Breeders' Cup Classic 2014

Las Vegas, NV - The main event on Breeders' Cup weekend, the Breeders' Cup Classic takes place at Santa Anita in Arcadia, California. The best horses three years old and upward will take part in the Classic as they go 1 1/4 miles on Santa Anita's main track for a share of the lucrative $5 million and the honor of being called the Breeders' Cup Classic winner.

A full field of 14 plus one Also Eligible will line up in the Classic - race 12 on Santa Anita's insane Saturday card. Post time is 5:35 PM. Here is a glance into the credentials of all 15 possible entries for the main event in this year's Breeders' Cup.

2014 Breeders' Cup Classic Race Favorite Entries

Shared Belief 9-5 - undefeated reigning Eclipse award winner for two year old colts and Jerry Hollendorfer trainee will race for the fifth time in 2014. Last time out was a predictable win in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on this track September 27 which followed a terrific 2 3/4 length win in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar August 24, another nice 4 1/4 length win in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby July 5, an Allowance score at Golden Gate May 26 and six months away due to a nagging foot injury. Before his layoff he had three starts and three wins - the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity by 5 3/4 lengths, the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes and a MSW at first asking. Shared Belief has seven convincing wins by a combined 40 lengths in seven career starts and is an Eclipse Award winner for a reason - he's darn good. Mike Smith will ride the morning line favorite from gate 6 as Shared belief tries to make it eight wins in eight career starts.

California Chrome 4-1 - Art Sherman pupil had a terrific six race win streak - the Preakness Stakes, a four length win in the Kentucky Derby, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths and two minor stakes scores but has stumbled his last two starts - a sixth last time out in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby September 20 followed a fourth in the Belmont Stakes - a race that could have made him the first Triple Crown winner in decades. He now has 14 career starts with eight wins and a second place finish and will be looking to bounce back after two substandard efforts. He could secure three year old Horse of the Year honors with a good performance here. California Chrome starts from post 13 with Victor Espinoza aboard.

Breeders' Cup Classic 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Tonalist 5-1 - Christophe Clement trained colt has placed in his last seven starts overall - last time out was a nice win in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park September 27 which followed a third behind V. E. Day and Wicked Strong in the Grade 3 Travers Stakes and a second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes. Before that was a career defining win in the Belmont Stakes June 7 and a great win in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes May 10. Tonalist has been in the mix in every race this year and should be so again Saturday. He leaves from post 11 Saturday with Joel Rosario in the irons.

Bayern 6-1 - Bob Baffert trained colt has nine starts and has hit the board in all except for a disappointing ninth in the Preakness and a shocking tenth two back as favorite in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga August 23. Last time out was a huge bounce back however - a win in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby September 20. Before the Travers was a two race win streak - the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park followed the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park June 7. Before his ninth in the Preakness was a good second after getting disqualified from victory in the Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs April 26 and a third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 12. He started his career with two straight wins as well. Bayern is used to being at or near the top and has won two of his last three starts with that ugly tenth sandwiched in there. Martin Garcia rides the 6-1 shot from post 7.

Toast Of New York 12-1 - impressive Jamie Osbourne trained colt made his North American debut July 5 and finished a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational after an impressive three race win streak by a combined 10 lengths - including a 2 1/2-length score in the UAE Derby March 29 - his first start of 2014 and a pair of wins at Wolverhampton to end his 2013 campaign. Last time out was a good second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August. He now has three wins and two seconds in seven career starts. Toast Of New York starts from gate 9 with Jamie Spencer in the saddle.

Cigar Street 12-1 - Bill Mott trainee has eight career starts with five wins and a second place finish. He enters having won four of his last five starts overall including the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream in March and the minor Homecoming Classic at Churchill Downs last time out September 27. He has looked good lately and is a bit of a sneaky entry this weekend. John Velazquez gets the call from post 2 Saturday.

Zivo 15-1 - has seven starts this year with five wins and a second place finish - that second coming last time out in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park which followed a fourth in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes for trainer Chad Brown. The wins include three minor stakes scores - the Commentator Handicap May 31, the Kings Point Stakes in February at Aqueduct and the Whodam Stakes at Aqueduct in January. His graded stakes debut came three back and resulted in another terrific win against a good field - in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park as the longest shot in the field July 5. He now has nine wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 17 career starts and enters this weekend having posted six wins and a second place finish in his last eight starts overall. Jose Lezcano rides from post 8.

