Top betting sites in USA favor McKinzie to win the 36th running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Mick has not missed the exacta in seven starts at the Santa Anita main track. Additionally, Bob Baffert, is a Hall of Famer. And he, Baffert, not McKinzie, has won the Classic thrice. With Bayern in 2014, American Pharoah in 2015 and Arrogate in 2016. Code of Honor appears to be The Mick’s biggest threat entering Arcadia, California on November, Saturday 2nd. There are other top contenders, according to the best online sportsbooks, though. Let’s look these gifted horses in the mouth, so to speak.
2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic Top Contenders to Win Odds
MCKINZIE +300
McKinzie is the four-year-old son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. The Mick started off 2019 with a couple of close losses. He ran second in the February 2nd San Pasqual Stakes and the April 6 Santa Anita Handicap. Then, the Baffert-trained bay wowed in the Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet on May 3rd at Churchill Downs. He burst through with a four-wide move for his first win of the year. McKinzie first let on a hint of his real potential when he won last fall’s Pennsylvania Derby following a six-month hiatus.
Codey is trained by another Hall of Famer, Claude ‘Shug’ McGaughey. The son of Noble Mission was a top betting sites’ favorite to win the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. However, he had to skip that race as a result of a mild fever. Perhaps he was a little hoarse? Seriously though. Codey put himself head and shoulders above the 2019 three-year-old class with a three-length victory in the Runhappy Travers Stakes on August 24th. The Travers Stakes is run at the same 1 ¼ mile distance as the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That should bode well for Code of Honor as well as for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
VINO ROSSO +450
Speaking of Velazquez, him and Vino won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 27th. It was Rosso’s first Grade 1 win. “I knew the pace would be fast early and I just wanted to stay close. He broke very well and we settled in there. When it was time to go, we knew we had to engage Joel [Rosario on Gift Box] to play the game because he was the horse to beat. And we got the job done,” said Velazquez. Vino Rosso is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable. His sire is Curlin and his dam Mythical Bride.
ELATE +600
Elate is five-years-old, but top betting sites have not written her off because of her age. Or her gender. Ellie won the June 15th Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. That was a part of the “Win & You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. As the name implies, she won so she was in. Elate is trained by William I. Mott and was bred in the fabled Claiborn Farm.
YOSHIDA +700
This Japanese horse is also trained by Bill Mott. As opposed to Bill DeMott. Which would be awkward and uncomfortable. Yoshida runs well on both turf and dirt. He won the 2018 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs in his four-year-old debut. Moreover, he prevailed in the Hill Prince Stakes on the turf in his sophomore season.
OWENDALE +1400
This horse has kept on getting better and better. He’s undefeated in Grade 3 races this season, claiming the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes, the Ohio Derby, and the Oklahoma Derby. Owen ran fifth in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, where he was stuck on the rail.