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  • Track the average odds for the most talked-about horses competing at the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic
  • Knicks Go won the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic as a +225 favorite
  • Looking for current Breeders’ Cup Classic odds?

The Breeders’ Cup has been running since 1984 and has evolved into a two-day race at the end of the thoroughbred-racing season. The Breeders’ Cup Classic often decides the Horse of the Year. This year’s 38th Breeders’ Cup Classic is set to run on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at Santa Anita, California.

We’re tracking the odds for each thoroughbred from the time of open up to the big race in November. The main graph on this page has been generated by calculating the average from our most trusted sportsbooks.

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Excludes MA.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Top Contenders

  • [11/1/21] The field of nine is set and odds on both top favorites have shortened since last week, Knicks Go from +250 to +188 and Essential Quality from +400 to +275
  • [10/25/21] Medina Spirit’s odds have shortened from +1600 to +800 since last month. Odds have sunk on Idol from +2500 to +4500 in that same time
  • [9/27/21] Forza Di Oro has moved into the second-tier of contenders with +1600 odds
  • [8/23/21] Tripoli won the Pacific Classic and is now among the contenders at +1600
  • [8/9/21] Odds continue to shorten on Knicks Go, now down to +450 after winning the Whitney Stakes
  • [7/19/21] Knicks Go is now the favorite, shortened from +1200. Knicks Go was 1st in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap recently
  • [5/4/21] Early odds favor Charlatan at 6-1

2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds

Horse Odds
Knicks Go +225
Essential Quality +300
Hot Rod Charlie +500
Medina Spirit +600
Max Player +700
Art Collector +700
Tripoli +1600
Express Train +4000
Stilleto Boy +4000

Odds as of  Nov 1

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Stats

  • Authentic was the fourth favorite entering the race last year at +550 odds and took home the $6 million purse
  • John Velazquez was the winning jockey last year, winning his first Breeders’ Cup Classic. Velazquez was at it again at the Kentucky Derby in 2021, winning his fourth Derby while riding Medina Spirit
  • Mike Smith has the most overall Breeders’ Cup jockey wins with 26
  • D. Wayne Lucas has the most Breeders’ Cup victories as a trainer with 20

Past 10 Breeders’ Cup Classic Winners

Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2020 Authentic John Velazquez Bob Baffert
2019 Vino Rosso Irad Ortiz Jr. Todd Pletcher
2018 Accelerate Joel Rosario John W. Sadler
2017 Gun Runner Florent Geroux Steven M. Asmussen
2016 Arrogate Mike Smith Bob Baffert
2015 American Pharoah Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert
2014 Bayern Martin Garcia Bob Baffert
2013 Mucho Macho Man Gary Stevens Katherine Ritvo
2012 Fort Larned Brian Hernandez Jr. Ian Wilkes
2011 Drosselmeyer Mike. Smith W. Mott
2010 Blame G. Gomez A. Stall

Authentic finished the 1 1/4 mile race with a time of 1:59.60 in 2020. This was the fastest winning race time since Raven’s Pass won in 2008 with a time of 1:59.27. It was the only sub 2:00 minute time since Bayern’s 2014 win at 1:59.88.

Trainers with the Most Wins

Bob Baffert didn’t produce his first Breeders’ Cup Classic champion until 2014, but he immediately made up for lost time by training each of the next two winning thoroughbreds. Baffert’s horses have now won over 2,800 races including seven Preakness Stakes, six Kentucky Derbies, and three Belmont Stakes.

In 2019, Todd Pletcher won his first Breeders’ Cup Classic as a trainer with Vino Rosso. But in 2020 Bob Baffert added to his impressive trophy cabinet winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic for the fourth time in seven years.

Jockeys with the Most Wins

Last year’s winning jockey John Velazquez. won his first Breeders’ Cup Classic of his career.


Archived Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds: 2020, 2019

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Ryan is SBD's resident soccer pro, though his repertoire is by no means limited to a single sport. His articles have been published by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Kitchener Rangers, and outlets like SportsXpress and Shredthespread.com