BC Mile – Grade I
DMR Race #10 1m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $2,000.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

In many ways, this is the true Turf Championship of the BC, as it requires both speed and stamina to win and can often be a tough race to predict a winner. A glance at the qualifying points advertises this as we have ‘Exemplary’ on top, a horse that hasn’t won a race beyond 7 furlongs and who will probably contest the sprint for which he is automatically qualified. Clearly, the system is a bit broken when it comes to the mile qualification because even the number two qualifier is a seven-year-old out-and-out sprinter who will go elsewhere and has in fact NEVER raced beyond six furlongs. This strange accumulation of points reflects on a field that often has some running from way outside the top 20 qualifiers so it can be more of a lottery than some of the other BC races. One such case is Wimbledon, ranked 27th in qualifying and yet gains a run and gets a very nice draw, somewhat better than many of the top qualifiers or Moonlightonthewash who hasn’t even won a race this year and gets the ace draw.
First run in 2003 it was won then by the great Alpha Ultimo who himself was a sprinter miler and probably the greatest ever winner of the race. Three-year-olds have won nine of the contests with the same domination between 2017 and 2021 as the other BC races, Since the adjustment was made by HRP we have had three older horses take the spoils in the last three years which makes this a far more open race these days. Last year’s winner Jakarta comes here again for a repeat and as a seven-year-old he will be the oldest ever winner if he can get the repeat. Nakamura Stables has been the dominant trainer with three wins in the last six years but apart from that trainer, it is a pretty even spread.

1 Moonligtonthewabash Prat F 123
Trained by High Voltage, bred by Barcelona Farms
2025 form: 200203030
WR: 102
Lifetime Earnings: $342.550

There’re not many horses that can qualify for a BC race with just $342.550 in earnings, 2 wins in overnights and zero wins in a season but this three-year-old has managed to get into the ace gate in the championship mile race. In truth he is not as forlorn a hope as that makes him sound as there is some of his form that puts him within a length of some of the best in this field. Second in the American Turf, third in the DMR Derby and beaten a nose in the Lewis Stakes, he was only a length behind Western Knight with a terrible draw in the American Turf, so on that effort would have to hold a chance.
He generally holds a position just behind the pacemakers, so this draw will really suit him, and it really wouldn’t surprise me to see him in the top four.

2 State Apples Lopez P 126
Trained by Mb Stables, bred by the owner
2025 form: 1221003
WR: 106
Lifetimes earnings: $838.000

Very lightly raced he didn’t make his debut until last year as a four-year-old but quickly rewarded our champion trainer for their patience. Taking the West Point Handicap off a maiden win, he was looking very good in only his fourth start but was then aimed at the Shadwell Mile where his inexperience found him out from a wide gate and he faded to last. A couple of educating runs in overnights saw him back in stakes class this year when he took on the Whittingham and ran a fine race to be second, following that up with another close second in the Arlington Stakes. His chance to run in this race came with a win in the Wise Dan in June and though he hasn’t managed a win in three starts since, he has run well enough to make him a live contender for this race. I liked his effort in the Shadwell Turf Mile last time and with his works continuing to impress he could be a dark horse in this field, especially with a perfect draw.

3 Green Flag Saez L 126

Trained by Spankys Bar and bred by Hippyheart
2025 form: 302130
WR: 104
Lifetime earnings: $478.580

Another that just squeezed into this field and gets the reward of a good draw, he is another that has been knocking on the door for a while and would only need a length improvement to be a live contender. A winner once this year when taking the Poker Stakes in a zippy 1.32 and 1 he is another with a nice running style that will be suited to his gate position. Beaten into third in the Read Stakes after his Poker Stakes win and then a little disappointing in the City Of Hope Mile last time, he will need to find his best form to have a chance, but his best would put him in with a realistic top four hope.
Fairly lightly raced as a five-year-old he has taken a while to find himself after promising a little as a younger horse, I do like the older horses in this race who are showing some late maturity.

