We’re still two months out from the 2022 Breeders’ Cup that begins on November 4; the globally recognized horse racing event live from Keeneland racecourse is already generating hype. Contenders for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic main event are coming in thick and thin, and we’re taking a closer look at the festivities, betting odds, and expected winners.
2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Info & Betting Odds
- $6,000,000
- 11/4 miles
- Dirt
- 3-year-olds and up
U.S. horse racing enthusiasts consider the Breeders’ Cup as the highlight North American Thoroughbred event of the year. An elite-level selection of horses from Europe and North America will gather to contest at a classic distance of 1 ¼ miles on the main track.
The event debuted in 1984 and has become a venue where Horse of the Year contenders are generated – Ferdinand (1987), Alysheba (1988), Sunday Silence (1989), Black Tie Affair (1991), A.P. Indy (1992), Cigar (1995), Tiznow (2000), Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), Invasor (2006), Curlin (2007), American Pharoah (2015), and Gun Runner (2017) all won the Breeders’ Cup Classic during their championship campaign. Notably, Tiznow is the lone horse to win the Cup on two occasions, and Zenyatta (2009) is the only female horse to win the classic.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds & Favorite
While there are still multiple “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series remaining and the complete line-up for the Breeders’ Cup isn’t finalized, we’re already witnessing some significant movement in the betting odds as punters are pouncing early on their favorite horses.
Across the two-day event, we’ll see fourteen races, including the Filly & Mare Sprint, Dirt Mile, Sprint, Juvenile, and several others. However, none are more critical than the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will post a huge $6m prize.
Top 10 Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds
- Flightline 2/3
- Life is Good 5/1
- Epicenter 6/1
- Olympiad 10/1
- Cyberknife 14/1
- Taiba 16/1
- Country Grammar 16/1
- Hot Rod Charlie 20/1
- Speaker’s Corner 25/1
- Scalding 33/1
The available odds are subject to change
Flightline is the rightful betting favorite
Prior to his success at the $1 million Pacific Classic by 19 ¼ lengths, Flightline had 3/1 on the fixed market odds to win the Breeders’ Cup, and now we’re seeing the sports betting apps adjust their prices to compliment the hype.
On September 3, Flightline strutted onto the dirt course at Del Mar as a significant betting favorite with a small hype generating behind his potential, but a handful of questions remained.
Pundits had previously highlighted that the four-year-old had only raced four times, received multiple injuries, and was purposely distanced between races to assist his performance. In addition, many questioned the competition level he’d faced after winning all four of his races by a combined 62 ¾ lengths – the size of two football fields! And, of course, he’d never run more than one mile; could he deliver the goods?
And then, the son of Tapit, bred by Jane Lyon stemming from the Summer Wind Farm in Georgetown, exited the course while silencing his critics, and the only question now is how can he exceed his Del Mar performance?
Jockey Flavien Prat was gobsmacked at Flightline’s run.
“I didn’t expect him to move like that without my really asking,” Prat commented. “I didn’t know a horse could do that. It was jaw-dropping.”
Flightline dominated the Del Mar race, and the internet buzz has grown even larger. The victory has positioned him with an expenses-paid trip to the Breeder’s Cup Classic, where he’s the betting favorite against some of the world’s most formidable opponents. The current betting odds positioning Flightline at the top of the pack are a testament to this horse’s attributes. Although England’s undefeated Baaeed is still the No.1 ranked Thoroughbred racehorse, Flightline is in a close second.
He’ll face the likes of Cyberknife, Epicenter, Life is Good, and we could see Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike and even Zandon at the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a plethora of accomplished horses. But on November 5 at Keeneland, the question marks will be relegated, and everything points towards a Flightline success.
