Breeders Cup

The Juvenile Fillies kicks off Saturday's card of nine Breeders' Cup World Championship races from Del Mar race track, with a field of 13 going to the gate. The third of four races for two-year-olds, they'll race 1 1/16 miles on the dirt for a purse of $2 million.

A six furlong drag race on the dirt, the Breeders' Cup Sprint always produces a close finish and the 2017 version on Saturday at Del Mar is likely to be no exception. The race has drawn a well-matched field of 10 colts and geldings, and they'll be running for a purse of $1.5 million.

Despite the presence of a heavy favorite in the field for the 2017 Filly & Mare Sprint, after her the field is wide open in a very tough handicapping race. Open to female runners age three and older, they'll be racing seven furlongs on the dirt for $1 million.

The most unique of the Breeders' Cup races, the Turf Sprint has been run at different distances over its nine-year history depending on the track. For 2017 at Del Mar, the Turf Sprint will be run over a very short 5 furlongs. Limited to 12 horses, it carries a purse of $1 million.

Typically one of the smallest fields in the Breeders' Cup, the Distaff also tends to produce more favorites winning than other BC races. The Distaff is for fillies and mares age three and older, racing 1 1/8 miles on the Del Mar dirt course for a purse of $2 million.

The second race on Day 1 of the Breeders' Cup, the Dirt Mile is for horses aged three and older, and offers a purse of $1 million. Only two post time favorites have won the Dirt Mile in the past 10 years, and in that span the race has produced four winners in double-digit odds.

There's just one week to go before the gates fly open and the horses are off and running in the 2017 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 13-race event kicks off on Friday, November 3 and continues through Saturday, November 4, culminating in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

Besides the convenience of being able to bet horse races anytime from anywhere on a PC or mobile device, one of the best reasons to have an account with an online racebook is to take advantage of the various rebate and cash back programs offered by web-based betting sites.

Every year the good folks at the Breeders' Cup offer horseplayers the chance to win big cash prizes in their annual Betting Challenge handicapping contest. For 2017, there's up to $1 million in total prize money to be won, but time is running out to get in on the action.