The annual Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship races are back at Santa Anita Park this weekend with juvenile events on Friday and a fantastic lineup of races on Saturday. Unlike in past years, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the event’s signature race, goes off as Race 9 and not the final race on Saturday’s card. Still, the BC Classic is the one most everyone will pay attention. Check out more specifics regarding the 2023 Breeders’ Cup as well as BC Classic horse racing odds, analysis, and picks.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Race Info

OFFICIAL: Post Positions for the $6 Million@LonginesEq #BreedersCup Classic at @santaanitapark. #BC23

ℹ️: https://t.co/kIOo3Z9fP7 I @roodandriddle pic.twitter.com/1LCRxf73FA

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 31, 2023

• When: Friday, Nov 3 – Saturday, Nov 4
• Where: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California
• TV/Streaming: NBC / Peacock

For the eleventh time, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will host the Breeders’ Cup. Santa Anita hosted the third ever Breeders’ Cup event in 1986.

Since 1986, along with Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York, the Great Race Place has been a Breeders’ Cup host go to.

NBC, like they’ve done in the past, will broadcast the 2-day festival. NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, will stream the races.

It’s difficult to find information on whether NBC Sports will be involved this year. In the past, NBC Sports would broadcast the early races on the card, the non-BC events, before the broadcast switched to NBC.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Entry List

• 2-Zandon +1200
• 3-White Abbario +400
• 4-Missed the Cut +3000
• 5-Derma Sotogake +5000
• 6-Saudi Crown +1200
• 7-Clapton +2000
• 8-Ushba Tesoro +400
• 9-Senor Buscador +3000
• 10-Dreamlike +3000
• 11-Bright Future +1000
• 12-Arabian Knight +300
• 13-Proxy +1200

Expected Breeders’ Cup Classic Pace

In the past four days, three of the top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, all three-years-old, had to scratch. The biggest scratch is Arcangelo.

But Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Richard Mandella trained Geaux Rocket Ride also won’t run in the BC Classic. None of the three were expected to go to the lead.

However, knowing two of the best closers, Mage and Geaux Rocket Ride, and the morning line favorite, Arcangelo, won’t run should give Arabian Knight’s and Saudi Crown’s trainers confidence.

Bob Baffert, who trains Arabian Knight, will press Saudi Crown. Saudi Crown trainer Brad Cox should send his monster three-year-old. We should expect a fast pace, which will set things up for horses like White Abbario, Dreamlike, deep closers Senor Buscador and Zandon, and Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic Expert Picks

Win: Arabian Knight

The Bob Baffert trained 3-year-old has the speed and breeding to carry the field from start to finish, but Arabian Knight is good enough to press Saudi Crown, Brad Cox’s front running beast.

Saudi Crown is great but isn’t bred to run and win at 1 ¼ miles. Arabian Knight is. So we should see the Baffert runner lie right off before going for home at the top of the stretch.

Place: Ushba Tesoro

The Dubai World Cup winner is 3-for-3 at 1 ¼ miles over dirt. Ushba Tesoro is as quality as it gets. The Japanese trained horse dominated a decent Dubai World Cup field.

Not only that, but Ushba has won 6 straight over dirt and 7-of-8 over the surface. Ushba will be super difficult for Arabian Knight to hold off. So if you’re thinking of playing an exacta, maybe box the chalks.

Show: Dreamlike

If you box Arabian Knight and Ushba Tesoro, though, you’re leaving out the best overlay on both Breeders’ Cup cards. If the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby had been at 1 ¼ miles instead of 1 1/8 miles, Dreamlike would have rolled right by Saudi Crown.

The Todd Pletcher trained runner closed like an absolute monster in the Penn Derby, going inside and then outside, to chase Saudi Crown. Dreamlike will make a massive run to Arabian Knight in this and if Ushba and Knight are dueling in the stretch, both might fail to see the Pletcher runner until it’s too late.

Fourth: White Abbario

It’s difficult not to love White Abbario. As soon as White Abbario went from Saffie Joseph Jr. to Richard Dutrow, the horse paid dividends, finishing third behind Cody’s Wish and Zandon in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap and then winning the Grade 1 Whitney by 1 1/8 miles by six lengths over Zandon and 10 lengths over Cody’s Wish in third.

On paper, White Abbario should probably win this now that Arcangelo and Geaux Rocket Ride are out. But the horse isn’t bred to relish 1 ¼ miles, and the Whitney victory came around a single turn. Fourth makes sense for the runner that could end up breaking from the gate the bettors’ choice.

Where to Bet On Horses with Crypto

Horse betting odds are available all year round here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to start placing stakes on the dozens of daily horse racing events happening all over the world and win tons of crypto with our up-to-date racebook odds!

Feel free to browse sports betting guides. While you are at it, go ahead and check out all the latest horse racing odds and more in our online crypto racebook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

READ MORE: 2023 Breeders’ Cup Trifecta, Superfecta & Exacta Picks