Breeders' Cup 2013 Post Positions: Odds to Bet in Classic from Santa Anita Park

Bettors may not be able to net a cool $5 million purse of their own on Saturday like the winning horse will, but they still stand to win plenty if the correct odds are taken from the Breeders' Cup in Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The Classic is an impressive 12-horse race to close out the two-day event—call it the main event.

Run on a dirt track, the spectacle features a plethora of familiar names, but only a select few are worth the odds they have garnered.

Here's a look at the post positions, odds and more followed by three horses who represent the best bets possible. Enjoy.

Position	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

Note: All pertinent info courtesy of via Equibase.

Mucho Macho Man (5-1)

The runner-up a year ago behind Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man and jockey Gary Stevens is a smart play at any set of odds.

Outside of the second-place finish, Mucho Macho Man has won just a single start this year of his four total—but it came at Santa Anita Park.

Stevens is the main reason to place any and all wagers here with Mucho Macho Man. He rode Oxbow to a jaw-dropping victory in the Preakness Stakes this year and has finished first in eight different Breeders' Cup races, although he has yet to win the Classic.

Believe the hype. Legendary trainer? Check. Recent success? Check. It's Mucho Macho Man's time.

Fort Larned (6-1)

The champ is here.

Fort Larned won it all last year in the Classic, and that's reason enough to throw some money down.

The half-length victory did much to solidify Fort Larned as a contender in any event, although 2013 has not been kind—Fort Larned has just two victories on the year in five attempts.

Don't be discouraged by his lack of success this year though, as Fort Larned is in good hands with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., a man with over 1,000 first-place finishes and over $37 million in earnings to his name. 

The combo of experience and return to a field where recent success was found will do wonders for Fort Larned. A bet with the champ is a smart move.

Game On Dude (8-5)

Bettors who believe in momentum will have a field day with this one.

Yes, Game On Dude came in seventh at the Classic last year, but he has failed to lose since in six races:

In 27 races, Game On Dude has won 15. Legendary jockey Bob Baffert chose Game On Dude over all others to ride in the Classic, so that in itself speaks volumes about his fortunes.

The Hall of Famer has had plenty of recent success, as has Game On Dude, so money here is a smart play. Consistently a winner, Game On Dude has a lot to like for potential bettors.

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