2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic Championship Horse Betting

Maybe it’s the history, or the mystic, or simply the thrill of the chase, but yours truly is a Triple Crown Racing Series fan first. That said, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships are also near and dear to my heart.

We have already witnessed some fantastic racing during the six heats on Day 1 of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup and there’s a lot more to come as Day 2 will send eight more races to the post prior to the Classic finale!

Experienced runners top chalk for Breeders’ Cup Classic

A rather short field of experienced runners, who competed in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, return for the 2012 edition at Santa Anita today. Three Championship hopefuls, Game On Dude, Flat Out, and To Honor and Serve, will lead the field to the gate for the 29th running of the Classic at 8:30 PM ET. Game On Dude, who ran his heart out but had to settle for second behind Drosselmeyer last year, is the top chalk with a 9-5 morning line.

In what many feel is a wide open field (after Game On Dude) 2011 shooters Flat Out and To Honor and Serve have 5-1 and 8-1 odds respectively. Fort Larned who finished third in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (won by Flat Out) sits at 5-1, while Ron the Greek (6-1) ran second behind Fort Larned in the G1 Whitney Handicap back in August. Mucho Macho Man (8-1) who competed in all three stages of this years Triple Crown (3rd in the Derby) rounds out the top chalk.

Six semi-longshots round out the 12 horse World Championship field

One can only imagine the hype that would surround this race if the amazing “I’ll Have Another” hadn’t come up lame prior to the Belmont Stakes race in June. Now deservedly out to stud, the Doug O’Neill trained “super horse” would have been a lock to race in (and win) the Classic if not for his leg injury. After serving a suspension, O’Neill takes on moderate longshot Richard’s Kid (from Bob Baffert) and brings him to the gate with 12-1 odds under jockey Garrett Gomez.

Any of the 20-1 longshots, Alpha, Brilliant Speed, or Nonios, could come into the mix on exotic wagers such as the Trifecta,  Superfecta, or the Super High Five. Although somewhat puzzling, O’Neill is also the trainer of 30-1 underdog Handsome Mike who is owned by J. Paul Reddam thus bringing the I’ll Have Another connection back into play at the Classic. Fresh off his win in the G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap back on October 6, Pool Play (30-1) rounds out the field of 12 thoroughbreds that will race for World Champion status in Race 9 at Santa Anita Park today.

Sportsbook Review Breeders’s Cup Classic Online Handicapping Predictions

My horse racing passion, knowledge, and first experiences were galvanized at a very young age with my Dad at race tracks like the Woodbine and Windsor Raceway’s in Ontario, as well as Hazel Park Raceway in Michigan. Since those early days, I have been fortunate to experience the thrill horse racing from major tracks throughout North America – not to mention some pretty fine Racebooks in Las Vegas, Nevada. When I can’t get trackside for big events like the Cup Classic, I head to the top rated online Racebooks recommended here at Sportsbook Review.

As I get older, I find that I enjoy watching the horses, and the people that flock to them, more than the actual betting aspect during a day at the track. That said, when I do wager, it’s in small amounts and I always do my homework – just as my amazing Father taught me to do. Scanning the horse handicapping lines at the bovada.lv Race & Sports wagering website, I see promise in the following wagers on today’s Breeders’ Cup Classic World Championship Race:

Wishing the Horses safe trips – Good Luck on Breeders’ Cup Saturday!