While the Kentucky Derby tops all horse racing events for tradition and history the Breeders Cup Classic is, without question, the top-quality race of the year. It is truly the definitive event of the entire season. The 14 top thoroughbreds 3 years old and older compete. The purse is a whopping $6 million and the length of the race is a mile and a quarter. The only thing missing from the Breeders Cup will be 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, who had to retire due to an injury to his left front ankle. But that does not take away from a field that is truly a sensational classic!
2018 Breeders Cup Classic
Date and Time: Saturday, November 3, 2018, 5:44 p.m. ET
Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
Breeders Cup Odds at Bookmaker.eu: Accelerate 11/5, West Coast 7/2, Catholic Boy 5/1, Thunder Snow 7/1, McKinzie 7/1, Diversify 10/1, Yoshida 10/1, Pavel 10/1,
Gunnevera 11/1, Mendelssohn 12/1, Hoppertunity 24/1
2018 Breeders Cup TV Coverage: NBC
Accelerate
Its quite understandable why Accelerate opened as the betting favorite for the Breeders Cup Classic. In 21 career races Accelerate has nine wins, five places and five shows with career winnings of $2.4 million. Accelerate has posted two Breeders Cup Challenge wins this year with the TVG Pacific Classic and the Awesome Again Stakes. Overall for 2018 he has 50 graded stakes points. Accelerate is a celebrated California horse that has won a multitude of grade one races in that state. John Sadler is the trainer.
West Coast
West Coast is a top choice as well starting with the fact that Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is in charge. Baffert was the trainer of Justify to earn his second Triple Crown after turning the trick with American Pharoah in 2015. West Coast has been a major money maker with over $5.7 million in career earnings. This year West Coast has a total of 12 Graded Stakes Points. In 12 career starts West Coast has six wins, five places and one show. West Coast’s biggest career win would have to go down as the 2017 Travers Stakes.
Catholic Boy
Catholic Boy is trained by Jonathan Thomas and has been bet up after winning the 2018 Travers Stakes. In nine career starts, Catholic Boy has six wins, one place and no shows with a total of $1.8 million in career earnings. Catholic Boy has a total of 12 graded stakes points for 2018. Prior to winning the Travers Stakes, Catholic Boy won the Belmont Derby Invitational and the Pennie Ridge Stakes. With three wins in a row and the prestigious Travers Stakes in hand, it’s understandable why Catholic Boy has drawn betting action.
Thunder Snow
Thunder Snow arrives from Ireland and has the reputation as the “Bad Boy of Racing.” Thunder Snow is also best known by American fans for the race he never ran. That was in 2017 when he refused to run in the 2017 Kentucky Derby as he was wildly bucking wildly out of the gate like a crazed rodeo horse before being pulled up. With Godolphin Racing as the owner Thunder Snow brings immediate credibility. With the exception of the Kentucky Derby Thunder Snow has time and again proven his merits as a top tier grade one horse as evidenced by his $8.5 million in earnings. For 2018 Thunder Snow has six graded stakes points. Thunder Snow’s biggest wins include the 2018 Dubai World Cup and the 2017 UAE Derby.
McKinzie
Another Bob Baffert horse, McKinzie, is also an appealing choice with three wins in three starts this year including the San Felipe Stakes and the Pennsylvania Derby. McKinzie has 18 graded stakes points this year with nearly $1 million in earnings.
Odds Analysis
Thunder Snow brings a bit more value that the top tier favorites and with as much ability. It would be ironic for Thunder Snow to take the Breeders Cup Classic at the same track where he had his biggest failure. Best of all he has everything necessary to do just that!
Free Breeders Cup Betting Odds Pick: Thunder Snow
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
