Breeders Cup Classic

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is one of the premier Group One flat races of the year. Run during the annual Breeders’ Cup racing series, the Breeders’ Cup Classic attracts some of the finest stayers in thoroughbred racing, and offers a $5 million prize fund.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is open to 3-year-old and above thoroughbreds and is run over a distance of 1.4 miles over a synthetic track. The race is a weight for age handicap, with older horses required to carry heavier weights. The race traditionally attracts entries from amongst the strongest British 3-year-old thoroughbreds.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Betting

Despite featuring several star racehorses, the Breeders’ Cup Classic is still a handicap and therefore a difficult race to call. Aside from the impact of the handicap, many of the UK-based participants will be running against their American counterparts for the first time, making it difficult to predict how these match ups will play out.
Only two 5-year-olds have won the Breeders’ Cup in the last decade, with the majority of wins going to 4-year-old thoroughbreds.
Southern hemisphere trained 3-year-olds have a slight weight advantage in the Breeders’ Cup, carrying 2.2 kilograms less than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
Breeders’ Cup winners rarely have a gap of more than 35 days before the Breeders’ Cup and their last outing.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Winners

Since first being raced in 1984, the Breeders’ Cup Classic has been contested by some of the finest stayers in thoroughbred racing. Many Breeders’ Cup Classic winners go to win the United States Horse of the Year award.

One of the stand out performers in the Breeders’ Cup was Tiznow, who captured consecutive Breeders’ Cup Classic titles in 2000 and 2001. Tiznow not only earned owner Jay Robbins a fortune in prize money, but also became the only horse in history to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice.

Many horseracing fans will also remember Arcangues run in the 1993 Breeders’ Cup, where he won the race after starting priced 133/1. 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass also deserves an honourable mention as one of the few foreign bred horses to win the race in recent years.

Breeders Cup Classic Odds Comparison