2013 Breeders Cup Classic Contenders

Gambling911.com takes a look at the 2013 Breeders Cup Classic contenders. Get 7 percent weekly rebates on races, bet on live televised sporting events LIVE every play right up to the final minute at BetOnline and claim up to $1200 in FREE BETS here.

Game On Dude, the favorite at +135 odds Saturday morning, is one of the best dirt horses in the nation.

Trainer Bob Baffert offered:  “He’s a different horse this year. By not running him too much, I’ve kept him good. He couldn’t be doing any better. He drew a good post (9) and if he gets a good break and gets in that high cruising speed of his, he can do it. I’m feeling it this year.”

This year’s Belmont Stakes winner, Palace Malice, is set to take on the big boys at pretty tough odds (this contender was listed at 10-1 odds).  Only two Belmont Stakes champions have gone on to win the Breeders Cup Classic.

“There are a lot of similarities between his campaign and Princess of Sylmar’s. They’ve been going at it all year in all the big dances,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who is set to saddle Princess of Sylmar for a start in Friday’s Distaff. “He’s been able to win a couple of them. He was unlucky in the Travers not to win that. I thought he ran really well in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Ron the Greek was just too good that day.

“He ran really well in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Ron the Greek ran a huge race that day. (Palace Malice) showed he fits with the older horses in that race. It’s going to take one of those races (like Ron the Greek’s Jockey Club Gold Cup victory) to win the Classic.”

Since April, Flat Out has finished among the top 3 in this last five races including three that were Grade 1 and his trainer Bill Mott believes he has been almost as dependable as one of the early favorites (since scratched), Ron The Greek.

“I think he’s sitting on a big race,” Mott said. “He didn’t run his very best race in the Gold Cup, which means maybe he’ll come back. Horses don’t always seem to run their A-plus race back-to-back-to-back. If Cigar didn’t run his A-race he was still able to win, just running maybe his B race."

Mucho Macho Man, finished a close second behind Fort Larned in last year’s Classic at Santa Anita.  Better still, he won the Grade I victory with a 4 ½-length romp in the Awesome Again at Santa Anita on Sept. 28.

“We were somewhat relieved that you can check that box and he gets up there where people can say he’s a Grade I winner,” owner Dean Reeves said. “You can’t take that away from him.”

Janis Whitham’s Fort Larned is also among the single digit favorites heading into Saturday afternoon’s race.

Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Fort Larned to victory in the 2012 Classic and has been aboard for the horse’s past nine starts.  One cannot overlook this horse as a major 2013 Breeders Cup Classic contender.

CURRENT BREEDERS CUP 2013 MORNING ODDS

- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com