It's finally that time of the year when the horse racing world is in the buzz after the list of participating horses is confirmed. As such, many people list their early favorites for the season. There are a few familiar names from the previous Breeders Cup races, yet the current highly favored horse to win the Breeders Cup Classic is new to this championship. If you want to learn more and discover other favorite horses, here's a list you can look into.
Arcangelo
Arcangelo is a three-year-old thoroughbred horse sired by Arrogate, an exceptional racehorse who won several stake races, including the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic. With Arcangelo's current 2023 breeders cup horse racing odds, skills and speed are deep within these horses, as this colt is one of the top horses favored to win this year's classic.
Since last year, Arcangelo has been winning all his starts and earning $1,742,300. Although his camp skipped the Jim Dandy, his win in the Travers Stakes has made it worth it. Before that, Arcangelo also won the 2023 Belmont Stakes and the 2023 Peter Pan. With this type of talent at the start, fans can expect a track filled with action.
Geaux Rocket Ride
Coming just behind Arcangelo is the Geaux Rocket Ride. Although it seems like he's just tailing the top horse, this three-year-old horse still has a significant gap from Arcangelo. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean that it's a lost cause.
With Geaux Rocket Ride's potential, you're in for many surprises, especially after last July's fantastic speed presentation in the Haskell Stakes. Despite just starting this year, Geaux Rocket has shown promising odds to win in this season's breeders' cup classic.
Additionally, since January 2023, Geaux Rocket Ride has participated in four starts, winning three of them and placing in second once in the 2023 San Felipe race, just behind Practical Move.
Forte
Despite being just a three-year-old colt like the others, Forte has already participated in over ten starts, five of them this year. Moreover, Forte is no stranger to the Breeders Cup as he participated in and won the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year. With his speed and skills, it will be no surprise if he also takes over the Breeders' Cup Classic this year. However, that would be a highly probable case if not for Arcangelo.
Out of his five starts this year, he only won three of them (2023 Fountain of Youth, 2023 Florida Derby, and 2023 Jim Dandy), and the winner of the two races he lost at is Arcangelo. Although it was unfortunate that he was only in second place in the 2023 Belmont Stakes, as you can see, Forte has finally met his match, and they'll be once again racing against each other on the dirt track.
Taiba
Next is a four-year-old colt whose achievements don't shy away from the other horses on this list. Taiba has been racing since 2022 and was trained by Bob Baffert. Although it was unfortunate that Taiba has only participated in a single start this year, in total, he's already won four out of his eight starts, which is a relatively good record.
Moreover, Taiba participated in last year's 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic, finishing third. If things go well for him, he might have the chance to finish as the first finally. After all, compared to the other horses in this list, he has the edge of experience.
Ushba Tesoro
Unlike the other horses in this list, Ushba Tesoro is a six-year-old Japanese thoroughbred horse who is racing for Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co., Ltd. Compared to others, Ushba Tesoro has already garnered a lot of experience with his 29 starts since his first run. Out of these total starts, he has won nine, finished as second once, and completed a race in third place five times.
Ushba Tesoro's odds didn't shy away despite having only limited data about him. One of the reasons may be because he has won all of his starts this year, namely the 2023 Kawasaki Kinen and the 2023 Dubai World Cup. These two horse racing events are significantly influential races in the horse racing world, which justifies Ushba Tesoro's odds in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
White Abarrio
White Abarrio is a beautiful four-year-old gray colt. If you've been a fan of horse races, you're probably already familiar with White Abarrio. This colt has been active since last year, sweeping several tracks from here and there.
Out of his 14 starts, White Abarrio won six of them, including the 2022 Florida Derby and 2022 Holy Bull. This year, he missed a place in January's 2023 Pegasus World Cup but was able to redeem himself in the 2023 Whitney race. Despite his rocky record, Abarrio's skills are still apparent, which explains his considerably good odds for the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Final Thoughts
The Breeders' Cup will commence on November 3, 2023, still a few weeks away, yet fans are already buzzing about their favorite horses. Since the Breeders' Cup Classic isn't just any horse racing event, it's only natural that many fans have their eyes on the said horses above. If you're planning to participate by betting, considering the list above will help you get to know more about the participants and give you an idea of the possible outcome of the event.