The 2024 Breeders' Cup takes place on Friday and Saturday with many of the best horses in the world competing against each other. This year’s races take place at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and it will be the first of two straight years with the races being held at Del Mar. There are five races on Friday and nine on Saturday. The Saturday card features the $7 million dollar Breeders’ Cup Classic with Aidan O’Brien’s City of Troy the morning-line favorite at Breeders’ Cup odds of 5-2. Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, is the second choice at odds of 3-1. A total of 14 horses are entered for the Classic so the potential for a longshot to win is definitely there. Let’s take a look at the Breeders’ Cup Classic and some other Breeders’ Cup picks.
Horse Racing Betting Lines
Post position, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Morning-line Odds
1. Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagai, Ryusei Sakai, 6-1
2. Highlands Falls, Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 20-1
3. City of Troy, Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore, 5-2
4. Mixto, Doug O’Neill, Kyle Frey, 30-1
5. Senor Buscador, Todd Fincher, Joel Rosario, 30-1
6. Derma Sotogake, Hidetaka Otonashi, Christophe Lemaire, 20-1
7. Ushba Tesoro, Noboru Takagi, Yuga Kawada, 12-1
8. Pyrenees, Cherie DeVaux, Brian Hernandez Jr., 30-1
9. Fierceness, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 3-1
10. Tapit Trice, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 30-1
11. Sierra Leone, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 12-1
12. Arthur’s Ride, Bill Mott, Junior Alvardo, 15-1
13. Newgate, Bob Baffert, Frankie Dettori, 20-1
14. Next, William Cowans, Luan Machado, 8-1
The $7 million dollar Breeders’ Cup Classic could have some value and that would be good news to bettors, as last year most of the Breeders’ Cup races were won by favorites. There is no question that City of Troy and Fierceness could win this race, but I will have to see it from City of Troy first, as this horse has never raced in the U.S. and Fierceness has yet to show he can handle a tough race. I’ll take a longshot and go with Arthur’s Ride at 15-1. He won the Whitney Stakes and then didn’t look good in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Maybe we just give him a pass on that race and trainer Bill Mott has given him plenty of time off and Mott knows how to win this race as he won it with Cigar in 1995 and Drosselmeyer in 2011.
Another longshot I think is worth considering is Tapit Trice at 30-1. He is trained by Todd Pletcher and he looked good in the Woodward Stakes last time out. It is not that often you get to take a Pletcher horse at big odds but that is what we get in this race with Tapit Trice.
More Breeders’ Cup Picks
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
This race on Saturday has a field of 13 and I give Cinderella’s Dream a good shot to win at odds of 4-1. The horse won the Belmont Oaks and the Saratoga Oaks and there is no reason to think she can’t win this race. This race could come down to Cinderella’s Dream in post three and War Like Goddess in post position four. I’ll take Cinderella’s Dream to win and also play a quinella with Cinderella’s Dream and War Goddess.
Breeders' Cup Sprint
A field of 11 is expected for this Saturday race and I think Mullikin at odds of 7-2 is the best choice. He is unbeaten in his four starts this year and he is capable of dominating this field. His chances of winning are definitely increased with The Chosen Vron not in the race.
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
This Saturday race will have a field of 14 and I like the horse on the outside Skippylongstocking. The horse is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. The horse has won three times this year and was second to Tapit Trice who I like in the Classic. The morning-line odds on Skippylongstocking are 4-1 and the horse may go off at higher Breeders’ Cup odds than that at post time.
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