The most prestigious horse racing event, the Breedersâ Cup World Championships is an annual series of races headlined by the Breedersâ Cup Classic. This makes it even more important to find the best Breeders Cup betting sites. And also to make strategies for the Breeders Cup betting challenge. Although the Kentucky Derby is more widely known, the Classic is considered by most pundits to be the premier thoroughbred horse race in North America. The Classic is regarded as the âfourth legâ among thoroughbred racingâs Grand Slam. The Classic is one of the most prolific betting events among horse races.
Below you’ll find the latest Breeders Cup betting odds, gathered from the best online bookmakers available to US players. Our team of in-house horse racing experts will help you to make Breeders Cup best bets for 2024, using their insightful knowledge of the racers and jockeys.
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|---|---|---|---|
| City of Troy | +200 | +185 | TBA |
| Fierceness | +400 | +400 | TBA |
| Forever Young | +500 | +450 | TBA |
| Sierra Leone | +800 | +1000 | TBA |
| Highland Falls | +1200 | +1200 | TBA |
Letâs look at the Breeders’ Cup betting sites overview, which contains:
The Breedersâ Cup either refers to the World Championships, the two-day series of horse races with $31 million at stake or the Breedersâ Cup Classic, the $6-million grade I horse race that is arguably more prestigious than any other horse race in North America. Both are applicable to the Breeders Cup betting challenge.
It may not be as popular as the Kentucky Derby, but the Classic is the premier horse race, with attendance and TV ratings usually being third, just behind the Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Recently, the Classic has now been coined the âfourth legâ of the Grand Slam.
Betting has become even more popular, and the Breedersâ Cup betting sites will only receive more action leading to more betting markets and more analyzed betting odds. To get into Breedersâ Cup betting picks, it goes beyond just picking the outright winner.
You will have to play the betting odds. This would also mean playing against other horseplayers. When oddsmakers release betting odds, they don’t create a realistic implied probability of winning. Rather, they calculate what the public thinks is the implied probability.
This means that hype, popularity, and recency bias factor strongly into how the horses receive their Breeders Cup odds.
With this in mind, you can judge for yourself by doing research, reading opposing viewpoints, and watching horse racing without commentary. Get free of the popular narrative. Block out the hype.
Although difficult to do as we are psychologically wired to believe what the crowd believes, if you can do this, youâll be a few steps ahead of the betting public. And that could lead you down the path of not just picking winners, but profiting as well.
The Breeders Cup Challenge is a handicapping contest. There are $1 million in cash prizes available.
Legends are defined as popular stories or icons as told by people. Keyword here: people. The sports icons or historical figures that have pervaded pop culture are because of people who glorify their acts and put them on a pedestal. Such is the case of one Arcangues, the 1993 Breedersâ Cup Classic champion who also became horse racingâs biggest underdog winner.
Arcangues is a French-born Stallion who was named after the village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, the southwest of France. The chestnut-coloured horse had only raced in European grass and had won three races from 1991 to 1993.
Coming into Santa Anita Park for the 1993 Breedersâ Cup Classic, he was a little-known longshot whom the betting public dismissed to ridiculous odds of 133.60-1. It was a combination of many factors: he had little experience, he hadnât raced on dirt, or he wasnât American.
His odds became more complicated when he was paired with a last-minute jockey, Jerry Bailey who was given instructions in French. At this time, he was all but written off. This was all of course before Breeders Cup betting sites were up and running.
When the race started, Arcangues looked dead in the water and was quickly left behind. Then, his legend exploded with a miraculous run where he quickly went from seventh to first that even his jockey, Bailey was spooked and fondly reminisces to this day.
In that short burst, Arcangues, Bailey, and the 1993 Breedersâ Cup Classic became legends in the sport. The $2 wager that earned $269.20 is still a betting record that stands today.
A monumental feat, and it would be even harder to replicate this today with more advanced betting analysis, a smarter betting public, and a more competitive field. Still, the tale of Arcangues will always remind bettors that every horse, no matter how foreign, has a shot at winning.
This is an inspirational tale for lottery players as sometimes the stars align and underdogs have their day. With online sportsbooks, catching a once-in-a-lifetime moment like this is made even easier.
What makes the Breedersâ Cup such a rich event isnât just its prestige but the fact it takes place over a weekend with up to 14 races with betting odds for almost all of them. And much like the Kentucky Derby, Breedersâ Cup betting sites offer tons of prop bets.
