4 Breeders' Cup Bets: Wide Open World Championships

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park. It’s both a wonderful and a terrible weekend for casual horse racing fans.

This year’s event in particular will not draw a large audience because of the lack of star power. American Pharoah isn’t racing for history. There isn’t a Flightline trying to prove its dominance wasn’t a fluke. The Derby and Belmont winners were scratched within the last week, making the Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite a three-year-old who’s raced twice since January.

If you look at the glass half full, that leaves opportunities for dumb money to win big. Long shots will pull off upsets. Even if you’re risk-averse, backing a favorite can be lucrative in large fields. Let me share a few of my favorite wagers to help you win big this weekend.

Future Stars Friday
Five Races for Juveniles
First Post: Race 5, 5:00 pm EST
TV: USA Network, 4-8 pm

Breeders’ Cup Saturday
Nine Races
First Post: Race 3, 2:30 pm EST
TV: USA 1:30-3:30, NBC 3:30-7, FanDuelTV caps off the night

Did you know you can wager on horse racing with the FanDuel Sportsbook app? Just click the racing tab on the top-left corner of America’s No. 1 sportsbook app and you’ll be able to pick ponies all Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Still not on FanDuel? Sign up today at FanDuel.com/kysports. New customers get $150 in BONUS BETS with any winning $5 moneyline bet.

All the Right Connections on Future Stars Friday

Picking juveniles isn’t easy. The best handicappers look into workout times to see who’s turning a corner at the right time, but who’s got time for that? Figuring out which lightly-ridden horse is the best isn’t easy. Bet what you know.

I know I like horses sired by Candy Ride. Luis Saez is arguably the best jockey in North America. Todd Pletcher is a Hall of Fame trainer. Candied, the one-horse in the Breders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (race 6 on Friday) has all of those excellent connections. She’s also undefeated in two starts, improved in each and pulled away down the stretch at Keeneland last month.

Friday Race 6 Wager: $10 Win bet on 1 Candied

Cody’s Wish Daily Double

Cody’s Wish is a crowd favorite, and for good reason. Absolutely dominant at the one-mile distance, his only two losses since 2021 happened when they tried to extend him to the classic distance.

The best miler in the sport is a fan favorite. It’s hard making money win betting a horse like that, even in a field this loaded. There are other options.

It’s a little risky, but it comes with a big reward. Single Cody’s Wish in a Daily Double with another in Race 2 or 4. I’ll be rolling with Didia, who opens at 8-1 and has only lost once in 2023, a formidable second on Belmont Stakes day. If you’re feeling extra froggy, you can extend this into a Pick Three with Goodnight Olive in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Saturday Race 3 Wager: $20 Daily Double on 3 Cody’s Wish and 9 Didia

Brad Cox in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Brad Cox rose to stardom with incredible fillies. Monomoy Girl won this race twice, SheDarestheDevil pulled off an upset in the Kentucky Oaks and he has three other fillies with Breeders’ Cup victories since 2019. This year one filly is hitting her stride at the right time.

Idiomatic has won seven of eight starts, including four straight. The most impressive performance came against the top fillies in the class, defeating Secret Oath and Nest by running a 106 Brisnet speed figure to a four-length win in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga. Neither of those fillies will be in the starting gate Saturday.

The Curlin filly is the 5-2 morning line favorite, but the good news is it won’t take all of the money. Bob Baffert’s Adare Manor has won five straight against inferior foes and will take a significant chunk of the dumb money for the west coast’s favorite trainer.

Saturday Race 7 Wager: $10 Win Bet 4 Idiomatic

Wide Open Breeders’ Cup Classic

Typically the prestigious Classic draws the sport’s biggest superstars. This year there is no Flightline racing for history. The Kentucky Derby winner didn’t make the trip due to a fever. The morning line favorite, and most intriguing Triple Crown winner, Arcangelo, was scratched. It leaves us with a wide open race.

Baffert’s Arabian Knight will go off as the favorite in the race after an exceptional Pacific Classic victory. White Abarrio will also take some money, but I can’t bet this horse out of principle (see: its trainers with a shady reputation). Zandon is an intriguing choice underneath because Chad Brown’s horse is always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Two horses jump off the pages in the program, Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Crown. The former has been an ass-kicker for the last calendar year and romped in the Dubai World Cup. The latter will go off at a much higher price, opening at 12-1. Saudi Crown is 3-2-0 in five starts and has posted 100+ speed figures four times, improving in each of the last three starts, most recently winning the Pennsylvania Derby.

Saturday Race 9 Wager: Exacta Box 6 Saudi Crown & 8 Ushba Tesoro, with 2 Zandon and 12 Arabian Knight underneath running second

Join the KSR Club! With a KSR membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.