Breeders' Cup 2014: Full TV Schedule for Friday and Saturday Races
Some of the biggest names in horse racing are featured in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, but world-class racing can be caught in just about every race on tap for the weekend.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, is the horse racing capital of the world for the weekend, with Friday and Saturday featuring more than a dozen marquee races. Tens of millions are on the line, and many of the best performers of the year will try to hone in on Horse of the Year honors with resounding wins.
The action is drawing nearer, and you won't want to miss out on catching the final marquee horse racing event of 2014. Let's take a look at the schedule for the entire weekend.
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| 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 |
Note: All odds referenced are courtesy of BreedersCup.com.
Top Races to Watch
Classic: Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8:35 p.m. ET
The Breeders' Cup guarantees to deliver a weekend full of exciting races, but it will all lead up to a thrilling finale in the Classic.
The household names are plentiful in this one, with California Chrome leading the charge. After coming just one Belmont Stakes win away from horse racing's first Triple Crown in nearly 40 years, he has a chance to lock up Horse of the Year honors with a victory.
Trainer Art Sherman likes how his horse is looking, according to The Blood-Horse's Claire Novak via ESPN, but thinks the pressure is on another favorite.
"Let the pressure be on Shared Belief," Sherman told Novak. "I look for California Chrome to run a big race. He had kind of a precarious race under his belt [in the Pennsylvania Derby] and I look for him to bounce back pretty darn good right now."
The pressure is on Shared Belief, and rightfully so. He maintains 9-5 odds to win, the best of any horse. That comes after he won all of his seven races, despite missing the Kentucky Derby with an injury.
Shared Belief and California Chrome aren't the only notable horses who could steal the spotlight. Belmont winner Tonalist and Triple Crown regular Bayern may also surprise with the win.
Distaff: Friday, Oct. 31 at 7:35 p.m. ET
While the thoroughbreds will be the focus in Saturday's Classic finale, the top fillies in America will have a golden opportunity at $2 million in the Distaff.
Joel Rosario—no stranger to riding a favorite—will be the jockey for Close Hatches, who owns a 3-1 chance of victory. But he has no shortage of contenders fighting to threaten his opportunity at the win.
In fact, Untapable has better odds at 5-2. He has five wins in six starts throughout the 2014 year, but a victory in Friday's night cap would more than double his career earnings.
If you're looking for some trendy upset picks, look no further than Belle Gallantey and Iotapa. The former has victories in five of seven starts this year, while Iotapa has finished top-three in all but one of seven 2014 appearances.
Mile: Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:40 p.m. ET
All of Saturday's action will serve as a prelude to the Classic, but there's plenty of quality leading up to it, and that is on display in the Breeders' Cup Mile.
While most of the races will take place on the dirt track, the world's best grass-mile horses will go at it in this race. And with 2012 and 2013 champion Wise Dan no longer in the running, a new champion will be crowned in 2014.
It's a wide-open field with five horses maintaining 8-1 odds or better, but the resounding favorite is Toronado. Despite never racing in America before, the Irish-bred horse has 5-2 odds of victory after a win and two place finishes in three 2014 starts.
Toronado is only the start of an internationally dominated Mile field, with eight of the 15 contenders hailing from outside of the United States.
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