Breeders' Cup Classic Finally In Sight With A Wide-open Field Rea

Well, horse racing fans, we are finally here.

This content was produced in partnership with Gambler Media.

After a long spring and summer of racing all around the country (and the world), the Breeders’ Cup is just days away now. The biggest weekend in horse racing will take place at Del Mar on November 5-6, and will culminate with the race all bettors are waiting to see.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic.

In the last few months, we have seen horses jockey up and down the rankings, with big wins at Saratoga, Parx, Monmouth, Belmont, and many other tracks around the country. All those races were a lead up to this week, and the build up for this 2021 edition has been immense. Remember, last year, fans were not allowed at tracks for much of the season, or maybe just in limited numbers. That will not be the case here, and experts are expecting record numbers through the turnstiles, and on the races: we could break all kinds of take marks with this two-day event.

So obviously, the question for all bettors is, which of these horses is going to win the Classic?

If I knew that, I would not be writing this story; I would be on an island somewhere living off my psychic abilities. With a week to go, there could be as many as six horses that head into the week with odds under 10-1 to win this, which means whichever horse you back, you are going to get very good value.

Here are the top five horses right now in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, which was last updated on October 12.

1-Essential Quality: this horse has lost once in nine starts (The Kentucky Derby, fourth). He rebounded to win the Belmont, and recently the Travers Stakes.

2-Knicks Go: The Whitney Stakes winner has seen his odds drop each week, and has pulled ahead of trainer Brad H. Cox’s other horse.

3-Hot Rod Charlie

4 - Medina Spirit

5-Maxfield

The main thing is this: you are going to get value whichever horse (or horses) you bet in the Classic.

Some notes about the Classic:

Since 2010, only one jockey has won more than one Breeders’ Cup Classic title: Mike Smith (2011, Drosselmeyer, and 2016, Arrogate). If Smith gets a mount in 2021 and wins, he will join Jerry Bailey and Chris McCarron with five wins, which is the most all-time.

It is the same for trainers, with only one winning more than one title in that period: Bob Baffert (2014-2016, 2020).

With the race now just one week away, here are the current odds for the Breeders’ Cup Classic before the posts are drawn - based on Horse.bet.