Breeders' Cup 2013 Odds: Win, Place and Show Predictions for Classic

The Breeders' Cup got off to a rousing start Friday, but everyone is eagerly anticipating Saturday's main event in the form of the Classic. The Breeders' Cup Classic is one of the sport's most prestigious races, and 11 of the best horses in the world have a huge opportunity to go down in the annals of horse racing history forever.

Fort Larned has a chance to truly do something special by winning the race in consecutive years. Only Tiznow has been able to pull off that feat, and in order for Fort Larned to repeat it, he will have to outlast one of the strongest fields in recent memory. That won't be an easy task, regardless of Fort Larned's winning experience.

Along with a full listing of odds for every horse in the Classic, here is a closer look at how the race figures to play out.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Last Gunfighter	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	20-1
2	Paynter	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	12-1
3	Planteur (IRE)	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	Katherine 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	Open	x	x	x
12	Flat Out	Joel Rosario	William Mott	12-1

Win: Palace Malice

After finishing a disappointing 12th in the Kentucky Derby this year, it was uncertain if Palace Malice would ever live up to his immense promise. After being held out of the Preakness Stakes, though, Palace Malice regained top form, as he won the Belmont Stakes in impressive fashion.

Few horses in Saturday's Classic have such a big victory to their credit, and there is no question that Palace Malice deserves more love from the bettors than he has receiving thus far.

Palace Malice has been one of the busiest horses around this year, as the Classic will be his 10th race of 2013. He may not be as well rested as some of the other horses, but he is certainly better prepared than any of them. The main concern with Palace Malice is that he has never won a race at 1 1/4 miles, although he did win the Jim Dandy Stakes at 1 1/8 miles after taking the Belmont at 1 1/2 miles. Even so, horse owner and breeder Nicholas T. Newman believes Palace Malice is the best three-year-old in racing right now.

There is no question that Palace Malice has made a solid case for himself, although he hasn't won since July, finishing second and fourth in his past two races, respectively. Palace Malice has a great support system, though, as he is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be ridden by John Velazquez. Palace Malice's experience may be lacking a bit in comparison to some of the other horses in this race, but this youngster knows how to get it done on the big stage.

Place: Game On Dude

As both the sentimental and the betting-line favorite, there are sure to be plenty of people rooting for Game On Dude during the Classic this Saturday. Game On Dude is a veteran, to say the least, as he is a six-year-old gelding who has competed in this race twice before.

Game On Dude entered the Classic with high expectations last year, but he disappointed to the tune of a seventh-place finish. That came on the heels of a second-place finish in the Classic one year earlier. Game On Dude continues to come close, but he can't quite finish the deal.

With that said, Game On Dude enters the 2013 Classic on an incredible hot streak. He is undefeated in 2013, and he has won six consecutive races overall since last year's Classic disappointment. Game On Dude is like fine wine as he appears to be getting better with age.

According to Racing Stats & Info, no horse in the Classic field has more victories to his credit than Game On Dude.

While that is certainly a good stat, it won't determine whether or not Game on Dude comes away victorious. For all of his wins, Game On Dude has yet to break out when it matters most. He always seems to come up just short in the biggest races, and that could certainly happen again Saturday. He has the ideal jockey guiding him—Mike Smith will be aboard—but it won't be enough to capture the elusive Classic win.

Show: Paynter

Game On Dude appears to be trainer Bob Baffert's best hope in this year's Classic field, but Paynter should not be forgotten about, either.

Paynter is a supremely talented horse who has flown under the radar as of late, but he has all the tools necessary to win this race. Paynter took nearly a year off between 2012 and 2013, but he has returned with a vengeance, and the plan is for him to retire following the Classic, according to Zayat Stables.

Paynter came up just short in last year's Belmont Stakes, as he finished second to Union Rags. He followed that up with a win at the Haskell Invitational before taking nearly 11 months off. Paynter returned to action with a win in June, and he has run in three races since then. Paynter has hung in there against fellow Classic participants such as Mucho Macho Man and Flat Out, and there is no question that a strong finish Saturday would be an ideal way to go out.

While Paynter will have a difficult time winning this race, he should certainly be competitive. His second-place finish in the Awesome Again Stakes back in September was quite impressive, and it proved that he can still go at it with the big boys. Paynter isn't receiving a lot of play, but he's a smart horse to slip into your trifecta due to his sparkling track record.

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