HorseCenter: Breeders' Cup 2023 contenders and pretenders

This week on HorseCenter, your hosts Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman react to the  by identifying the contenders and pretenders in five of the world championship races to be run next week at Santa Anita.

Matt and Brian begin the handicapping process for the Breeders’ Cup by picking out horses who might be part of their wagers Friday in the Juvenile and Saturday in the Sprint, Distaff, Turf and Classic.

Bob Baffert has three horses pre-entered in the Juvenile but the guys picked out other contenders. In the Sprint, Elite Power and Gunitemust fend off the challenge of contenders from the west. The Distaff has several fillies and mares who have excellent recent form, but the pace might be the significant factor for the veteran Clairiere. Top Europeans show up in the Turf, which will make in hard for the Americans Up to the Mark and War Like Goddess. In the Classic, it is a match-up between 3-year-olds and older horses.

Next week, the guys will have top picks for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races and suggested wagers. As always, thanks for watching the show.