Breeders' Cup 2018: Top Contenders, Early Odds and More for Classic Race

Accelerate was the Breeders' Cup Classic favourite for Saturday's race heading into the draw for the post positions, according to oddsmakers.

The dominant horse drew the outside position and will be competing against a handful of contenders at Churchill Downs.

Here's a look at the top contenders to consider for Saturday's race, along with the early odds available, courtesy of OddsShark.

Accelerate (3-1)

With five wins out of six starts in 2018―and one runner-up finish―Accelerate is the most accomplished horse this year in the field and an easy pick as favourite, even if the five-year-old has shown some cracks of late.

Accelerate swept all of the top Grade 1 races for older horses but didn't win by much in his last start, the Awesome Again Stakes, against what was perceived as a weak field.

Here is a look at that race:

It's worth noting West Coast came into that race coming off a long break, with his last start prior coming in Dubai in March. The four-year-old ran out of steam late but showed a good turn of speed.

With the draw putting Accelerate outside and plenty of speed further in, things are far from perfect for the favourite heading into the race.

McKinzie (6-1) and West Coast (7-1)

Trainer Bob Baffert has entered two horses for the race and the duo will start next to each other, breaking from Gates 6 and 7, respectively.

West Coast ran well at the Awesome Again Stakes and should be in better form for the Classic with improved stamina. He's finished in second place in three straight races and seems almost a lock to score a top-four finish here.

McKinzie has won four of his five career starts including his last one at the Pennsylvania Derby:

The three-year-old was expected to run in the Triple Crown and would have been a solid contender there, but an injury sidelined the colt, per BloodHorse's Jeremy Balan.

Mendelssohn (11-1)

Three-year-old Mendelssohn was a popular pick entering the Kentucky Derby after earning three straight wins, but a bump coming out of the gate was the start of a disappointing run and he finished last.

He has bounced back with three straight top-three finishes since to pick up some much-needed momentum, and he now has a great chance to make up for his poor showing the last time he ran at Churchill Downs.

A better start than last time will be key, and after the draw put him in Stall 9, he'll once again be in the thick of the action early.