Breeders' Cup 2011 Entries: Havre De Grace Will Impress but Won't Win Classic

The 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic will be just that, a classic. 

Even if you're not a fan of horse racing, the intrigue is there between the two top horses in the race.

On the one hand, you have Uncle Mo. He was an early favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, but was forced to withdraw due to an illness that made him lose 70 pounds. But he has recovered since the Spring and is now back in racing shape. 

The other top horse is filly Havre de Grace. She is looking to become the second filly to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Those odds seem bad, but when you consider that the other is Zenyatta, who won in 2009 and placed in 2010, the recent history looks good. 

As of right now, bet365 has Uncle Mo at 10:3 and Havre de Grace at 4:1. It's also worth noting that So You Think is also at 4:1. 

But the drama of this match comes in the potential showdown between Havre de Grace and Uncle Mo. 

Expect this one to be a classic. These two horses have been awfully impressive and should rise as the cream of the crop. 

But in the end, it will be Uncle Mo that emerges.

Despite Zenyatta's success, this race is still considered a reach for a filly. Certainly the owners and trainers will want their horse to show well, but they are playing with house money at this point. 

That's not really the case with Uncle Mo. Before the Triple Crown season, he was a threat to win the Triple Crown. Not only did he not win the Triple Crown, he didn't win a single one of the races. Not only did he not win anything, he didn't participate in anything. 

Call me crazy, but I think that will give the owners and trainers of Uncle Mo more incentive here.

The window to win the Triple Crown is gone. The chance to close the year out on a good note is not. Look for Uncle Mo to climb through that door.