Checking out the favorites for the 2023 Breeders Cup Classic.

One last ride in 2023 for the best horses in the world.

The entire horse racing community descends on suburban Los Angeles this weekend for the 2023 Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Park, a two-day extravaganza with five races on Friday featuring young horses, and nine on Saturday for champions.

Only the best Michigan sportsbooks carry odds on the Breeders Cup. FanDuel is an exclusive partner of the Breeders Cup and Breeders Cup Classic and has odds right up until post-time. TwinSpires is the home of sports betting for horse fans with links to tracks all over the world.
There’s always plenty of intrigue around a horse race. Let’s look at the contenders for the signature Breeders Cup Classic.

Fawning over the Favorites

Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo was one of the favorites at the draw, but he was a scratch mid-week. Now, there are multiple contenders to win the prize of over $3 million for first place.

Let’s start with White Abarrio (4 to 1 odds). White Abarrio was an afterthought in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, especially after the amazing victory by Rich Strike, but has gone on to a great career, winning the Whitney at Saratoga his last time around. If you like horses with experience and knowledge of the track, then White Abarrio is your pick.

It wouldn’t be a big horse race without a Bob Baffert trained horse in the chute. Arabian Knight (3 to 1) was held out of the Triple Crown races just to be ready for the Breeders Cup. He’s never run at Santa Anita before.

Looking for the Longshots

There are a pair of Asian-bred horses in the field, signifying what a worldwide event the Breeders Cup has become. Of the two, Ushba Tesoro has the lowest odds at 4 to 1. He’s six-years-old and has also won six straight races.

Dreamlike (30 to 1) is a Todd Fletcher trained horse who was second in the Pennsylvania Derby. He will have experienced Jose Ortiz in the saddle for the mile-and-a-quarter trip on the dirt.

Another long shot is Clapton (20 to 1) who won the Lukas Classic in his last run. He’s a fast starter and could find himself at the front of the pack early. If you like a horse to take the lead early, Clapton is your pick.

Making Your Best Bet

There’s no right or wrong way to bet on a horse race. Each of the 12 coming in to the starting gate Saturday for post time (6:40 p.m. ET) have run before and probably won before. The track is expected to be in good shape, the weather perfect (high of 78).

So it comes down to personal preference, do you believe in the trainers like Baffert or Fletcher to make it happen again and win, or a horse that’s shown he can run with the best (White Abarrio) or do you like a horse that may be reaching his prime (Dreamlike) or an exotic choice like one of the Japanese horses? There’s nothing to do but make a choice and sit back and enjoy the ride.

By:Darren Cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.