4 Hawaiian Lord Geroux F 126
Trained by Our Athletes, bred by the owner
2025 form: 0023120
WR: 106
Lifetime earnings: $3,074.850

It has to be said right up front that this one has a bridesmaids record with 18 second place finishes against just 5 wins from his 50 starts. His record started early running four seconds as a maiden before finally winning as a three-year-old and that is when his record of pretty much one win a year started. Sure enough he won once as a four-year-old in a little TAM Allowance and then again as a five-year-old in an optional allowance at GP but it was at this point the trainer decided to really throw him in the deep end and who can blame him because this horse was so consistent that it seemed possible he could run second in a stakes race rather than second in an allowance. Sure enough, he battled into third in the Forester Turf Classic, second in the Fourstardave Handicap ran pretty well in the BC Mile from a poor draw but when sent to an overnight at the end of the year he still couldn’t win a second race. On to 2024 and his form continued with a second in the grade one Pegasus World Cup Turf and then lots of great money earning finishes and then finally his obligatory one win a year came in the Fourstardave Handicap. On to 2025 and the only worrying stat here is that he has already won one race this year when he repeated his win in the Fourstardave Handicap with 5Lbs more weight and that can only mean one thing! So, the question is can he finish top four and the answer is yes, can he win a second race in a year….well, history says no, but this is HRP and anything can happen!
I love the fact that this seven-year-old has been with Our Athletes throughout his long and illustrious career and I wish them both all the luck in trying to achieve something he has never done before on the biggest stage.

5 Wimbledon Ortiz J L 126
Trained by Aml Racing and bred by Smokey Stover
2025 form: 2201002
WR: 102
Lifetime Earnings: $895.000

Welcome back Aml Racing and welcome back Wimbledon to stakes racing. On the face of it this eight-year-old’s best days are well behind him as he was claimed in a $6.000 claimer last time where he failed to win, in fact his only win this year came in a $9.5000 claimer in June. He picked up points for this race in the early part of the year when second in the Pegasus World Turf Cup beaten under a length by Grand Opening with some of the favorites for BC races behind him. There are two explanations as to how, just five months later he was in cheap claimer, one gives him an outside chance in this race, and one gives him no chance. If the class system has sunk so far that second in a grade one is the same as second in a $6.000 claimer then you could make a case for him but if, and this is more likely, that once a good horse falls off the ledge at HRP they fall fast then he will only be a contender for last.
It would be one hell of story should he win, but it shouldn’t happen.

6 Operation Mongoose Gaskin D Z 126
Trained by Maxmillion Farms, bred by Patterson Stables
2025 form: 202110001
WR: 105
Lifetime Earnings: $453.050

The six-year-old has been picked to go in this race which is interesting considering his last race was in the Nearctic over five furlongs, in which he dead-heated for the win, but I do think this is the better option as the sprint race can be such a lottery. He has won a race over longer trips and that was in the grade three Arlington so he is not a sprinter running in a route, more of a pacey miler. His works are sharp, and his pace could prove invaluable and with a record of 12 wins from 30 starts is a proven winner.
He started life quietly being bought for $4.000 from the breeder after a debut run and then spent a while knocking around cheap claimers before being claimed from Jormov for the same fee. He showed plenty of late improvement for Acber Farms running well in the KD Turf Sprint and winning plenty of overnights and was eventually bought by his current owner for $75.000 where he has paid that price back with interest with his best lifetime form.
This one may sneak under the radar for the turf king, and I would be tempted if his odds are attractive.

7 Electric Blue Garcia Mar 126
Trained by Spankys Barn, bred by Choppy Inc
2025 form: 21204
WR: 108
Lifetimes earnings: $1,219.130

Well, this underrated trainer gets multiple starters here with this seven-year-old who has won 12 races from 37 starts. Acquired in 2024 for $100.000 he hadn’t shown a lot at that point winning just a small ungraded stakes race and running mainly in lower grade, but the new owner noticed his consistency and quickly took him to a higher level to prove himself. The result was instant as he went straight to the grade three Thunder Road and hacked up proving one of two things, or maybe both. Spankys Barn could spot a turf miler that could compete at the top level and get it there or HRP has zero class system, and the horse was always this good. I have a feeling it is a bit of both but two races later as a six-year-old he took the grade one Shoemaker Mile. He had a terrible gate in last year’s BC Mile and finished down the field but proved he is still at the top of his game this year with a win in the grade one Kilroe Mile giving him the chance to put last year’s effort in this race behind him.
He is a good sort, of that there is no doubt, and he is good enough on his day to win this.

