Breeders' Cup Classic Odds: Win, Place & Show Predictions
Breeders’ Cup Classic Win Predictions
This year’s Classic is all about Flightline. The unbeaten, lightly raced four year old son of Tapit has been mesmerizing.
His best race not only dominates this field, but crushes nearly every horse we have seen for a generation. Perhaps we shouldn’t expect his best. However, his second or third best probably also does the trick.
This year’s Classic includes a quality field. If Epicenter repeats his Travers Stakes performance from August or betters it, and should Flightline run his B-race an upset is possible.
Life Is Good is interesting. His best race is huge, roughly the same as Epicenter’s top gear. However, Life Is Good has a similar style to Flightline. Could they tire each other out sprinting early on?
In the end Flightline’s odds (-167) come with an implied win probablity of 62.5%. If you think his chances are better than that, he makes some sense even at a short price.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Place Predictions
If Flightline is the prohibitive favorite, then Life Is Good and Epicenter would be the most likely second-place finishers. However, if you think Flightline wins the battle up front with Life Is Good, what are the chances that rival is able to hold on to finish in the money?
Epicenter has done nothing wrong and is in great form. That said, this is the three-year-old’s eighth race of a busy year that was geared around the Triple Crown. How much is left in the tank?
Taiba is also a three-year-old that participated in one Triple Crown race. The Kentucky Derby is the only bad race in the lighted used $1.7 million son of Gun Runner’s career. His last race, facing elders for the first time, is probably his best thus far.
Taiba is trained by Bob Baffert, has run four big races in five tries, and may be sitting on a career-best effort. That puts an extremely talented and well-bred horse very much in the mix.
Olympiad is another option. Though he has never beaten this caliber of horse, he has eight wins in 12 races and might sit a perfect trip just behind the initial leaders with an opportunity to pounce before the deep closers start moving.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Show Predictions
There is a ton of hype over Flightline, and in most years Epicenter and Life Is Good would be huge stories too. Rich Strike will always attract attention, after going from not being allowed to run, to winner of the Kentucky Derby in the span of 36 hours in the spring.
Nobody is talking about Hot Rod Charlie. Last year he won the Haskell Stakes, a race Taiba finished second in four months ago. Last year HRC won the Pennsylvania Derby in a time quicker than Taiba took care of business this September. Hot Rod Charlie finished second in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in March. Last time out he beat Rich Strike, in a sort of bizarre stretch run.
Hot Rod Charlie is a pro who rarely disappoints. He will give his all and can hit the board on Saturday.
As for Rich Strike, should he have won the Lukas Classic? He pulled the Kentucky Derby stunner. Can lighting strike twice? He may get the same set-up, a crazy fast pace, and be rallying down the stretch.
Breeders Cup Classic Best Bets for 2022
After looking at the Breeders’ Cup Classic odds, these are our top win, place, show predictions for our Breeders’ Cup Classic picks.
Win: Flightline (-167)
Place: Taiba (+250)
Show: Hot Rod Charlie (+185)
