With more than 160 horses entered in 14 Championship races across two phenomenal days of racing, handicapping and betting, there really is something for everyone at the Breeders’ Cup.  I’ve scoured the Friday and Saturday cards and identified a handful of horses that have the potential to jump up and make your day. Check them out and be sure to bet them with my friends at Xpressbet.   

Looking for even more picks and analysis?  You know where to find me on Friday and Saturday.  Watch the Breeders’ Cup broadcast Friday on NBCSN (4:00PM ET – 8:00PM ET) and on Saturday on NBCSN (3:30PM ET – 8:00PM ET) and NBC (8:00PM ET – 9:00PM ET). 

Here are the horses I like:

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Saturday, Race 5; 3:33PM ET)
#7 Leinstar (8/1)

This is a significant step up in class for him, but his stalking/midpack style suits perfectly for this race and he seems to have ‘won’ at the draw, nabbing post #7.  There seems to be plenty of speed drawn to his inside (Shekky Shebaz, Pure Sensation) that a cozy stalking trip isn’t out of the question.  Plus, all of his best races came in these short turf dashes, so the five furlong distance should be right up his alley. 

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (Saturday, Race 6, 4:10PM ET)
#5 Omaha Beach (8/5) and #9 Diamond Oops (15/1)

Let’s establish that Omaha Beach is the one to beat in the Dirt Mile, especially with his tactical speed and his ability to run from anywhere in the field.  That will come in handy because, on paper, there is plenty of speed in this race.  Diamond Oops is another horse to keep an eye on.  He ran huge sprinting around one-turn in the G1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga on July 27 and then just as big around two-turns in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile on grass at Keeneland on October 5.  Now he's racing two-turns on dirt for the first time and I think this is his preferred surface.  He should be able to follow Coal Front out of the gate, save ground around the first turn and make one big run.  With all of the money going to Omaha Beach and Improbable, you have to think this horse can hit the board at every bit of his ML price, 15/1. 

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (Saturday, Race 7, 4:54PM ET)
#3 Fleeting (IRE) (6/1) 

She’s winless this year (0-for-8) and was beaten 6-lengths by Sistercharlie when they squared off in the G1 Beverly D at Arlington Park in August.  Those two statements alone should ensure there is value galore on this filly on Saturday.  But hey, there are worse places to go for value than the all-world trainer/jockey combo of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.  Plus, I thought Fleeting endured some traffic in the Beverly D and her recent races in France and Great Britain have been solid.  She was beaten by super filly Star Catcher four times this year, but good news…that one skipped the Breeders’ Cup. 

Breeders’ Cup Classic (Saturday, Race 12, 8:44PM ET)
#10 Vino Rosso (4/1)

Like a fine wine, Vino Rosso continues to get better with age.  He has run the best three races of his career in his last three starts and one of those was a victory in the G1 Santa Anita Gold Cup over this track and distance.  His outside draw is perfect and it should allow Irad Ortiz a clean trip.  His latest workout, going 4F at Belmont on October 25 (watch here, courtesy of XBTV), was stellar and tells all systems are ‘go’ here.   

That covers it for the Breeders’ Cup.  Enjoy the races and best of luck with all of your bets!