Breeders' Cup 2014: Post Times, TV Schedule, Post Positions Info, Race Preview
Beginning on Halloween and concluding Saturday night, the 2014 Breeders' Cup is set to deliver the final high-profile horse race on American soil.
There's a total of 13 Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita Park scheduled, but the one most will be focused on is the Grade-1, $5 million Classic on Saturday night.
Here's a TV schedule for the two-day event, via BreedersCup.com:
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- Friday, Oct. 31: 5-8 p.m. ET on NBCSN
- Saturday, Nov. 1: 3:30-8 p.m. ET on NBCSN
- Saturday, Nov. 1: 8-9 p.m. ET on NBC
The post time for the Classic is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. ET.
The field for the Classic is stacked with horses that became household names during 2014. This one-and-a-quarter-mile event provides the final major stage for each of them to grab one piece, or even more glory. Here's a look at the field, odds and the post positions.
| 1 | Prayer for Relief | 30-1 |
| 2 | Cigar Street | 12-1 |
| 3 | Imperative | 30-1 |
| 4 | Moreno | 20-1 |
| 5 | V.E. Day | 20-1 |
| 6 | Shared Belief | 9-5 |
| 7 | Bayern | 6-1 |
| 8 | Zivo | 15-1 |
| 9 | Toast of New York | 12-1 |
| 10 | Footbridge | 30-1 |
| 11 | Tonalist | 5-1 |
| 12 | Candy Boy | 20-1 |
| 13 | California Chrome | 4-1 |
| 14 | Majestic Harbor | 20-1 |
| 15 | Big Cazanova | (ARG) (AE) |
The Horses to Watch
Shared Belief 9-5
Jerry Hollendorfer's colt is the favorite for the winner's circle at Santa Anita. BreedersCup.com writes:
"The depth of Shared Belief’s talent remains untapped, but this much is known—last year’s Eclipse Award champion two-year-old male is perfect. And, no matter the challenge, Shared Belief seems to always rise to the occasion."
He'll need to do just that against a field that is stacked with talented and accomplished horses.
There's a reason Shared Belief is being so highly regarded. The Mike Smith jockeyed horse has won all seven of his starts. With a record like that, who could say that Shared Belief doesn't deserve to be the favorite?
Tonalist 5-1
Tonalist is the horse that won the 2014 Belmont Stakes, and in the process ended California Chrome's dream of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Based on that performance alone, Tonalist should be seen as a major threat to win the Classic. Yet, even before his win at the Belmont, Tonalist had mounted a solid resume.
He has won four of his seven starts in 2014, and placed or showed in the other three. With Joel Rosario in the saddle, Tonalist will be a horse to watch closely on Saturday.
California Chrome 4-1
The feel-good story of the horse racing year is undoubtedly California Chrome. Though the horse fell short of the Triple Crown, he and his team succeeded in captivating the attention of casual and diehard fans of the sport.
In the Classic, CC steps back into the spotlight with a chance to put a stamp on what has already been an excellent run.
Chrome's odds to win in this race likely took a slight hit after a disappointing performance at the Pennsylvania Derby in September. He finished sixth in the Grade 2 event.
Can he rebound and rekindle the magic he had earlier in the year? We'll see on Saturday. The good news is he should be rested and at his best.
All odds via BreedersCup.com
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