Breeders' Cup Classic Tips: Our best bet for showpiece race

Ask any fan of American racing and they will confirm that although the Breeders' Cup meeting in general is the highlight of the year, the Classic is the jewel in the crown. A star studded roll of honour which reads like a who's who of American racing over the years means this race will always captivate millions Stateside and worldwide and this year in particular the international challenge looks strong.

Billy Grimshaw has had his nose in the American formbook for us and has picked out his idea of the winner of the massive race that is the Breeders'' Cup Classic of 2023...

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Despite the lofty build up in the intro, if truth be told this is not a vintage Breeders' Cup Classic on all known form. We may well see a superstar emerge from the pack, as indeed we have seen many times over the years, but coming into the race there is no standout contender everyone is desperate to see strut their stuff. Heading the market is Arabian Knight for Bob Baffert, who at around the 2/1 mark is simply too short to be backing, for all he has plenty in his favour.

Baffert's charge fits the bill for a winner of this race trained by the iconic American handler in that he is a three-year-old colt. Baffert has saddled four winners of the race, all since 2014 and all of the quartet were three-year-old colts. Bayern in 2014 got the ball rolling before being largely forgotten about due to the stunning nature of American Pharoah's career, capped off by winning the 2015 Classic. Then came wonder-horse Arrogate the following year who was somehow even better, before Baffert finally relinquished the Classic for a couple of years and then snared it once again in 2020 with Authentic.

Of this quartet Bayern and Authentic would go into the good column of Classic winners while American Pharoah and Arrogate would be classed as great, and if Arabian Knight is successful he will probably fall into the former category. He of course turned around the form last time out with his conqueror Geaux Rocket Ride in the Pacific Classic, but the 'brilliance' which Bob Baffert insists he is blessed with has yet to truly shine enough to warrant his price in my opinion.

If Baffert is classed as a controversial figure, he looks like a saint compared to the man who trains the second favourite White Abarrio! Rick Dutrow Jr has been described as many things, but after recently returning from a decade long ban from the sport for multiple medical violations, it sits uneasily with many to see him potentially about to take out one of American racing's greatest prizes. The horse, of course, knows nothing of his handler's past and should be judged on his merits, which are plentiful.

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He certainly seems to hold Frankie Dettori's mount Zandon, who reopposes here, judging by their latest clash in which White Abarrio ran out a decisive six length winner at Saratoga. Zandon will of course have his supporters this side of the water and there is an argument he will be better suited by this test, but surely White Abarrio will expect to see him off once again and if he runs to the level he produced at Saratoga he will be hard to kick out of the frame. He has had a three month break but has Irad Ortiz Jr in the plate and was very close to being the selection, however I am going to side with history and back the Japanese raider.

USHBA TESORO is certainly the best chance Japan has ever had of claiming this prestigious prize, as since beginning his career on the dirt he has been quite simply a revelation. It is a fairly unbelievable story, as this horse was bang average on turf and would not have been in the consciousness of anyone barring the most studious Japanese form experts. Upon switching to the dirt though, the change was immediate. Seven wins from eight starts tells its own story, but the fact his only reversal came when he was rusty off a lay off and the track was sloppy (it certainly won't be at Santa Anita!) means when faced with conditions that he will take on come Saturday night he is undefeated.

Everything is set up for a massive run, and despite the Dubai World Cup being by far his most financially beneficial victory, his wins at tight tracks like Kawasaki and Funabashi in Group 1 races in Japan prove he handles a bend with consummate professionalism. The worry is that he has been on the go for a long time now and although he has champion Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada on board, this supremely talented rider is a novice Stateside. However, this looks the most likely superstar in the field to my eye and quotes of 4/1 or bigger underestimate him. Hopefully we see a slice of racing history come 11pm UK time Saturday night.

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