The glut of these betting markets will generally be from the Breedersâ Cup Classic, the big daddy of the Breedersâ Cup. With the biggest payout in horse racing and the addition of the Breedersâ Cup Betting Challenge (a real money handicapping contest), it will be raining money for the weekend.
Some great Breeders Cup betting options are available to bettors, which generally centre around Breeders Cup post positions and odds. You can bet on the Breeders Cup classic odds or delve deeper into more complex markets. For those of you that don’t know how to bet on the Breeders Cup online, read on!
This is it: the outright betting odds for the Breedersâ Cup winners including the Breedersâ Cup Classic. As straightforward as it is, you bet on who will win the horse race. These are usually the first lines to be opened and are open months ahead of the race.
Odds manifest in three ways and are implied probabilities. The more likely a bet is to cash, the less your profit, and vice versa:
Since the Breeders’ Cup, like most horse races, award the top three finishers, podium finishes are a staple betting market. With podium finishes, you choose the horse and pick where they will finish: first place (to win), first or second (top 2), or first, second, or third (top 3).
The lower down the rung you go, the lower the payout, but the likelier it is also to cash. Weigh the risks and payouts here and determine which you want to roll with.
Depending on the book and the situation, you can also bet on the horse to finish in a specific position within the top 3 or not at all. In some cases you can bet on a specific finish. The payouts here can be lucrative but this is also very difficult.
If you are to go with this, technically also a prop, weâd recommend betting on several odds and maybe using it as a hedge (a bet you make to insure yourself in case your other bet doesnât cash).
The Breeders’ Cup competes with the Kentucky Derby as the âSuperbowlâ of horse racing betting. The countless props offered, all varying by sportsbook (hence why you should sign up to more than one), are a horse racing aficionadoâs dream.
Props are wagers made on a specific condition happening or not happening. Think of it as the sports betting manifestation of: âwill this specific thing happen or not?â Depending on the book or the year, these props, also known as âexotic wagersâ, can truly be exotic.
Many of these props have lower betting limits. But donât take that as a slight. It only means you can spread your wagers around on more props.
Here are some examples of popular prop bets at the Breeders’ Cup (mostly from the Classic):
Usually, these prop bets are simply a selection between either/or although odds are not always 50/50.
What makes the Breedersâ Cup different from its Triple Crown counterpart is the sheer amount of horse races available. Even if props are not offered, simply picking between outrights of each race can be a challenge and time-consuming.
An alternative is to use parlays. This is when you put together separate bets into one betting slip for a bigger payout. The more bets you put together (limits depend on the book), the larger your payout. But take heed as all the bets have to win for it to cash. One wrong bet and the whole ticket is burnt.
We recommend parlaying between two to three, but feel free to make a âlottery ticketâ and parlay as many as you want for a chance of a lifetime.
Betting strategies for Breedersâ Cup betting sites can be difficult to craft as every year, the participants, the track, and the circumstances are all different. So this is when we refer to betting principles: timeless tips to keep in mind.
The first would be to have a goal in mind. Going into Breedersâ Cup betting without a clear goal is like a horse race without a finish line. A goal can be as simple as âwin money by betting on the most likely winnersâ or âbet on as many underdogs to maximize winnings.â
Whether a realistic goal or a pipe dream, it is better than not having one.
Secondly, have a betting budget and stick within it. Many experienced players like to use a unit system where they bet percentages of their bankroll. For example, if you deposit $10,000, a unit (1%) of this $100.
Thirdly, you stake units depending on the value of the betting odds. What does this mean?
Betting odds imply the winning probability of a horse or a situation. Minus odds (-120, -200, -500 etc.) imply better than a 50% chance of cashing. Plus odds (e.g. +150, +200, +1000 etc.) generally mean the implied probability is less than 49% so more often than not, the horse or situation will not win or happen.
The bigger the plus numbers, the less likely the bet is to cash. Theoretically.
Sometimes, as weâve seen incredible upsets, the odds are not reflected accurately. This is likely because the oddsmakers did not analyze the line enough when opening it or the betting public was wrong when they bet against it.
Either way, do your own research. Try not to be persuaded by mob mentality or by what most analysts and experts predict. Dig deep into each horse, jockey, the racetrack, and anything else related with the Breedersâ Cup Classic and reference that with the betting odds. Do you see an opening you can exploit?
These are just some principles you can keep in mind before betting on the Classic.
