2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Preview

The 2020 Breeders’ Cup offers a yearend spectacle unlike any other in the world of thoroughbred horse racing. Horses from all over the world will compete on Friday and Saturday at Keeneland Park in Kentucky to decide which are the best. Bettors will have the opportunity to profit from all that racing with wonderful betting opportunities.

Since it first was created back in the 1980s, the Breeders’ Cup has stood as the ultimate testing ground in the sport of horse racing. After all, no other event unites the entire sport quite like it. Because it contains horses from all different disciplines and genders, it is a complete overview each of the sport each year.

People outside the sport will often compare it to the World Series in baseball or the Super Bowl in football. After all, it is an event that, in many ways culminates the racing season (even though racing is a year-round sport.) To be more accurate, the Breeders’ Cup is more like 14 World Series or Super Bowls.

You get a chance to see some of the sport’s best younger horses in the Juvenile Races. There are races set apart for specific disciplines, such as turf races or sprints. And, at the end of it all, there is the Classic, which, year after year, features the best field in the entire sport.

If you know what race you are trying to bet on, click on it below to get taken to our in-depth race breakdown or get scrolling and read about every race taking place at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

• Juvenile Turf Sprint
• Juvenile Turf
• Juvenile Fillies
• Juvenile Fillies Turf
• Juvenile
• Fillies and Mares Sprint
• Turf Sprint
• Dirt Mile
• Filly And Mare Turf
• Sprint
• Turf Mile
• Distaff
• Turf
• Classic

The Breeders’ Cup Is Still on Schedule

Perhaps more than ever, horse racing fans are looking forward to this edition of the Breeders’ Cup. After all, like most sports, thoroughbred racing had to take a bit of time off in 2020. This means that some of the betting opportunities that fans usually have were removed from the calendar.

But the Breeders’ Cup managed to stay on the schedule. And now the anticipation is over. It’s time for the horses (and jockeys and trainers) to settle all the arguments about who’s the best on the track. And it’s time for you, as bettors, to get your game faces, or races faces in this case, on for your wagers.

With that in mind, we’re here to help you out with this 2020 Breeders’ Cup. We’ll go through the fields for all 14 races on the program. And we’ll tell you who we believe will be the horses walking away with big wins when all is said and done.

The 2020 Breeders’ Cup Races

Juvenile Turf Sprint: 5 ½ Furlongs on Turf, 2-Year-Olds, $1 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Mighty Gurkha	Hollie Doyle	Archie Watson	20-1
2	Windy City Red	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	Jonathan Wong	30-1
3	Lipizzaner	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	20-1
4	County Final	Joel Rosario	Steven Asmussen	15-1
5	Cowan	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	Steven Asmussen	8-1
6	Ubettabelieveit	Rowan Scott	Nigel Tinkler	20-1
7	Momos	Manny Franco	Christophe Clement	15-1
8	Amanzi Yimpilo	Luis Saez	Wesley Ward	15-1
9	After Five	Jose Ortiz	Wesley Ward	6-1
10	Bodenheimer	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Valorie Lund	8-1
11	Into the Sunrise	Rafael Bejarano	Wesley Ward	15-1
12	Dirty Dangle	Tyler Gafflione	Mark Casse	20-1
13	Second of July	Dylan Davis	Philip Gleaves	8-1
14	Golden Pal	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Wesley Ward	8-5

Favorites:

It’s unusual to see such a definitive favorite in one of the two-year-old races because of the lack of experience. And it’s even more unusual to see such a favorite dealing with an outside post such as the case with Golden Pal. And yet he is dominating the early attention for this race, with trainer Wesley Ward showing up everywhere on this program page.

Value Horses:

Bodenheimer is coming off a pretty impressive win on the Keeneland oval, so the familiarity should be there. Momos tired a bit in his last race at six furlongs but could be a danger at 5 ½. And Watch out for Into The Sunrise, another Ward entry, who is shortening up from his last race to a distance that suits him better.