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Moreno 20-1 - is coming off a disappointing ninth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup September 27 after good second in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga August 30 and a terrific win at 10-1 odds in the $1.5 million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in front running fashion August 2. Before that was a good second on this track in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap July 5 and a distant twelfth in the Grade 1 Met Mile June 7. He started his year with a decent third behind Game On Dude and Imperative in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic April 19 and ended 2013 with a disappointing tenth in last year's Breeders' Cup. Also last year the Eric Guillot pupil won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes in impressive fashion by seven lengths, had a respectable third in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 27 and a pair of good seconds at the end of the summer before his Breeders' Cup experience - in the Grade 1 Travers and in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 21. Moreno has shown some good form but isn't afraid to deliver a clunker as well. He will have Javier Castellano in the reins from gate 4 Saturday looking to bounce back after an ugly effort last time out.

V.E. Day 20-1 - James Jerkins trained colt made his graded stakes debut one to remember - a win in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga August 23. That win followed three straight wins ahead including the minor Curlin Stakes July 25, an Allowance and maiden score. Most recently he posted a career worst effort however - a fifth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup September 27. V.E. Day now has four wins and a second place finish in seven career starts and hopes to get back on track Saturday with Joe Talamo in the irons from gate 5.

Majestic Harbor 20-1 - took to the track for the first time since last May and finished a good second in the Grade 2 San Pasqual at 17-1 odds January 11 and followed that with an OK fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes February 8. He is coming off an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes September 27 and a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic which followed a stellar win at 14-1 odds by 6 1/4 lengths over Game On Dude in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita and another good win - by three lengths in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup March 29. He now has six wins, six seconds and four thirds in 25 career starts and will be looking to bounce back from a couple of substandard efforts. Tyler Baze will be aboard from the outside post Saturday.

Candy Boy 20-1 - has 11 career starts for trainer John Sadler and is coming off a third in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby September 20 after a pair of good seconds - in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby August 2 and behind two-year old champion Shared Belief in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby July 2. He also had a second in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity behind Shared Belief December 14. He finished a disappointing thirteenth in the Kentucky Derby after an OK third behind California Chrome in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby April 5 and recorded a terrific win in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes February 8. Candy Boy has two wins, four seconds and two thirds in his last nine starts and will look to build on some decent efforts recently. He has been competitive in every race the last year except for the Kentucky Derby and will have Corey Nakantani in the saddle from post 12.

Footbridge 30-1 - Eion Harty trained colt will race his fourth graded stakes race Saturday - the first resulted in a fourteenth place finish in the 2013 Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the others produced a good second in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar July 26 and a third last time out in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on this track September 27. He has now placed in six straight - a second in the minor Oak Tree Handicap followed a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming scores and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming also here in March earlier this year. Footbridge has 13 career starts with three wins, four seconds and three third place finishes and enters in decent form. Rafael Bejarano has the mount from post 10.

Prayer for Relief 30-1 - Dale Romans pupil was very good last summer - a win in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap in June and a pair of seconds - in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap and the Texas Mile but he has struggled a tad since. Last time out was a respectable third in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga August 30 after an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney, a decent third in the Grade 2 Suburban July 5, an eighth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs June 14 and a good second in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special May 16. His last win came in December - in the minor Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds. Prayer for Relief has been improving every time out lately and hopes to break a nine race losing streak Saturday. Irad Ortiz rides from the rail.

Imperative 30-1 - George Papaprodromou trained gelding has 19 career starts with three wins, four seconds and three third place finishes and is coming off a fifth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes here September 27 after an OK third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, an ugly eighth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap and an OK third in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 28. This after a career defining win - in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic over Game On Dude and Clubhouse Ride April 19 at 26-1 odds. He also had a good second ahead of Game On Dude in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes February 8 and has placed in seven of his last 10 starts overall. Imperative has been a tad difficult to figure out lately but when on is a worthy challenger. He will have Lanfranco Dettori in the reins from post 3.

Big Cazanova - Alternate Entry Argentinean bred Peter Miller pupil has 18 career starts with three wins, six seconds and six third place finishes. He placed in nine group stakes races at home but was a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup here last time out September 27. His other North American starts resulted in three wins, a second and two third place finishes in six starts. He looks for his first graded stakes score Saturday - Elvis Trujillo may be in charge.

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2014 Breeders' Cup Classic Entries & Odds

Race 12 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:35 PM.

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2024 BREEDERS' CUP RACE SCHEDULE