Full Serrano and Touch of Destiny: The South Americans Aiming to Shine in the Dirt Mile
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The Argentine Full Serrano will go for a repeat after winning the 2024 edition, while the unbeaten Uruguayan Touch of Destiny makes his North American debut in a fiercely competitive test
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario at Del Mar, California)
DEL MAR, California — Del Mar will host one of the most anticipated races of the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships this Saturday: the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (1600 m, dirt), featuring a field of ten that blends Triple Crown heroes, juvenile champions, and a defending South American titleholder.
The Argentine Full Serrano (Full Mast) returns to Del Mar’s mile aiming to become only the third horse to win back-to-back editions of the Dirt Mile, following Goldencents (Into Mischief, 2013–14) and Cody’s Wish (Curlin, 2022–23). His shock victory at 13-1 last year proved no fluke, and the 6-year-old has remained in top form since. He opened his 2025 campaign with a sharp conditional win over this same course and distance on September 1, then followed up with a gritty runner-up effort in the GI Goodwood Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita, a deeper surface than Del Mar’s. With Joel Rosario, a three-time Dirt Mile winner, back aboard, Full Serrano will look to complete a historic repeat.
Lining up beside him is Touch of Destiny (Midshipman), Uruguay’s unbeaten phenom and the first horse from his country ever to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. The 3-year-old arrives with six wins from as many starts and the confidence of an unblemished record, carrying the hopes of an entire nation eager to see Uruguay’s colors shine on the world’s biggest stage.
The supporting cast is formidable. White Abarrio (Race Day), winner of the 2023 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, looks to rebound after finishing fifth in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. Mystik Dan (Goldencents), hero of the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby, returns to the dirt following a sharp score in the GIII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs. The reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, adds more depth, while Goal Oriented (Not This Time) enters off strong third-place finishes in both the GI Haskell Stakes and GI Pennsylvania Derby.
The morning-line favorite is Nysos (Nyquist), owned by Baoma Corp and trained by Bob Baffert, winner of the GIII Triple Bend Stakes and the GII San Diego Handicap, now seeking to extend his perfect 2025 campaign.
A mix of defending champions, undefeated stars, and established Grade 1 winners, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Milepromises a thrilling clash of generations and styles. For South American fans, all eyes will be on Full Serrano, the battle-tested Argentine seeking a repeat, and Touch of Destiny, the Uruguayan newcomer dreaming of making history in his U.S. debut—two horses united by heart, ambition, and the hope of continental glory.
