Breeders' Cup 2015: Projected Prize Money Earnings, Order of Finish for Classic

Tim DanielsOct 31, 2015

American Pharoah takes to the starting gate for the final time Saturday in the 2015 Breeders Cup Classic. Horse racing's first Triple Crown winner in 37 years will attempt to become the first to accomplish the Grand Slam.

The field he's facing got considerably weaker Thursday when it was announced talented mare Beholder got scratched after developing an illness and bleeding. So while it's still a strong group of contenders, the biggest threat to Pharoah won't take part. Smooth Roller also got scratched early Saturday.

Let's check out how the monster purse they are racing for at Keeneland will be split up. That's followed by a preview of the Classic and a prediction for how it will play out.

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Bleacher Report1w

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Classic Prize Money

Finish	Prize Money
Total Purse	$5 million
1st	$2.75 million
2nd	$900,000
3rd	$500,000
4th	$300,000
5th	$150,000
Travel Awards	$400,000

Race Preview

American Pharoah last raced in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga—the Graveyard of Champions—in late August. He came up short that day as late-charging Keen Ice took the lead during the homestretch, handing the colt his first loss since his debut more than a year earlier.

In turn, the Classic isn't just about earning his owners a lot of money or adding his name to the race's star-studded list of champions. Losing two straight before retirement would impact his long-term placement among the sport's all-time greatest horses.

Pharoah doesn't understand that, of course. He doesn't know this is his last race or what it means on a grander scale, and that's probably a good thing. Overcoming the pressure is always a significant hurdle in marquee moments for human athletes.

Winning the Classic would ensure his place in horse racing history as the first Grand Slam winner. A fitting end for a colt that brought the spot back to the forefront, at least for a short period of time, during his Triple Crown journey.

He's certainly left an impression on Bob Baffert. The legendary trainer who's worked with his fair share of top-tier horses admitted Pharoah is unique, as noted by Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times.

"He grabbed me differently than any other horse ever has," Baffert said. "And that's well before the Kentucky Derby."

His chances of winning undoubtedly improved when Beholder was forced to step aside. Her exit also changed the complexion of the race, per Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated:

Beholder is capable of setting some lightning-quick early fractions, similar to what Frosted did at Saratoga that ultimately doomed Pharoah.

With the mare and Smooth Roller both out and Frosted back to his usual jockey, Joel Rosario, after being ridden by Jose Lezacano in the Travers, a more reasonable pace can be expected.

That's ideal for the favorite. He's shown throughout his career, including the Triple Crown races, that he's at his best when he can push toward the lead immediately and then settle in. As long as the pace isn't extreme, it leaves him enough burst left for the final furlongs.

It's not a lock Pharoah will win just because Beholder is out, though.

Honor Code has won four of his past six races, including Grade I triumphs in the Whitney Handicap and the Met Mile.

Tonalist is coming off a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a Grade 1 race that featured fellow Classic contender Effinex. He also has experience in this event, finishing fifth one year ago.

Gleneagles is a wild card. He arrives from Europe without dirt experience and more accustomed to the mile, but he's come out on top seven times in his past nine races.

Then there's Keen Ice, who pulled off the Travers upset, and Frosted from this year's Triple Crown group.

So it's still a great field but just not quite as stacked as it was with Beholder.

All told, if American Pharoah showcases the same power and endurance he did during Triple Crown season and the pace doesn't force him completely out of his comfort zone, this is a race he should win. He's the deserved favorite.

If the early speed causes jockey Victor Espinoza to push him sooner than he wants or another horse has the race of a lifetime, then Pharoah will face his greatest test. One more magical moment to cap off a great career would make for a storybook ending.