8 Zion Birdie Bejarano R 123
Trained by La Canada Racehorses, bred by the owner
2025 form: 2101
WR: 108
Lifetimes earnings: $745.080

Well, the qualification system helped this three-year-old who is 40th on the qualifying list but gets in thanks to a win in the grade two City of Hope Mile last time out when he took advantage of the strong early pace to blow them away in the stretch. That was a huge win after a big disappointment in the PEN Mile and paid homage to a great training effort that see’s this horse come into the race very fresh with only four starts this year. You could be thinking he is an outsider here as he is so far down the points list but a look at his form as a two-year-old when he was only beaten a nose in the BC Juvenile Turf says he thoroughly deserved that recent win and the trainer may have been saving this one for a couple of big efforts after a light season.

9 Seven Is Lucky Velazquez J R 126
Trained by Mb Stables, bred by the owner
2025 form: 3142341
WR: 107
Lifetimes earnings: $1,763.660

One of the obligatory three runners from our champion trainer and shouldn’t be overlooked by any means. A six-year-old now he was another later starter not having his first run until three but quickly made up for lost time with three wins in his first season, although all were at overnight level. As a four-year-old he really showed his quality with a second in the Shadwell Turf Mile and then a big win in the HOL Turf Cup showing he had both the stamina for 12 furlongs and the speed for 8. Last season he only managed the one win in the Seabicuit Handicap but ran some decent races prior. After a tough five-year-old season his trainer went back to overnights to get him some confidence, but he actually found his old self when put back to stakes racing with two good placings before a gutsy win in the Shadwell Turf Mile, which won him his place in this race.
I must admit on his form this season I wouldn’t give him much chance, but his win in the grade one last time was right up there with his best ever performances and just maybe he has found his form at the right time.

10 Oh Brother Gaffalione T 126
Trained by Spankys Barn, bred by Rampage Stables
2025 form: 313412
WR: 110
Lifetimes earnings: $3,602.200

The six-year-old was good right out of the gate taking on the BC Juvenile Turf as a two-year-old and running pretty well until tiring at the end. In his three-year-old season he did pretty well taking the American Derby and the VA Derby but he seemed to be finding the longer distances troublesome and in the end was bought at auction for the bargain price of $45.010. That was the one and only time he would change hands as Spankys Barn would take him to two grade one wins and two BC appearances in the next two years, cementing him as a top grass routing type.
He is very much one of a kind in that he has only ever raced on dirt once and that was on debut, despite his conformation not screaming turf only. Who can blame the owner, as he has been hugely successful on the grass, but I do wonder whether he could’ve been as good on the main track. He went in last year’s BC Mile, finishing fifth behind Jakarta and he is a similar type to that one, having won ten races and being in the twilight of his career. The advantage he has is that he is happy on a wet or dry track so in the unlikely event of rain he may find that his chances improve. He is certainly as good as ever and will give an honest account of himself and I would expect him to be a top four chance. The draw may see him push up a bit so he will need luck from the race engine, but this horse has class and a will to win and sometimes those types can find a way.

11 Fanatical Empire Gutierrez Mario 126
Trained by Bigchief Stables and bred by Smokey Stover
2025 form: 0310400
WR 104
Lifetimes Earnings: $2,956.400

He would probably prefer a run in the BC Turf but is on the outside of qualification there so takes his chance in this field where he was higher up the rankings. Just a four-year-old he ran for Smokey Stover as a three-year-old winning The Transylvania, The American Turf and the Nashville Derby making him one of the best three-year-old turfers in 2024, but he was given a terrible draw in the BC Turf and weakened into tenth last year. It was at this point he featured in the big Smokey Stover giveaway and was won by Woogaloo who quickly took the profit and sold him on for $375.000. Bigchief picked him up and quickly reaped the benefits by saddling him to win the Forester Turf Classic with a brave all the way win. He has won four from six in the wet and there is no doubt that he is a much, much better horse in those conditions so Bigchief will be out doing a rain dance at DMR the night before this race. If it stays dry, he may be too one-paced to trouble the best of these but despite pretty ordinary form since his grade one win he is an honest sort and well proven at this level.

12 Bear Head Fresu A 123
Trained by Maxmillion Farm, bred by Martyparty
2025 form: 1120041001
WR: 105
Lifetime Earnings: $1,183.000

The turf king picked this one up for $200.000 in May from the breeder after his form had tailed off a little and whilst that inconsistency has continued, he does have some decent form that makes him another chance from outside the top qualifiers.
A stakes winning two-year-old, he started off this year with two good wins and then a fine second in the Transylvania making him a decent prospect for the big three-year-old turf races, but then he lost his way a little causing the trainer to lose confidence. Maxmillion came in with a good offer and saw him get right back to his best with a promising fourth in the BEL Derby and then a hugely impressive win in the Secretariat in 1.32 and 1. He lost his way again after that but came back last time with an easy win in the grade three Station after working the lights out at home.
I would give him a huge chance if it wasn’t for his draw because as yet he has been unable to cope with the wide gates, but that really is the only reason I can find to take him out of my calculations. If the trainer finds a way to make the draw work, he certainly has a chance.