The Picks:

Golden Pal could win, but Bodenheimer is the much better choice in terms of value. The outside post is a little bit too much of a worry to pay that kind of odds take to bet him.

Juvenile Turf: 1 Mile on Turf, 2-Year-Olds, $1 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Sealiway	M. Barzalona	Frederic Rossi	8-1
2	New Mandate	Frankie Dettori	Ralph Beckett	12-1
3	Abarta	Umberto Rispoli	Brad Cox	12-1
4	Public Sector	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad Brown	8-1
5	Cadillac	Shane Foley	Mrs. Harrington	6-1
6	Mutasaabeq	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	5-1
7	Fire at Will	Ricardo Santana	Michael Maker	12-1
8	Outadore	Jose Ortiz	Wesley Ward	8-1
9	Battleground	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	6-1
10	Ebeko	Flavien Prat	Peter Miller	20-1
11	Gretzky the Great	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	8-1
12	Go Athletico	A. Lemaitre	P. Decouz	10-1
13	Devilwala	Rossa Ryan	Ralph Beckett	30-1
14	The Lir Jet	Oisin Ryan	Michael Bell	20-1

Favorites:

In what appears to be the most evenly-matched of all the races on the card, Mutasaabeq is the tepid favorite off a win on the Keeneland turf in his last. Cadillac has been tough in his home country of Ireland, although he faltered in his last race. And Battleground has a name that be tiresome for election watchers, but he has the game to compete and then some in what should be a tight battle.

Value Horses:

Outadore has been coming on strong at shorter distances in his last two victories, which means the longer effort here might suit him well. Fire At Will captured a Grade 2 at Belmont in his last race and seems to be peaking at the right moment. And Go Athletico could provide some excellent value, based on the consistency that he’s shown in finishing first or second in each of his five career races so far.

The Picks:

Outadore seems like the choice here based on well he has raced out in his last few. The good news here is that, even if you like the faves, you’ll get a decent return on your wager at horse racing betting sites.

Juvenile Fillies: 1 1/16 on Dirt, 2-Year-Old Fillies, $2 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Simply Ravishing	Luis Saez	Kenneth McPeek	5-2
2	Vequist	Joel Rosario	Robert Reid Jr.	8-1
3	Dayoutoftheoffice	Junior Albarado	Timothy Hamm	5-2
4	Thoughtfully	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	Steven Asmussen	20-1
5	Girl Daddy	Joe Talamo	Dale Romans	6-1
6	Crazy Beautiful	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Kenneth McPeek	20-1
7	Princess Noor	Victor Espinoza, Jr.	Bob Baffert	9-5

Favorites:

With only seven horses in the race, this one provides the least value to bettors, which is why you might consider exotic plays in this one. Bob Baffert will be very much in the mix in this one with Princess Noor, winner of three straight at increasing margins. But Dayoutoftheoffice and Simply Ravishing are also perfect after three races, with the latter looking stellar last time at Keeneland in her first ever dirt start.

Value Horses:

Because those top three are so daunting, it might be a little hard to find value in this one. But don’t sleep on Girl Daddy, winner of two straight to start her career, the last one coming with some serious speed. And Vequist was favored over Dayoutoftheoffice in her last start, which means that her breakout might actually be coming just a race later than expected.

The Picks:

This definitely feels like the chalkiest of the races on the programs over the two days of the Breeders’ Cup, what with the short field and two horses that you can probably throw out right off the bat. Baffert has a true superstar in Princess Noor, one who might be better than any of the boys her age at this stage.

