With just over two weeks until the action, California Chrome remains the solid betting favorite for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at odds of 21-20.
The two-day Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be held on November 4-5 at Santa Anita, featuring 13 races with over $26 million in purses.
California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, had a rough 2015 campaign with just two starts, both seconds, but has come back this year better than ever, winning all six of his starts.
He will face a solid field in the Classic including the up and coming three-year-old Arrogate, who trounced the field in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in August for trainer Bob Baffert. The colt is the second choice in the betting at 3-1.
Baffert has saddled the last two winners of the Classic – Bayern in 2014 and last year with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Frosted is the third choice in Classic betting at 8-1 but his connections are still considering running him in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) where he is the current betting favorite at 9-4.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) is one of the most anticipated races over the two-day event, featuring three champions squaring off.
The undefeated three-year-old filly Songbird is the favorite at 8-11. The filly is perfect in 11 career starts including winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last fall at Keeneland.
She will face Beholder, who won the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and the 2013 Distaff and is the co-second choice at 4-1.
Stellar Wind was last year’s champion three-year-old filly and she has beaten Beholder in their last two showdowns. She also is at betting odds of 4-1 for the Distaff.
An international field will line up in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) led by Flintshire, who won his first three starts in 2016 before running second in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) in his final prep over turf that was softer than his liking.
The Chad Brown trainee is the betting favorite for the Turf at 2-1.
Highland Reel and Found are likely to come across the pond for trainer Aiden O’Brien. Highland Reel ran second in the Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe (G1) in his last outing to his stablemate Found, defending champion of the Turf.
The brilliant mare Found then came back to run second in the Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot in her most recent start on October 15. She is the third choice in early Turf betting at 3-1.
The mare Tepin is back to defend her title against the boys in the $2 million Mile and is favored at 5-4.
Euro invaders Alice Springs (4-1) and Limato (7-1) along with U.S. based Ironicus (15-2) are her major threats.
The winner of the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) will become the early betting favorite for next spring’s Kentucky Derby (G1).
The co-favorites for the juvenile are Practical Joke and Gormley at 9-2.
Practical Joke is undefeated in three starts, winning the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in his last outing on October 8 for trainer Chad Brown.
Gormley is perfect in two starts, winning the Frontrunner (G1) at Santa Anita in his last start. He is trained by John Shirreffs, who trained the great Zenyatta to wins in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Classic.