With Breedersâ Cup betting sites’ odds, it is usually the Classic that has odds out all-year round. It depends on the sportsbook, but some release the odds as early as when the current iteration is still happening. Itâs best to check with your favourite sportsbooks.
Breedersâ Cup odds are plentiful and sportsbooks do their best to release outright odds for most of the events including the Classic, Turf, Distaff, Mile, Sprint, Filly and Mare Turf, and more. You can bet on Breedersâ Cup odds any time you want but do note the further away the event is, the more likely the odds will change.
Just like the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup is usually the place where monumental upsets happen. It has the betting record for biggest underdog to win with Arcangues winning at 133.60-1 odds. This isnât a typo.
The $2 ticket bet on Arcangues paid $269.20 and is still a record that stands today.
The Breeders’ Cup usually takes place on a weekend in early November. The 2024 Breedersâ Cup will be on November 4 and 5 and was aired by NBC and all its streaming platforms from 13:00 to 18:00 PM ET.
Here are the races and events from the 2024 Breedersâ Cup:
Friday, November 4:
Saturday, November 5:
In the Breeders Cup Betting Challenge, you will be able to take on all of these events.
Though not as old as its Triple Crown counterparts, the Breedersâ Cup has been around for 40 years. It was inaugurated in 1984 and within this time span has seen plenty of changes, perhaps more than the Triple Crown.
The first Breeders’ Cup took place at Hollywood Park. Since then, it has traveled to many different race tracks including Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Santa Anita, Arlington Park, Lone Star Park, and even over the northern border to Woodbine Racetrack. The 2024 edition will be held at Del Mar racetrack in sunny southern California.
The first Breeders’ Cup featured seven different races: the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Breeders’ Cup Turf, Breeders’ Cup Mile, and Breeders’ Cup Sprint. It was a success, and the event has grown over time. It was split into a two-day festival for the first time in 2007.
In 2018, for the first time, the event was run in its current form: Future Stars Friday, and then older horses on Saturday. These are the 14 Breeders’ Cup championship races being run in 2024 including the dates and television coverage details for each race as well as the inaugural years, distances, surfaces, purses, and key qualifying preps for each race:
| Race | Venue | Date | Inaugural Year | TV Coverage | Distance | Surface | Purse | Ages | Major Preps |
| Juvenile Turf Sprint | Del Mar | November 1 | 2018 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 5 furlongs | Turf | $1 million | 2-year-olds | Futurity, Prix Morny, Norfolk |
| Juvenile Fillies | Del Mar | November 1 | 1984 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 1/16 miles | Dirt | $2 million | 2-year-olds | Oak Leaf, Frizette, Alcibiades |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | Del Mar | November 1 | 2008 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 mile | Turf | $1 million | 2-year-olds | Miss Grillo, Jessamine, Natalma |
| Juvenile | Del Mar | November 1 | 1984 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 1/16 miles | Dirt | $2 million | 2-year-olds | American Pharoah, Breedersâ Futurity, Champagne |
| Juvenile Turf | Del Mar | November 1 | 2007 | Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 mile | Turf | $1 million | 2-year-olds | Bourbon, Pilgrim, Summer |
| Dirt Mile | Del Mar | November 2 | 2007 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 mile | Dirt | $2 million | 3-year-olds and up | Ack Ack, Pat OâBrien, Met Mile |
| Turf Sprint | Del Mar | November 2 | 2008 | Peacock/FanDuel TV | 5 furlongs | Turf | $1 million | 3-year-olds and up | Ainsworth, Green Flash, Nunthorpe, Jaipur |
| Distaff | Del Mar | November 2 | 1984 | Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 1/8 miles | Dirt | $2 million | 3-year-olds and up | Spinster, Clement Hirsch, Ogden Phipps |
| Turf | Del Mar | November 2 | 1984 | Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 1/2 miles | Turf | $5 million | 3-year-olds and up | British Champion Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes, Kentucky Turf Cup, Sword Dancer, Del Mar Handicap |
| Classic | Del Mar | November 2 | 1984 | Peacock | 1 1/4 miles | Dirt | $7 million | 3-year-olds and up | California Crown, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Whitney, Haskell, Stephen Foster |
| Filly & Mare Turf | Del Mar | November 2 | 1999 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 3/8 miles | Turf | $2 million | 3-year-olds and up | Prix de lâOpera, Rodeo Drive, Flower Bowl, Beverly D. |
| Filly & Mare Sprint | Del Mar | November 2 | 2007 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 7 furlongs | Dirt | $1 million | 3-year-olds and up | Thoroughbred Club of America, Princess Rooney, Ballerina |
| Mile | Del Mar | November 2 | 1984 | USA/Peacock/FanDuel TV | 1 miles | Turf | $2 million | 3-year-olds and up | Keeneland Turf Mile, City of Hope Mile, Fourstardave, Woodbine Mile, Queen Anne |
| Sprint | Del Mar | November 2 | 1984 | Peacock/FanDuel TV | 6 furlongs | Dirt | $2 million | 3-year-olds and up | Phoenix, Vosburgh, Bing Crosby |
The total purse for the Breeders’ Cup Classic is $7 million, making it the richest race of the Breeders’ Cup series.
