Breeders’ Cup Saturday is not only a time for connections to celebrate their top horse’s achievements, but also for horseplayers to have a plethora of wagering options at their disposal with full sized fields throughout. You can bet on 2-1 shots 365 days a year, but playing into massive horizontal pools with so many ways to leverage your top opinions comes far less often. Included in the mix of possible wagers on Saturday at the Breeders’ Cup are a trio of Pick 5 opportunities, including a sequence that gets started in Race 5 with the Turf Sprint and concludes with the big one, the $7M Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Race 5: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1)
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 3 Arizona Blaze; 1 Motorious; 8 Ag Bullet
Backups: 5 Bring Theband Home; 11 Bucanero Fuerte
Forecast: The Turf Sprint is one of the Breeders’ Cup races I have the lowest confidence in, so I will use several including lukewarm favorite #1 Motorious. The 7YO does not race often, but when he does, he means business. Especially at Del Mar where he is a nose away from a perfect 5 for 5-record over the turf course. The rail draw could lead to traffic issues for jockey Antonio Fresu, but saving ground also could be the difference between winning and losing. He will be tough to hold off with a clean trip, but I slightly prefer #3 Arizona Blaze. The 3YO colt ships back to the States after running second at 27-1 in last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint. The fact he proved he could handle the configuration is a huge feather in his cap.
Race 6: Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)
Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 7 Imagination
Backups: 10 Bentornato
Forecast: I plan to go far thinner in this year’s Sprint where I am very high on the chances of #7 Imagination. The $1.05M purchase was underwhelming as a 3YO on the Kentucky Derby trail, but was a new horse in late September off an eight-month layoff for trainer Bob Baffert. His upset victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) was even better than it looks when he finished absolutely full of run. A step forward in his second start off the bench will make him very tough to beat, but #10 Bentornato is a legitimate ML favorite. Like my top choice, he was on the sidelines most of 2025, but came back with a stylish win against lesser at Churchill Downs in mid-September. Last year’s runner-up in this race certainly merits serious respect.
Race 7: Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1)
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 1 Nitrogen; 3 Clicquot; 12 Dorth Vader
Backups: 13 Regaled
Forecast: There is little doubt that #8 Seismic Beauty is the one to catch and beat in this year’s Distaff, but she has had things her way since stretching out to two turns this spring. Especially last out at even money in the Clement L. Hirsch when she sped to the lead and rode a good rail throughout to victory. She win can, but will be far too short of a price for me to use.
I give a few a real chance at besting Seismic Beauty at better prices, including top choice #1 Nitrogen. The D J Stable homebred has been even faster on dirt than she was over the grass earlier this year and was caught three-wide most of the way when losing by a head to #7 Gin Gin last out in the Spinster (G1). The inside draw and her tactical speed should prove valuable in her first start out west. #3 Clicquot will also be on all of my tickets. The Brendan Walsh trainee has to take a big step forward to get to the wire first against this group, but is still getting better and should get a favorable voyage along the inside under jockey Flavien Prat.
Race 8: Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1)
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 8 Minnie Hauk; 2 Goliath
Backups: None
Forecast: Internationally based runners have won the Breeders’ Cup Turf every year dating back to 2015 other than when Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar held off long shot United in 2019. This year appears no different. Most horseplayers will flock to either #8 Minnie Hauk or #1 Rebel’s Romance, while some will take the less favorable approach of using both. I will side with the Frankel filly who just missed in the Arc de’Triomphe, but will also include German-bred #2 Goliath. The 5YO gelding enters his first start in the States in the best form of his career. He should be rolling late under jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Race 9: Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 10 Antiquarian; 5 Forever Young
Backups: 1 Fierceness; 2 Baeza
Forecast: Things obviously changed massively with the scratch of #6 Sovereignty due to a fever, but the silver lining is it opens the race up far more. I thought the Derby, Belmont, and Travers winner was a tier above the rest, so I went from being all-in on the chalk to endorsing #10 Antiquarian. The son of Preservationist has not wowed his competition at times like stablemates #1 Fierceness and #8 Mindframe, but has continued to get better with each start and as the distances get longer. He comes in off a win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) when he proved he could relax enough early in a race with a rabbit involved. I like the fact he should be one of those to get first run on #4 Contrary Thinking, as well as the leg up going to jockey Luis Saez. I expect him to outrun his odds and hopefully much more.
If my top choice fails to fire big, #1 Fierceness and #5 Forever Young are the likeliest winners, but I am not convinced either of them are set for a career best performance on Saturday. On the other hand, #2 Baeza has continued to improve with each start, but one must wonder how good he really is at this point. He simply has not finished ahead of many great horses thus far, but at his price I will use him as a backup given the separation he will create closing things out.
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