Juvenile Fillies Turf: 1 Mile on Turf, 2-Year-Old Fillies, $1 Million

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Oodnadatta	Shane Foley	Mrs. Harrington	20-1
2	Miss Amulet	Julien Leparoux	Ken Condon	12-1
3	Alda	John Velazquez	H. Motion	12-1
4	Plum Ali	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	4-1
5	Aunt Pearl	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	3-1
6	Nazuna	Luis Saez	Roger Varian	30-1
7	Tetragonal	Manny Franco	Richard Baltas	20-1
8	Mother Earth	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	20-1
9	Madone	Flavien Prat	Simon Callaghan	10-1
10	Campanelle	Frankie Dettori	Wesley Ward	4-1
11	Royal Approval	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Wesley Ward	10-1
12	Spanish Loveaffair	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	15-1
13	Union Gables	Jose Ortiz	Todd Pletcher	20-1
14	Editor at Large	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	12-1

Favorites:

Aunt Pearl leads what is a particularly impressive field of two-year-old fillies, going two-for-two to start her career, with the last one coming with an impressive speed figure attached. Plum Ali will likely be stalking Aunt Pearl’s speed, and she has won three straight, the last one a Grade 2. Campanelle won at Gulfstream to start her career then proved her talent with a pair of victories overseas.

Value Horses:

There are lot of horses down the ballot, so to speak, that could surprise here. Watch out for Madone, who has been dominating on the West Coast and wants to prove herself in another region. Meanwhile, Spanish Loveaffair gave Aunt Pearl a test in her last start and is definitely on the improve, which could mean she’s ready to get even better this time around.

The Picks:

Madone seems way underrepresented on the odds board, considering the impressive nature of her victories to date. Why not take a shot at her at 10 to 1 (although those odds are likely to drop) instead of paying a premium for Aunt Pearl?

Juvenile: 1 1/16 on Dirt, 2-Year-Olds, $2 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Camp Hope	Robby Albarado	Kenneth McPeek	30-1
2	King Fury	Brian Hernandez	Kenneth McPeek	15-1
3	Reinvestment Risk	Irad Ortiz	Chad Brown	9-2
4	Likeable	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	15-1
5	Essential Quality	Luis Saez	Brad Cox	4-1
6	Keepmeinmind	Jose Ortiz	Robertino Diodoro	30-1
7	Jackie’s Warrior	Joel Rosario	Steven Asmussen	7-5
8	Classier	Florent Geroux	Bob Baffert	15-1
9	Sittin on Go	Corey Lanerie	Dale Romans	12-1
10	Dreamer’s Disease	David Cohen	Robertino Diodoro	30-1
11	Next	Gerardo Corrales	Wesley Ward	15-1
12	Hot Rod Charlie	Tyler Gaffalione	Doug O’Neill	30-1
13	Rombauer	Javier Castellano	Michael McCarthy	15-1
14	Calibrate	Ricardo Santana	Steven Asmussen	20-1

Favorites:

What a start Jackie’s Warrior has enjoyed in his career, with four wins in four races, steadily stretching the distance each time in preparation for this race. This will obviously be his toughest test, though, with Essential Quality looming large after two straight victories, including an easy Grade 1 at Keeneland in his last. Meanwhile, Reinvestment Risk gets his chance at revenge on Jackie’s Warrior after finishing second behind him in his last two.

Value Horses:

Because the top three loom so large, you might be able to sneak some serious long shots in for exotic wagers. Take for example Next, who found out he loved the dirt when a turf race was moved there for his last start, or Dreamer’s Disease, who is coming off an allowance win last time with a nice speed marker. Also keep an eye on Keepmeinmind, a true bomber who made great improvement last time when he switched over to the dirt.

The Picks:

Jackie’s Warrior and Essential Quality seem like the ones to beat in here, with Reinvestment Risk maybe not hanging around with the tougher field in this one. Take the one that you think provides you with the most value, and then fill the ticket out with some long shots to pay off well in the exotics.

