Breeders' Cup 2015: Top Contenders, Early Odds and More for Classic Race
The Classic is almost always the highlight of the Breeders' Cup races in the traditional late-fall event, and this year's race appears to be one of the most memorable in the event's history.
That's because Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is in the field, and while he will be challenged by the best horses in the sport, he is the clear favorite to add yet another huge trophy and championship to his legacy.
American Pharoah heads a field of 10 who will be running in the Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, and Odds Shark lists him as a 5-4 favorite, while Beholder is the second choice at 4-1 and Honor Code is the third choice at 6-1.
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"American Pharoah #4, Beholder #10 for the Breeders' Cup Classic ... https://t.co/qYX1xSkzyJ pic.twitter.com/S9SJsfUwLD
— Horse Racing Nation (@HR_Nation) October 27, 2015"
While all the horses in the field are notable, the duel between American Pharoah and Beholder may be the decisive one in determining which horse ends up with the victory.
| 1 | Tonalist | John Velazquez | Christophe Clement | 13-2 |
| 2 | Keen Ice | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Dale Romans | 12-1 |
| 3 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 16-1 |
| 4 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 5-4 |
| 5 | Gleneagles | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 16-1 |
| 6 | Effinex | Mike Smith | James Jerkens | 50-1 |
| 7 | Smooth Roller | Tyler Baze | Victor Garcia | 16-1 |
| 8 | Hard Aces | Joe Talamo | John Sadler | 50-1 |
| 9 | Honor Code | Javier Castellano | Shug McGaughey | 6-1 |
| 10 | Beholder | Gary Stevens | Richard Mandella | 4-1 |
American Pharoah is ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Bob Baffert, while Beholder is ridden by Gary Stevens and trained by Richard Mandella. Both of those trainers are in the Hall of Fame.
Baffert is still riding high from the Triple Crown victory, which was the first in the sport since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978.
"He fulfilled a goal for me that I wanted but thought was probably unreachable, and that was to win the Triple Crown," Baffert told Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times.
American Pharoah has won eight of his 10 lifetime starts and earned more than $5.9 million. However, he was beaten by Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes in his last start.
Beholder has won 15 of 20 lifetime races and has earned more than $4.4 million throughout his career. Beholder is a perfect 5-of-5 in 2015, and he appears to be up to the challenge of taking on American Pharoah.
Honor Code, sired by AP Indy, is ridden by Javier Castellano. He has won 6-of-10 lifetime starts, and he has hit the board in all but one of his races.
Keen Ice, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by Dale Romans, will try to repeat the success he had during the summer when he registered his Travers upset at Saratoga. Keen Ice, at odds of 12-1, should be fully confident, but he has just two wins in his 11 career starts.
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