The October 12 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland Race Course was the last “Win and You’re In” challenge, meaning Breeders’ Cup is right around the corner. The two-day event holds 13 races over November 4 and 5 and attracts the most talented Thoroughbreds from around the world. Some big-name contenders are expected to compete in the biggest race – the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is scheduled for 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, November 5.
The biggest name happens to be the early favourite, too. The 2014 Horse of the Year, California Chrome, is a familiar face on the tracks and is sitting atop the futures market at +110 to win the Classic. He’s coming off six straight wins, including the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes this month and the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes in August. The five-year-old Art Sherman trainee finished third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Next in line on is Arrogate (+300), the 3-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song. This Bob Baffert-trained colt is far less experienced than California Chrome, but his commanding debut at the Grade 1 Travers Stakes was enough to push him up the ranks. Arrogate won the Travers by 12 lengths.
Frosted (+900), No. 3 on the oddsboard, impressed crowds even more than Arrogate at this year’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. Blasting away from the pack in the stretch, Frosted managed to beat his closest competition by 14 lengths. This will be Frosted’s second time competing in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and he’ll be eager to improve on his seventh-place finish last year. Since then, he’s won three of five starts.
Other probable strong contenders include Songbird (+1600), Connect (+1800) and Dortmund (+1800), who finished second, behind California Chrome, in his last outing.
*Odds as of October 12, 2016