Here are some Breeders’ Cup Classicâs notable records:
Of course, the Breeders’ Cup Classic is not the only race that offers a great betting opportunity. All of the Breeders’ Cup races tend to have big fields, and the average payouts are appealing. Here are the average field sizes, average payouts, and maximum payouts for each Breeders’ Cup race:
| Race | Average Field | Average Win Price | Record Win Price |
| Classic | 11 | $23.09 | $269.20 (Arcangues, 1993) |
| Distaff | 9 | $18.95 | $113.80 (Spain, 2000) |
| Dirt Mile | 10 | $18.34 | $77.40 (Dakota Phone, 2010) |
| Filly & Mare Sprint | 11 | $22.34 | $135.40 (Bar of Gold, 2017) |
| Filly & Mare Turf | 12 | $20.34 | $94.00 (Shared Account, 2010) |
| Juvenile | 12 | $18.73 | $93.80 (Storm the Court, 2019) |
| Juvenile Fillies | 11 | $20.80 | $125.40 (Take Charge Brandi, 2014) |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | 14 | $16.41 | $29.60 (Sharing, 2019) |
| Juvenile Turf | 13 | $17.60 | $62.40 (Fire at Will, 2020) |
| Juvenile Turf Sprint | 12 | $9.31 | $15.84 (Mischief Magic, 2022) |
| Mile | 13 | $23.65 | $148.40 (Order of Australia, 2020) |
| Sprint | 12 | $20.06 | $54.60 (Sheikh Albadou, 1991) |
| Turf | 12 | $19.53 | $106.80 (Lashkari, 1984) |
| Turf Sprint | 14 | 27.65 | $87.78 (Caravel, 2022) |
Research the races and choose
The Breedersâ Cup is unique in that itâs a two-day horse racing event with up to 14 different races. Each race has its own identity and rules. You donât need to bet every event, but familiarizing yourself with some of them and getting a strong read is the first step to betting.
Stay disciplined and keep betting strategies in mind
The tons of betting markets in the Breedersâ Cup can be overwhelming. If youâre a fan, you might feel like a kid in the candy store. But stay disciplined. Have a betting budget and use the unit system. Approach the odds technically with a goal in mind.
Use more than one sportsbook to maximize the benefits
Each online sportsbook has its pros and cons. Some books may offer the best betting odds but lack props or contests. Some may have plenty of contests, but the odds are not the best. Either way, divide your total bankroll into two or three books to get all the benefits and to have easier access to different betting lines.
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You can find challenges on a range of online betting sites, which promote these kinds of challenges to give horse racing fans an incentive to wager.
Of course! It’s entirely legal, as long as you’re working with a registered and licensed online bookmaker.
You can find a broad range of information on our website, as well as other dedicated horse racing pages. They are much more informative than the information you’d find on any bookmaker.
We cannot say that one is better than the other. But, what we can say, is look through our complete list of recommended online bookmakers to find out which is the right one for you. Look at the prices they offer on the horses you want to bet, as well as how well their bonus structures will pay off given the stakes and wagers you prefer.
The Breeders’ Cup betting menu features a full range of horse racing bets, and the best bet for you depends on the stakes you like to play and the opinions that you have.
If you prefer betting individual horses, then a win, place, or show bet may be your best option. If you have strong opinions in multiple races, try the Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, or Pick 6. If you prefer playing specific surfaces then try the all-turf Pick 3, all-turf Pick 4, or all-dirt Pick 4. If you have stronger opinions about who might hit the board in certain races, your best bet may be the exacta, trifecta, superfecta, or super high five.