Fillies and Mares Sprint: 7 Furlongs on Dirt, 3-Year-Olds and up Fillies and Mares, $1 Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Speech	Javier Castellano	Michael McCarthy	6-1
2	Gamine	John Velazquez	Bob Baffert	7-5
3	Come Dancing	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Carlos Martin	8-1
4	Inthemidstofbiz	Emmanuel Esquivel	Cipriano Contreras	30-1
5	Sconsin	James Graham	Gregory Foley	20-1
6	Venetian Harbor	Manny Franco	Richard Baltas	8-1
7	Serengeti Empress	Luis Saez	Thomas Amoss	3-1
8	Sally’s Curlin	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Dale Romans	20-1
9	Bell’s the One	Corey Lanerie	Neil Pessin	6-1

Favorites:

Saturday’s first Breeders’ Cup action features a horse that figures to be one of the most prohibitive favorites in the entire two days’ work of action. Gamine suffered the first loss of her career in the Kentucky Oaks, but Bob Baffert is pulling her back to the distance that suits her. Serengeti Express is the only one within shouting distance of her on the morning line, and she is a veteran of two previous Breeders’ cups, which could give her an experience edge.

Value Horses:

Bell’s The One defeated Serengeti Express in her last race, and the outside post shouldn’t bother her as much as others because she likes to close anyway. Venetian Harbor was well back of Gamine two races ago, but the fact that she has never finished worse than second makes it likely that she’ll be in the mix somewhere. Sconsin is an interesting longshot, someone who could be a factor if she can recapture the form that she showed in a peak effort last time.

The Picks:

Baffert is better at delivering sure things than anybody around, which is why it’s hard to try to knock Gamine off the perch here. But you have an interesting closer in Bell’s The One who could make it close in the final strides and would give you more bang for your buck.

Turf Sprint: 5 ½ Furlongs on Turf, 3-Year-Olds and up, $1 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Big Runnuer	Juan Hernandez	Victor Garcia	12-1
2	Just Might	Colby Hernandez	Michelle Lovell	30-1
3	Imprimis	Irad Ortiz	Joseph Orseno	4-1
4	Front Run the Fed	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	12-1
5	Wet Your Whistle	Jose Ortiz	Michael Trombetta	15-1
6	Glass Slippers	Tom Eaves	Kevin Ryan	12-1
7	Leinster	Luis Saez	George Arnold II	4-1
8	Oleksandra	Joel Rosario	Neil Drysdale	12-1
9	Into Mystic	Joe Talamo	Brendan Walsh	12-1
10	Bombard	Flavien Prat	Richard Mandella	15-1
11	Wildman Jack	Manny Franco	Doug O’Neill	12-1
12	Got Stormy	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	7-2
13	Texas Wedge	Florent Geroux	Peter Miller	30-1
14	Extravagant Kid	Umberto Rispoli	Brendan Walsh	15-1

Favorites:

You can tell by the morning line that this is considered an evenly-matched race, as Got Stormy is a 7 to 2 favorite and definitely seems vulnerable from that post position. That could bring Imprimis into the picture, as he enjoys a better and knows these kinds of races better than anybody in the field. Meanwhile, Leinster comes in with wins in his last two races on the very same turf track, which should help him in the confidence department.

Value Plays:

Big Runnuer may or may not like leaving from the rail, but he does have three straight victories, with the last one accompanied by a great speed number. Extravagant Kid has the other extreme, post position-wise, but he has also been knocking on the door and could be in for a bounce-type effort. Oleksandra certainly possesses the form, but the concern is that rust factor, as he hasn’t raced since June.

The Picks:

This is a race where you should be trying to spread out your options as much as your budget allows, as if figures to be a wild one. Look to even get a little crazy with a few different superfecta bets.

