For horse-racing bettors, it’s the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Indy 500 rolled into one: the 37th running of the multi-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Week by week, we’re looking at key implications in this 14-race, two-day series from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, which culminates with the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Before you fill out your bet slip, consider these factors:
- The field is exceptional, but not dominant. Superb betting value exists in most races. Budget both for win bets and the exactas, trifectas and superfectas.
- In the headlined Classic race, there are no clear favorites, but a loaded field of accomplished horses. The winners of all three Triple Crown races are represented. That includes Swiss Skydiver, the filly that won the Preakness. She’s entered in two races, including this one. Can she beat the boys again? Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law and Kentucky Derby champion Authentic are entered. So is Improbable, who defeated 2019 Horse of the Year Maximum Security in the Awesome Again Stakes last month. Improbable has the best recent form in this field, but it’s worth noting that none of these horses have been able to string two consecutive top races at this elite level.
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- The Breeders’ Cup Turf is loaded with money. Loaded. With a big field of accomplished horses, bettors won’t have an easy time deciding the favorite. The 7-2 early pick is Magical, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes. There’s also Channel Maker, a four-time Grade I winner, Zulu Alpha, who won the Pegasus Stakes early in 2020 and Arklow, who recently beat him in the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup. You can probably bet anyone in this field with confidence. Extraordinary value lies not only on the win line but in exactas, trifectas and superfectas.
- The Longines’ Distaff has a wait-and-see component. Swiss Skydiver has long been expected to run in this race, but after earning a surprise Preakness victory, she’s been considered for the more lucrative Classic. If Skydiver departs this race, Monomoy Girl will be the clear-cut favorite, with Harvest Moon and Valiance as the next highest choices.
- The Breeders’ Cup Mile is scheduled to feature Kameko, Uni, Digital Age and Mo Forza.
If your horse runs second in selected races Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, you’ll get your Midweek Bet Back at BetAmerica.com! Six or more runners must start the race for the offer to apply. Through 11/30.
The 2020 Breeders’ Cup will be broadcast live on NBCSN and NBC. Here are the complete race schedules:
Friday, November 1
- Race #5 – Juvenile Turf Sprint (Post time: 2:30 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Race #8 – Juvenile Fillies Turf (Post time: 3:10 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Race #7 – Juvenile Fillies (Post time: 3:50 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
- Race #6 – Juvenile Turf (Post time: 4:30 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Race #9 – Juvenile (Post time: 5:10 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
Saturday, November 2
- Filly and Mare Sprint (Post time: 12:02 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Turf Sprint (Post time: 12:39 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Dirt Mile (Post time: 1:18 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse
- Filly and Mare Turf (Post time: 1:57 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
- Sprint (Post time: 2:36 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
- Mile (Post time: 3:15 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
- Distaff (Post time: 3:54 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse
- Turf (Post time: 4:33 p.m. ET) – $4 million purse
- Classic (Post time: 5:13 p.m. ET) – $6 million purse
