowance should be talked about a little more. The placement of Frenchman into that, instead of into another stake, is what opens my eyes a little more than the actual result. That race was won by Diametric, who won the Grade 3, $350.000 Fayette last week. Also in the field was Baffert, in what will go down as his last ever race, and there were other former stakes runners in there as well. Maybe a return to DMR will bring out his best.

13- Fawkes (3yo Colt)

Trainer- Delta Farms (1- 2015- Viking Shield)
Jockey- F Pennington (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Buckbeak/Odious
Breeder- Delta Farms (PA) (Apr)
BC Classic Points/Position- 24 (4th)

Form- Fawkes has two wins over seven starts in his three-year-old campaign, with his two wins occurring in the Wood Memorial and in the Haskell. Overall, he has hit the board four times this year and would cash a fourth-place check in the PRK. Placed seventh in the KYD, so was certainly not out of place there, either. Fawkes was an interesting story at the start of the year when Delta Farms opted to forego maiden races with him, and then saw Fawkes get his first career win in the Wood Memorial.

Outlook- Fawkes has been able to step up against top competition, as was proven with his win in the Haskell in July, where he knocked off Extreme Jet, No Real Drama, and others along the way, so he could very well do that again. His running style has varied between more of a midpack start, or being a closer, and he has had success with each. Ten years ago, Delta Farms picked up his biggest career win when Viking Shield won the Classic, and Fawkes gives him a pretty decent shot to do it again. He could cash a check in here as well, but this field is a little too deep for me to put him on top.

14- Big Bang Boom (4yo Gelding)

Trainer- Rock Creek (0 BC Classic Wins)
Jockey- P Husbands (0 BC Classic Wins)
Sire/Dam- Big Bang Raj/Astern
Breeder- Rock Creek (WV) (Feb)
BC Classic Points/Position- 16 (16th)

Form- The gelding has only made five starts this year and has failed to hit the board in two out of his last three, being beaten by three lengths in the Foster and the Goodwood Stakes. In between them, he showed what he was capable of doing when he placed second in the Whitney at SAR, and earlier this spring, he would win the OP Handicap. His run up at SA in the Goodwood last time out is somewhat concerning based on how flat the race line looks, but because he was a lot better in the Whitney right before that, he is capable of a strong bounce back race.

Outlook- Unfortunately, I am going to be a little too scared off by his run in the Goodwood. It doesn’t have to define his career or anything, but in the BC Classic, there are several others in here who have simply been more consistent. He is one that likes to do his best running late, and maybe there were legitimate factors that kept him from having a stronger charge in that race. Probably going to be one of the race’s higher prices.

Also Eligible- Malediction (Nakamura Stables)

Prediction: 4-7-2-6

— NS

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