Breeders' Cup 2013 Predictions: Contenders Who Will Falter on Saturday Night
The hype continues to build around the 2013 Breeders' Cup as Saturday’s main race, the G1 Classic, approaches, and the focus has shifted to which contenders are predicted to falter and fail.
With $5 million in prize money on the line Friday and Saturday—more than the Kentucky Derby (over $2 million), Preakness Stakes ($1 million) and Belmont Stakes ($1 million) combined—the Breeders’ Cup is the most underestimated event of the year.
Here is all the vital race information fans need along with the top contenders that will fail in Saturday’s Classic race.
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*All stats and race information via BreedersCup.com and HorseRacingNation.com.
When: Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2
Where: Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Watch: NBC (Breeders' Cup Classic) and NBC Sports Network (all other races)
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
| 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 |
*Ron The Greek scratched from Breeders' Cup Classic, via the Los Angeles Times.
Paynter
At 12-1 odds, Paynter is one of the favorites to win Saturday night. With legendary trainer Bob Baffert leading a talented team that includes jockey Martin Garcia, most around the sport expect Paynter to contend for the victory.
Despite his No. 2 post position, Paynter does not have stamina to run in the lead for the whole 1.25-mile race. The horse has not run on a track that long since June of 2012.
Even if Paynter can get to the rail early and use the inside lane to save as much energy as possible for the first three quarters of the race, he will still be dealing with a talented field hard charging to the front.
Don’t expect a top-five finish from Baffert’s horse.
Will Take Charge
D. Wayne Lukas is one of the most famous trainers in all of horse racing history, but he will not find success in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup with Will Take Charge.
The hype is through the roof for Will Take Charge (two straight wins coming into this week’s event), but mediocre finishes under the bright lights of all three Triple Crown races (eighth, seventh and 10th, respectively) should have bettors weary of making wagers.
This horse will have to come from the 10th post position, so the chance he could get stuck in traffic is very real. As seen this summer in the Triple Crown events, Will Take Charge doesn’t handle congestion on the track well.
Flat Out
Legendary trainer William Mott entered the week with two horses in this race, but his chances of winning have slipped now that Ron The Greek has been scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic, according to Bill Dwyre and Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times.
Mott’s other horse, Flat Out, has the lineage and training staff to be a winner, but his 12th post position and the fact that his last win came all the way back at the 2012 Jockey Club Gold Cup will result in a mediocre finish Saturday.
Flat Out has never excelled in traffic, but the outside lane and the lack of a horse in the 11th post could give the horse a few extra feet to work with. If he can’t get out to an early lead, though, the Mott-trained horse will fail to register a top-three finish.
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