Dirt Mile: 1 Mile on Dirt, 3-Year-Olds and up, $1 Million

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Art Collector	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Thomas Drury Jr.	6-1
2	Sharp Samurai	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Mark Glatt	15-1
3	Silver Dust	Adam Beschizza	Bret Calhoun	30-1
4	War of Will	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	10-1
5	Knicks Go	Joel Rosario	Brad Cox	7-2
6	Mr. Money	Gabriel Saez	Bret Calhoun	20-1
7	Rushie	Javier Castellano	Michael McCarthy	20-1
8	Pirate’s Punch	Jorge Vargas, Jr.	Grant Forster	20-1
9	Mr. Freeze	Manny Franco	Dale Romans	6-1
10	Complexity	Jose Ortiz	Chad Brown	2-1
11	Jesus’ Team	Luis Saez	Jose D’Angelo	30-1
12	Owendale	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	15-1

Favorites:

The Mile is an interesting one this year in that there a lot of big names here trying to rebuild their careers in a different light. Yet the favorite, Complexity, is a horse that is relatively lightly raced to this point compared to others but is peaking at the right time. Closest to him on the odds board is Knicks Go, who is moving up out of lesser competition but seems to be a completely different start since a trainer change a few races ago.

Value Horses:

Art Collector saw his winning streak end in the Preakness, when he seemed a little lesser than the top two, but he seems to be well-placed here. War Of Will was a big-time stakes contender a year ago as a three-year-old and is coming back off the turf for this one. And there is nobody classier than Owendale, who usually gives a consistent effort against the best of the best.

The Picks:

It feels like the favorite is being rated on speed more than class, which can sometimes be a miscalculation. Watch out for some of those horses used to the spotlight coming back to form in this one, with Art Collector standing tall.

Filly And Mare Turf: 1 3/16 on Turf, 3-Year-Olds and up Fillies and Mares, $2 Million

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Starship Jubilee	Florent Geroux	Kevin Attard	10-1
2	Sistercharlie	John Velazquez	Chad Brown	6-1
3	Peaceful	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	12-1
4	Mean Mary	Luis Saez	H. Motion	7-2
5	My Sister Nat	Jose Ortiz	Chad Brown	12-1
6	Rushing Fall	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	5-2
7	Terebellum	Frankie Dettori	John Gosden	20-1
8	Mucho Unusual	Flavien Prat	Tim Yakteen	30-1
9	Harvey’s Lil Goil	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	20-1
10	Civil Union	Joel Rosario	Claude McCaughey III	12-1
11	Audarya	P. Charles- Boudot	J. Fanshawe	12-1
12	Lady Prancealot	Manny Franco	Richard Baltas	30-1
13	Nay Lady Nay	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad Brown	20-1
14	Cayenne Pepper	Shane Foley	Mrs. Harrington	8-1

Favorites:

The top three horses on the morning line odds here all met last time out, with Rushing Fall coming out just in front of Mean Mary and Sister Charlie. Sister Charlie is back to the scene of great past triumphs, as she captured this race back in 2018. These three are so closely bunched that a reversal in the order certainly could take place.

Value Horses:

Nobody in this race is hotter than Civil Union, who features good connections and is rocking with four consecutive wins. Nay Lady Nay (great name, by the way) came up short of Civil Union last time out and has the kind of talent to surprise. Her stablemate My Sister Nat is a nice mid-priced option who could certainly be in the middle of the chase for minor awards.

The Picks:

This doesn’t feel like a race where anybody can win outside of the top three, especially with Cayenne Pepper drawing a prohibitive favorite. Rushing Fall did it last time and should do it again, although Sister Charlie won’t go down without a fight.

Sprint: 6 Furlongs on Dirt, 3-Year-Olds and up, $2 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Echo Town	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	Steven Asmussen	20-1
2	C Z Rocket	Luis Saez	Peter Miller	7-2
3	Collusion Illusion	Flavien Prat	Mark Glatt	20-1
4	Bon Raison	Adam Beschizza	Jack Sisterson	30-1
5	Manny Wah	Tyler Gaffalione	Wayne Catalano	30-1
6	Frank’s Rockette	Junior Albarado	Bill Mott	10-1
7	Whitmore	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Ron Moquett	15-1
8	Firenze Fire	Jose Lezcano	Kelly Breen	8-1
9	Empire of Gold	Declan Carroll	Terry Eoff	30-1
10	Yaupon	Joel Rosario	Steven Asmussen	7-2
11	Diamond Oops	Florent Geroux	Patrick Biancone	8-1
12	Hog Creek Hustle	Corey Lanerie	Vicki Foley	30-1
13	Jasper Prince	Jose Ortiz	Hideyuki Mori	30-1
14	Vekoma	Javier Castellano	George Weaver	3-1

