Accelerate will break from the 14 post in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The morning line odds are out and post positions have been drawn for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) with 16 entered with a maximum of 14 that will load in the gate on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The morning line favorite at 5-2 is the John Sadler trained Accelerate, who will break from the 14 post as he looks for his fourth consecutive Grade 1 win.
The five-year-old, who ran ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last year won the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita in his last start on Sept. 29.
The Bob Baffert trained West Coast ran second in the Awesome Again beaten 2 ¼ lengths was installed as the second choice on the morning line at 5-1. The colt ran third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic behind Gun Runner and Collected. The colt is listed at 4-1 in early Classic betting at USRacing and will break from the seven post.
Hall of Famer Baffert Seeks Fourth Classic
Baffert is looking for his fourth Classic win in the last five years. The three winners, with Bayern, American Pharoah and Arrogate were all with three-year-olds an he will be represented this year with the sophomore McKinzie, the co-third choice at 6-1.
McKinzie missed the Triple Crown season and came back off a six month layoff with a sharp win in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), a race Bayern used as a prep in 2014.
Baffert’s Collected, last year’s Classic runner up did not get into the main body of the field and is the first also-eligible. The five-year-old is winless in two starts this year.
Mind Your Biscuits (6-1) will break from the 11 post and will be going 1 ¼ miles for the first time in his career. The Chad Summers trainee won the Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs last out in his first start around two turns.
Two in Field Grade 1 winners on Dirt & Turf
Catholic Boy (8-1) is one of two in the field that are Grade 1 winners on turf and dirt. He won the Belmont Derby (G1) on turf in July and won the Travers (G1) at Saratoga in his last outing on dirt. He will break from the three post.
Yoshida won the Old Forrester Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in May and in his last outing, his first start on dirt, he won the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga going 1 1/8 miles. The Bill Mott trainee is 10-1 on the morning line and will break from post 10.
An intriguing runner in the field is Roaring Lion, who has won four Group 1 races in a row on turf and makes his U.S. debut for trainer John Gosden. The three-year-old colt won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) at Ascot on Oct. 20.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Replay
The colt will break from post two and is 20-1 on the morning line. The colt is listed at 20-1 in early Classic wagering at USRacing and overseas his odds are between 8-1 and 9-1 at most racebooks according to Oddchecker.
Post Position & Odds for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic:
- Thunder Snow (IRE), Saeed bin Suroor, 12-1
- Roaring Lion, John Gosden, 20-1
- Catholic Boy, Jonathan Thomas, 8-1
- Gunnevera, Antonio Sano, 20-1
- Lone Sailor, Tom Amoss, 30-1
- McKinzie, Bob Baffert, 6-1
- West Coast, Bob Baffert, 5-1
- Pavel, Doug O’Neill, 20-1
- Mendelssohn, Aidan O’Brien, 12-1
- Yoshida (JPN), Bill Mott, 10-1
- Mind Your Biscuits, Chad Summers, 6-1
- Axelrod, Michael McCarthy, 30-1
- Discreet Lover, Uriah St. Lewis, 20-1
- Accelerate, John Sadler, 5-2
AE-15. Collected, Bob Baffert, 30-1
AE-16. Toast of New York, Jamie Osborne, 20-1