13 Jakarta Castillo I 126
Trained by Nakamura Stables, bred by Patterson Stables
2025 form: 0301210
WR: 112
Lifetimes earnings: $4,191.200

Well, what can you say about this seven-year-old that hasn’t already been said. Bred by Patterson Stables, he was sold as a three-year-old after being gelded, fetching what looked the decent price of $200.000 as he had just the maiden win and a stakes failure to his name at that point. Estero Farms took the reins, but he only lasted two races with that barn before being bought for $350.000 after two good efforts in stakes company but still without a second win. Fractious became his third owner and whilst he ran some great placings for the trainer, notably third in the BEL Derby and JC Derby and a close second in the DMR Derby, he only managed one more win in the Mathis Brothers Mile in his last appearance for the yard. It was at this point that Nakamura Stables acquired him with just two wins to his name and heading into a four-year-old season, but that didn’t stop the trainer from digging deep with $450.000 to secure him. So far, he had cost nearly $1,000.000 and whilst he had run some super races as a three-year-old was still only a two-race winner, so it was clear he had a future in the top grade if the new owner could get him into the winners’ enclosure. It actually took ten more races before he would gain his third win as a five-year-old but then he seemed to find his groove and notched up three in a row including the Shoemaker Mile. He went on to contest this very race at the BC in 2023 but could only finish sixth from a tough draw. His six-year-old season was fairly average by his standards, gaining just the one win in the Poker Stakes before another crack at the BC Mile in 2024. It was to be his day after arguably his worst season since being a two-year-old as he drew well in the big one and ran home the winner beating Diamond Haggis that was trained by his old owner.
This year as a seven-year-old he has shown no signs of slowing down, in fact having won the Shoemaker Mile for the second time and added the DMR Mile to that in August you could say he is as good as ever.
So here we have it, the defending champion in great form looking for win number ten and his second BC Mile, what could stop him? Well, the HRP handicap has struck, and he has been given gate number 13 which is big handicap to start from in attempting the almost impossible. Despite from the indignity, he has been dealt by the draw monster he could still win but the victory is probably more in the hands of the race engine and the AI than his ability.

14 Big Blue Franco M 123
Trained by Mb Stables, bred by Mb Stables
2025 form: 211010341
WR: 104
Lifetimes earnings: $952.800

Anything that can win the PEN Mile with ease is a chance in a race like this, but his form has been a bit in and out before and since. A wet ground specialist, although that didn’t help him in the American Turf, he certainly seems better in the wet but his on-pace running style isn’t always suited to those conditions. A pace influence who may be sacrificed for his stable companions, he is not without ability, and my mind keeps going back to the ease with which he won the PEN Mile, I guess this wide gate may be a godsend if he is the pace maker for the other stable runners as he will likely lead if the trainer wants him to. Having said that, this is a good three-year-old who has a chance, especially if the lead is soft and he can sneak away on the home turn.

15 Kidding High Voltage – Also Eligible –
If he gets a start, he is only a top four chance but his second in the DMR Mile would make him competitive.

16 Showable Set Angelos Stable – Also Eligible –
An honest six-year-old he wouldn’t look out of place in this field but if he gets a run it will be from wide and it is hard to see him as a winning chance.

17 Wicked Good Lanfranco Stable – Also Eligible –
Close enough in the DMR Mile and the City of Hope to be a good each way chance in the unlikely chance he gets a run.

SUMMARY

The qualification process for this race means that everything is much of a muchness with the class older horses and the up and comers racing some chuggers and all of which, if you cross mapped the form and race times would be within a few lengths of each other over a mile.
So, picking a top four is as much guess work as form work as usual so a look at the odds monkey’s predictions may be the best way to go if looking for a decent return on your Disney Dollars.
The obvious choices will fall onto the Mb Stables trio with both Seven Is Lucky and State Apples looking big chances and then we have the proven class of Jakarta and On Brother the first of which will be the pick of my heart over my head as he goes for a double. There are other chances but I think I may go with the turf king here as both of their runners may be overlooked in this field and could be at rewarding odds.

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