Favorites:

In this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it race, Vekoma is the tepid favorite, hurt by the outside post and shortening up just a tad from his recent races. C Z Rocket is one of the fascinating stories this weekend, a claimer in May who has ripped off five straight victories on his way to the biggest sprint of all. Yaupon has a spotless record after four career races, but does he have the experience to get it done against these gritty foes.

Value Horses:

Diamond Ops was in the Dirt Mile in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup, but he looks more at home in this one following a nice Grade 2 win at Keeneland in his last. Whitmore is tracking in the wrong direction, but he was third in this race a year ago. The speed figures folks don’t love Frank’s Rockette, and yet he has never finished worse than 2^nd in 10 career races.

The Picks:

It feels like C Z Rocket is a horse of destiny, one who can overcome his humbler beginnings based on the torrid streak he is currently enjoying. Vekoma is a weaker favorite, which means you should be looking hard at all the mid-priced horses in here.

Turf Mile: 1 Mile on Turf, 3-Year-Olds and up, $2 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Circus Maximus	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	12-1
2	Kameko	Oisin Murphy	Andrew Balding	6-1
3	Lope Y Fernandez	Frankie Dettori	Aidan O’Brien	30-1
4	Siskin	Colin Keane	Gerard Lyons	12-1
5	Digital Age	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	8-1
6	Safe Voyage	Jason Hart	John Quinn	15-1
7	Casa Creed	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	20-1
8	March to the Arch	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	15-1
9	One Master	P. Charles-Boudot	William Haggas	15-1
10	Halladay	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	12-1
11	Ivar	Joe Talamo	Paulo Lobo	4-1
12	Uni	Joel Rosario	Chad Brown	5-1
13	Factor This	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	8-1
14	Raging Bull	Jose Ortiz	Chad Brown	8-1

Favorites:

It seems like a tight race here, in part because there are so many good candidates from which to choose. Ivar gets a slight nod on the morning line, even though he doesn’t have quite the race experience as others in the field. Then there’s Uni, who has one of the best chances of anybody on Saturday as repeating as a Breeders’ Cup champion, considering he is coming off a good win after a slump earlier this year.

Value Horses:

Any time you have a Breeders’ Cup race on the turf, you have to consider the European horses, which is why the Brit Kameko should be on your radar for sure. March To The Arch is one of the better long shot plays this weekend because a hot pace, which is likely, is almost certainly in play. Factor This has won five of his last six, but the concern is how well his gate-leaving style will play from that tough post position.

The Picks:

Although Uni can certainly find a way to do it again in this race, it feels like one where chaos could ensue and a long shot could be a real threat. That’s why March To The Arch is one you should be circling over and over on your program or racing form. The pick: 8-12-2-5.

Distaff: 1 1/8 Miles on Dirt, 3-Year-Old and up Fillies and Mares, $2 Million Purse

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Ce Ce	John Velazquez	Michael McCarthy	12-1
2	Harvest Moon	Flavien Prat	Simon Callaghan	12-1
3	Dunbar Road	Jose Ortiz	Chad Brown	12-1
4	Horologist	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	8-1
5	Swiss Skydiver	Robby Albarado	Kenneth McPeek	2-1
6	Lady Kate	Tyler Gaffalione	Eddie Kenneally	15-1
7	Point of Honor	Javier Castellano	Mark Weaver	30-1
8	Valiance	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	12-1
9	Ollie’s Candy	Joel Rosario	John Sadler	10-1
10	Monomoy Girl	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	8-5

Favorites:

Well, this for sure is one of the most fun showdowns in the entire two-day Breeders’ Cup affair. In one corner, there is Monomoy Girl, who hasn’t lost since 2017, won this race two years, and is back after taking all of last year off with a three-for-three performance in 2020. And in the other corner, there is Swiss Skydiver, coming off her monumental upset win against the boys in the Preakness Stakes and making her first ever Breeders’ Cup appearance.

