Breeders' Cup 2013: Breaking Down Odds-on Favorites for Closing Classic

Of the 14 races in the 2013 Breeders' Cup, none have bigger stakes than the Breeders' Cup Classic, which boasts a $5 million purse and caps off the two-day championship series in style.

Twelve horses are officially entered to compete in the closing 10-furlong showdown on the dirt track of Arcadia, California's Santa Anita Park on Saturday.

The stacked field features last year's champion, a prohibitive favorite riding a six-race winning streak and another viable contender sandwiched between the two, according to the initial odds.

Let's take a closer look at the top three favorites after Monday's release of the post positions, along with a brief overview of the rest of the competitors.

Note: All background information is courtesy of BreedersCup.com, and race history was obtained from Equibase.com unless otherwise indicated.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Last Gunfighter	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	20-1
2	Paynter	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	12-1
3	Planteur	Ryan Moore	Marco Botti	20-1
4	Moreno	Joseph Talamo	Eric Guillot	15-1
5	Declaration Of War	Joseph O'Brien	Aidan O'Brien	10-1
6	Mucho Macho Man	Gary Stevens	Kathy Ritvo	5-1
7	Fort Larned	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Ian Wilkes	6-1
8	Palace Malice	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	10-1
9	Game On Dude	Mike Smith	Bob Baffert	8-5
10	Will Take Charge	Luis Saez	D. Wayne Lukas	12-1
11	Ron the Greek	Jose Lezcano	William Mott	8-1
12	Flat Out	Joel Rosario	William Mott	12-1

*Odds are listed at BreedersCup.com.

Game On Dude (8-5)

In his last start, Game On Dude attacked his preparation for the Breeders' Cup with somewhat of a vengeance, winning the Grade 1 Pacific Stakes by 8.5 lengths.

The horse was favored to win the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2012 but finished a disappointing seventh.

Now in the midst of six consecutive wins, he boasts the most stellar resume of the field. Having a Hall of Fame trainer in Bob Baffert doesn't hurt either, especially since he's seeking his first Classic victory.

One problem that looms with Game On Dude is his age of six. Statistics guru Gary Dougherty highlights the history that suggests a trip to the winner's circle may not be in the cards:

It is difficult to dispute Game On Dude's latest results, though, so maybe he will be the seasoned horse to buck the trend.

Mucho Macho Man (5-1)

With an accomplished jockey such as Gary Stevens in the saddle, the sky is the limit for Mucho Macho Man.

Stevens won aboard a long shot in Oxbow at the Preakness Stakes, and he has the requisite experience to land this landmark triumph for last year's runner-up in this race.

Helping the cause even more is that Mucho Macho Man won the Awesome Again Stakes at this track on Sept. 28, which was the ideal run to have ahead of the Classic.

In an Oct. 17 report from HorseRacingNation.com, Stevens intimated it was a big positive to notch that win, and he also discussed how trainer Kathy Ritvo got him excited with her own enthusiasm about Mucho Macho Man's outlook:

"

It’s a huge advantage. The horse is here and he’s settled in. This is home now and he likes this track. He ran well on it last year and had a great performance in the Awesome Again...I know Kathy's excited. That gave me a boost and...I realized I’ve got a lot to look forward to.

"

Drawing on that previous experience is valuable, and it's something that Game On Dude can't do.

If Mucho Macho Man doesn't win outright, he should be a safe bet to finish in the money, when you consider how close he was at the finish in 2012.

Fort Larned (6-1)

Another horse that can obviously draw from previous positivity at Santa Anita Park is the defending champion.

Only Tiznow in 2000 and 2001 has ever pulled off back-to-back wins in the Classic. Part of that is the quality of the competition, along with aging; Tiznow was four when he won for the second time.

Plus, outside of a Triple Crown trophy, it doesn't get much better than winning the Classic.

Fort Larned followed up a fifth-place effort at the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap with a recent win at the Homecoming Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs. That doesn't quite compare to his peers with lower odds, but it is an encouraging sign.

It was only the five-year-old's fifth race of the year, and he had sat out the high-profile Woodward Stakes due to a strain.

Even though Fort Larned's stock is the lowest, the fact that these three favorites were such big factors in last year's race and are expected to be yet again makes this Classic unique.

Helping the cause even more for Mucho Macho Man is that he won the Awesome Again Stakes at this track on Sept. 28, which was the ideal run to have ahead of the Classic.