The richest race of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar Racetrack is coming up Saturday, November 2 with the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)! The race covers a mile and a quarter on dirt, the same American classic distance as the Kentucky Derby, and the race features stars of both the sophomore division and the handicap division.
The top horses in the betting include English Derby winner City of Troy and Travers winner and 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness. Sierra Leone and Forever Young, the second- and third-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby, will also be high in the wagering, as will older horses Highland Falls, Arthur’s Ride, and Ushba Tesoro.
Betting the Breeders’ Cup Classic is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year for serious horseplayers. Keep reading to find out the best bets in the races, as well as the best places to play the race online.
2024 Breeders' Cup Classic Field
This is the official field for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
- Forever Young (Yoshito Yahagi / Ryusei Sakai) - 6/1
- Highland Falls (Brad Cox / Luis Saez) - 20/1
- City of Troy (Aidan O’Brien / Ryan Moore) - 5/2
- Mixto (Doug O’Neill / Kyle Frey) - 30/1
- Senor Buscador (Todd Fincher / Joel Rosario) - 30/1
- Derma Sotogake (Hidetaka Otonashi / Christophe Lemaire) - 20/1
- Ushba Tesoro (Noboru Takagi / Yuga Kawada) - 12/1
- Pyrenees (Cherie DeVaux / Brian Hernandez, Jr) - 30/1
- Fierceness (Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez) - 3/1
- Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher / Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 30/1
- Sierra Leone (Chad Brown / Flavien Prat) - 12/1
- Arthur’s Ride (Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado) - 15/1
- Newgate (Bob Baffert / Frankie Dettori) - 20/1
- Next (Doug Cowans / Luan Machado) - 8/1
- Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek / Jose Ortiz) - 30/1 - ALSO ELIGIBLE
Keep in mind that these morning-line odds are just the track’s best bet about what the tote board will look like. They can be useful for gauging which horses are expected to take money or not, but they are not a guarantee about what price you will get if you bet on track.
Your best bet in the Breeders’ Cup Classic is to play the race at an online sportsbook. Since online sportsbooks let you lock in your odds at the moment you bet, you can be confident that the overlay you see before the race is the same price you will get when your horse wins.
These are the odds at the top of the market for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Troy | +200 | +190 | +250 |
| Fierceness | +350 | +400 | +300 |
| Forever Young | +550 | +550 | +600 |
| Sierra Leone | +1000 | +1000 | +1200 |
| Next | +1000 | +1700 | +800 |
Betting the Breeders' Cup Classic Online
Betting the Breeders’ Cup and horse races all year long is fun and easy from a trusted online sportsbook. Online betting makes it possible to play the races from home or on the go, with just a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
The choice may seem a bit difficult at first with so many options out there. Fortunately, our expert betting site reviews make your choice quick, easy, and profitable. Take a few minutes to read them, and then you can make a confident decision.
Each of our expert-recommended betting sites have the basics: market-leading odds, smooth user interfaces, and trusted payouts. Our experts also give you the details about racebook bonuses. Taking a few minutes now to find the best bonuses for how you like to play can build your Breeders’ Cup bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Maximize your Breeders’ Cup Classic betting profit by signing up for one or more of these trusted racebooks:
Free Breeders' Cup Classic Picks
You’re all set up with your betting account, so it’s time to handicap the race and get to know the leading contenders. These are the best horses for your bets in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Breeders' Cup Classic Favorites
Forever Young is two noses shy of perfection in seven career starts, and those two noses both snuck to the wire ahead of him in the Kentucky Derby, the biggest and most chaotic race that a flat horse can run. He brings his best to dirt tracks around the world, he stays 1 ¼ miles well, and in terms of pace he can adapt his placement in a race. These make him the top contender.
Even though Fierceness has gained a reputation for inconsistency, his effort last out in the Travers (G1) showed positive signs leading into the Breeders’ Cup. Yes, he has always been brilliant at his best, but for the first time he had to work for it in the Travers and he got the job done. That kind of maturity – and 1 ¼-mile stamina, of course – bodes well for Fierceness.
The morning-line favorite City of Troy is the horse to bet against. In short, he has never raced on the dirt, and now he faces top dirt horses in one of the richest dirt races in the world. Yes, Aidan O’Brien has had a few run well first-time dirt in this race, horses like Giant’s Causeway and Declaration of War. But he has also struck out with some of these, and the way to make your Breeders’ Cup Classic tickets pay is to bet against him.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Exotic Candidates
There are always some very good horses who get overlooked on the tote board in the Breeders’ Cup, and Newgate looks like the one who fits that bill in the Classic. A Grade 1 winner at 1 ¼ miles, he should be well prepared for this race by four-time winner Bob Baffert, and he has the tactical speed to carve out a trip. He has class questions to answer, but he’ll be worth a gamble at the likely price.
Two others who deserve a long look for underneath spots include Ushba Tesoro and Sierra Leone. Both have been more underneath types than winners this year, but they both are consistent types who rise to the level of their company and have run multiple solid efforts at 1 ¼ miles on the dirt.
Breeders' Cup Classic Best Bets
You know who to bet, and you know the best place to bet the Breeders’ Cup Classic online. Now it’s time for the most fun of all: placing your wager! These are your best bets for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic!
- $20 to win - #1 Forever Young
- $10 each way - #13 Newgate
- $1 exacta box - #1 Forever Young, #9 Fierceness, #13 Newgate
- $0.50 trifecta key - #1 Forever Young with #7 Ushba Tesoro, #9 Fierceness, #13 Newgate
- $0.20 superfecta key - #1 Forever Young with #7 Ushba Tesoro, #9 Fierceness, #11 Sierra Leone, #13 Newgate
