Sierra Leone stalked Fierceness and Forever Young in the stretch, then blazed by them to snatch the biggest race of them all from their grasp. Here's how he did it.

Forever Young, the highest-rated of three Japanese runners, finished third, with locally based Newgate fourth and Senor Buscador fifth. Ireland’s hope, Epsom Derby winner City of Troy — the morning-line favorite — missed the break, never was in the mix and got home eighth in his first race on dirt.

Sierra Leone had a reputation as a talented horse that never seemed to win. In his last four races he finished second twice and third twice. All that changed on Saturday when he charged to the front at the top of the stretch and won the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at the Del Mar Turf Club.

Sierra Leone wins the Breeders' Cup Classic to deny City of Troy a glorious farewell in his last race before retiring.

The colt and jockey Flavien Prat rally at Del Mar to beat Fierceness and help Distaff winner Thorpedo Anna in Horse of the Year race

The richest horse race in North America belongs to Sierra Leone. Del Mar Racetrack in California played host to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, pitting the top thoroughbreds ages three years and up against each other in arguably the most stacked field of the season.

Sierra Leone has won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic with a time of 2:00.78. After narrowly missing the winner's circle at the Kentucky Derby earlier this year, Sierra Leone got the job done at Del Mar in San Diego, California.

Although Peter Brant, one of the owners of Classic (G1) winner Sierra Leone, expressed his desire during a post-race news conference to see him run next year at age 4, the owners are also considering the alternative of standing him at stud in 2025.

Sierra Leone rallied past Fierceness in the final stretch to win the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, expunging the memory of Kentucky Derby disappointment.Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year,

One of the best things about 3-year-olds dominating the big races at the Breeders' Cup World Championship races is the likelihood many of them will race on around the world in 2025.