Breeders' Cup 2014: TV Schedule, Dates, Race Times, Weather Forecast and More
With the post positions set for the 2014 Breeders' Cup, the analysis can begin for each of the 13 races from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The entries and starting positions have been finalized, adding another layer of strategy for the trainers and jockeys prepping their race horses for the Santa Anita race track.
As race weekend draws nearer, we are also seeing storylines begin to form around the Cup's most prestigious events. Some of the top contenders should be familiar names from the Triple Crown season, but there are also a bevy of new challengers and horses making their debuts on the premier stage.
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For fans looking to catch the weekend action, check out the full race and TV schedule below. Looking ahead, here are some of the storylines surrounding the top races.
| Juvenile Turf | Oct. 31 | 5:25 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Dirt Mile | Oct. 31 | 6:05 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | Oct. 31 | 6:50 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Distaff | Oct. 31 | 7:35 p.m. | 1 1/8 Miles | NBCSN |
| Juvenile Fillies | Nov. 1 | 3:05 p.m. | 1 1/16 miles | NBCSN |
| Filly & Mare Turf | Nov. 1 | 3:43 p.m. | 1 1/4 miles | NBCSN |
| DraftKings Filly & Mare Sprint | Nov. 1 | 4:21 p.m. | 7 furlongs | NBCSN |
| Turf Sprint | Nov. 1 | 5:05 p.m. | 6.5 furlongs | NBCSN |
| Sentient Jet Juvenile | Nov. 1 | 5:43 p.m. | 1 1/16 miles | NBCSN |
| Turf | Nov. 1 | 6:22 p.m. | 1 1/2 miles | NBCSN |
| Xpressbet Sprint | Nov. 1 | 7:01 p.m. | 6 furlongs | NBCSN |
| Mile | Nov. 1 | 7:40 p.m. | 1 mile | NBCSN |
| Classic | Nov. 1 | 8:35 p.m. | 1 1/4 miles | NBC |
Weekend weather information via the National Weather Service.
Califronia Chrome vs. Shared Belief in Classic
The weekend's top race pits the defending Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion against a three-year-old who has yet to lose in seven career races. While California Chrome is more familiar to the casual racing fan, Shared Belief has established himself as the clear favorite in the $5 million race:
Drawing the No. 6 post should further aid Shared Belief's hopes, as the winner of the Classic each of the past two years has come from that post. Moreover, Shared Belief has won recently at Santa Anita race track, capturing the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Sep. 27.
Conversely, Chrome has experienced his share of struggles since capturing the nation's heart with his dominance over the Triple Crown's first two legs. After a lengthy break following his fourth-place Belmont Stakes finish, Chrome finished a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby.
Nonetheless, Chrome's camp has been optimistic after strong training sessions, and he has won three of his four career starts at Santa Anita. In a race billed as the battle of the best three-year-olds in the world, Chrome may very well stave off notions of his demise and re-establish himself as the world's top thoroughbred.
Untapable vs. Close Hatches in Distaff
The $2 million Distaff race is the top competition for fillies, and two horses have stood above the rest in the pre-race handicapping. Untapable has been installed as a 5-2 betting favorite, slightly ahead of Close Hatches. Fittingly, the post drawing put the two horses next to each other on the outside, which should make for intriguing positioning strategy throughout the race:
Untapable has won five of her past six starts, including three of her last four Grade 1 races. Her most recent showing, a win at the Cotillion Stakes, came after a disappointing fifth-place finish in her previous start and boosted her stock back to the top of the filly ranks.
Close Hatches has run more recently, though her fourth-place showing at the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Oct. 5 may have hurt her stock ahead of the Breeders' Cup. Still, with five career Grade 1 victories under her belt, Close Hatches' track record places her on the short list of horses capable of challenging Untapable.
American Pharoah: Top 2-Year-Old?
Part of the delight of the Breeders' Cup is seeing not just the top three-year-olds but also the younger horses who could soon emerge as Triple Crown hopefuls. While it is still early in that process, American Pharoah has a legitimate chance to establish himself as the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby with a strong showing in the $2 million Juvenile race.
With California Chrome jockey Victor Espinoza at the helm, American Pharoah will have an experienced hand to lead him through the race. However, two of the other top betting favorites, Daredevil and Upstart, drew wide post positions that could necessitate a faster pace to the race:
Despite his promise, American Pharoah remains extremely green, even for a two-year-old. He has run just three career races, though two of those have been Grade 1 race victories, one of which was at Santa Anita. If he can repeat at the California track, American Pharoah will be a name for even casual racing fans to remember for next spring.
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