Value Horses:

The top two choices are going to suck up a lot of the betting oxygen, so if you believe in a long shot, you’re certainly going to get a nice price. All Harvest Moon has done has won her last four races, and yet she still feels like an afterthought here. Meanwhile Point Of Honor hasn’t won since May of 2019 at the Black-Eyed Susan, but she always seems to hit the board.

The Picks:

It’s easy to get caught up in the sentiment of Monomoy Girl, but Swiss Skydiver just might be in a little bit better form. As long as the Preakness didn’t take too much out of her, she seems like the better play of the two, especially with the better post.

Turf: 1 ½ Miles on Turf, 3-Year-Olds and up, $4 Million

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Arklow	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	5-1
2	Magical	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	5-2
3	Tarnawa	C. Soumillon	Dermot Weld	6-1
4	Mehdaayih	Joel Rosario	John Gosden	30-1
5	Donjah	C. Lecoeuvre	Henk Greww	30-1
6	Lord North	Frankie Dettori	John Gosden	8-1
7	United	Flavien Prat	Richard Mandella	8-1
8	Red King	Umberto Rispoli	Philip D’Amato	20-1
9	Channel Maker	Manny Franco	Bill Mott	5-1
10	Mogul	P. Charles-Boudot	Aidan O’Brien	4-1

Favorites:

The pull of trainer Aidan O’Brien, so successful in this race, is definitely affecting the morning-line odds. Were O’Brien’s name not attached to Arklow and Mogul, it’s questionable whether or not they would be so highly-rated, even though both have some impressive wins over seas. Nobody is showing finer form than Channel Maker, and Mott has to feel more confident this year than when this horse struggled to last in this race a year ago.

Value Horses:

You can probably throw out the horses that are longer shots than 20 to 1 (although Red King is mildly intriguing. Tarnawa picked up an impressive win in his last start in France from a difficult post position. Take a look as well at United, who has unfinished business after just missing in this race a year ago and can put the field to sleep on the front end.

The Picks:

It feels like the O’Brien horses are a bit overrated in this one, which puts this race in play for some of the longer shots. The European horse to watch is Tarnawa, with Soumillon bringing him home for the win.

Classic: 1 ¼ Miles on Dirt, 3-Year-Olds and up, $6 Million

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Tacitus	Jose Ortiz	Bill Mott	20-1
2	Tiz the Law	Manny Franco	Barclay Tagg	3-1
3	By My Standards	Gabriel Saez	Bret Calhoun	10-1
4	Tom’s d’Etat	Joel Rosario	Albert Stall Jr.	6-1
5	Title Ready	Corey Lanerie	Dallas Stewart	30-1
6	Higher Power	Flavien Prat	John Sadler	20-1
7	Global Campaign	Javier Castellano	Stanley Hough	20-1
8	Improbable	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Bob Baffert	5-2
9	Authentic	John Velazquez	Bob Baffert	6-1
10	Maximum Security	Luis Saez	Bob Baffert	7-2

Favorites:

It’s as stellar a field as we’ve seen in some time in the Classic, with a rematch between Tiz The Law and Authentic, Maximum Security once again resurfacing trying to prove his worth, and Improbable as the favorite. That means that this should be a top-heavy betting race, but one where there are likely four horses splitting up the casual-fan vote and making them all gettable at a price.

Value Horses:

By My Standards and Higher Power have both been also-rans to the bigger names of late and could step up a bit if they just show a little bit improvement. And Tacitus is a horse who has never quite lived up to his full potential; could he possibly do it on this biggest stage.

The Picks:

For the picks from this race, stay tuned to our blog for a closer look at this race coming soon, so that you’ll know who to pick when you make your wagers at the top 2020 Breeders’ Cup betting sites.