Breeders' Cup Draw 2021: Post Positions Draw, Start Time and Lineup Info

The horses have arrived at Del Mar racetrack, the post positions have been drawn. There's not much left to do other than watch the 2021 Breeders' Cup unfold.

The grand finale of this year's horse racing schedule is set to commence Friday, with the Breeders' Cup Classic serving as the main event Saturday.

This year's race boasts a $6 million purse and has attracted a loaded field of nine horses. Among the notable names are Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Essential Quality, Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, Belmont runner-up Hot Rod Charlie and top-ranked American racehorse Knicks Go.

The race is unique compared to those that comprise the Triple Crown because it allows horses beyond the age of three to race, which sets up with an interesting matchup between the stars of the spring circuit and some older horses.

Here's all you need to know to catch the event and a look at the lineup for the Classic.

Breeders' Cup 2021 Start Times and Purses

Friday, November 5

5:50 p.m.: Juvenile Turf Sprint ($1 million)

6:30 p.m.: NetJets Juvenile Fillies ($2 million)

7:10 p.m. Juvenile Fillies Turf ($1 million)

7:50 p.m.: TVG Juvenile ($2 million)

8:30 p.m.: Juvenile Turf ($1 million)

Saturday, November 6

3:05 p.m.: Filly & Mare Sprint ($1 million)

3:40 p.m.: Turf Sprint ($1 million)

4:19 p.m.: Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile ($1 million)

4:59 p.m.: Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf ($2 million)

5:38 p.m.: Qatar Racing Sprint ($2 million)

6:20 p.m.: FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF ($2 million)

7 p.m.: Longines Distaff ($2 million)

7:40 p.m.: Longines Turf ($4 million)

8:40 p.m. Longines Classic ($6 million)

Complete lineups are available at Horse Racing Nation.

Breeders' Cup Classic Post Positions

1. Tripoli

2. Express Train

3. Hot Rod Charlie

4. Essential Quality

5. Knicks Go

6. Art Collector

7. Stilleto Boy

8. Medina Spirit

9. Max Player

This race features a loaded field, but there are two clear favorites: Essential Quality and Knicks Go.

Essential Quality should be a familiar name to even casual fans. The Brad H. Cox-trained colt was the favorite for the Kentucky Derby but disappointingly finished fourth after a rough trip probably cost him the ability to showcase his talent.

That ability was on full display in the Belmont a few weeks later, though. He took the final leg of the Triple Crown to show what the hype was about. He has since won the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes, giving him plenty of momentum heading into Saturday's race.

After some impressive performances against his fellow three-year-olds, the real test will be how he does against the older horses in the field. Specifically, Knicks Go looks set to provide a daunting challenge.

In terms of total winnings, Knicks Go is just behind Essential Quality this year, having earned $2.7 million in one less start than his Breeders' Cup rival.

The five-year-old has won four of his six starts this year, highlighted by a dominant win in the Grade I Stakes Pegasus World Cup and the Whitney Stakes, in which he beat a field that included 2020 Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver.

Knicks Go is a pace-setter who loves to get out to an early lead, but questions remain about whether he can handle the 1 ¼-mile race, as he doesn't hold a win over 10 furlongs.

Other contenders from the class of colts include Hot Rod Charlie and Medina Spirit.

Hot Rod Charlie has come on of late, but it hasn't come without controversy. He was in place to win the Grade I Haskell Stakes but was disqualified when he clipped Midnight Bourbon's heels, causing his rider to be unseated. He won the Pennsylvania Derby and had another run-in with Midnight Bourbon, although the results stood that time.

His connections have decided to put blinders on him for the race, so that could nullify the threat of him heading off course toward the end.

"He's had them on in the past. He can get to wandering sometimes and seeing things.," trainer Doug O'Neill told Byron King of BloodHorse. "So these little set of blinkers will kind of help him stay a little bit more focused. He's had them on a bunch. So it shouldn't be an issue, one way or the another."

So while Hot Rod Charlie has mostly come up short against the best horses in his class, the blinkers could make the difference this time around.

Medina Spirit can't be discounted, either. The Bob Baffert-trained horse won the Kentucky Derby but tested positive for a banned substance after the race. A third-placed finish at the Preakness dashed his hopes of a Triple Crown.

After some time off, the colt returned to action at the end of August, winning the Shared Belief Stakes and October's Awesome Again, re-establishing his status as a horse to watch.

It's a talented field, to be sure. The break from the gate and early pace will be key. Knicks Go is likely to be out front from the get-go, and the other jockeys will have tough decisions to make in regard to how far off the pace they want their horses to drift.

For someone to prevent Knicks Go from winning, they will have to make the right call and give themselves enough room to make their move when the favorite starts slowing down.