2014 BREEDERS' CUP BETTING
While the Triple Crown events-particularly the Kentucky Derby-have captured the imagination of the mainstream sports media and general public for the serious horse racing enthusiast the Breeders' Cup is essentially the 'Super Bowl' of the sport. Held over two days and including 16 multimillion stakes races featuring the best horses in the sport, Breeders' Cup betting is a dream come true for the diligent handicapper.
Featured Racebook
Bovada is one of the best known names in the online horse betting business and their experience in the marketplace dates back even further. Bovada has made a name for themselves for fastest payouts in the industry to US players and best customer support.
- full coverage of North American race tracks
- wide variety of bet types
- weekly race book rewards
- sports betting, casino games and poker also offered
- first rate customer service and payment processing
- a full service, one stop betting destination
THE HISTORY OF THE BREEDERS' CUP
The first Breeders' Cup was run in 1984 and quickly gained traction among the horse racing cognoscenti. From 1984 until 2006 it was a single day event, but has since expanded to two days to accommodate a wider number and variety of individual races. For years it was the richest day in racing, though has been relegated to second place by the Dubai World Cup with over $29.5 million in purses spread over a single day. With $25.5 million in purses up for grabs the Breeders' Cup remains the second richest horse racing event in the world and the biggest in North America. While many horse racing experts ignore the Triple Crown races they eagerly look for opportunities to get down on attractive Breeders' Cup bets.
AN ELITE FIELD
Breeders' Cup race fields are capped at 15 starters with the exception of the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf which will are limited to 12 starters. To prevent these races from being 'oversubscribed' the Breeders' Cup has adopted a qualification system that is more complex than that for the Kentucky Derby (which is based on a pure points system). The Breeders' Cup ranking format is based on performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, a point system, and the input of a panel of horse racing experts. The idea is to come up with the 'best of the best' in all of the racing categories.
THE BEST OF THE BEST AT 2014 BREEDERS CUP
Due to the large number of races with varying conditions and surfaces it's not really possible to come up with a general strategy for successful Breeders' Cup betting. The volume and variety of races is why it's such a popular event among horse racing handicappers and betting enthusiasts. The qualification system means that there are few entrants who are competing 'over their head' and the big prize money involved means that all of the horses in the race will be focused on winning and not just out for a ride in the park.
SHARP MONEY PREVAILS
Don't expect to see any triple digit longshots in this year's Breeders' Cup. Since it attracts a greater percentage of 'sharp' horse players than the Triple Crown races the betting odds are also 'sharper'. Most successful Breeders' Cup bets come from the top tier of wagering interests in a race. The 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic was won by Mucho Macho Man at 4/1 and the three top finishers all went off at single digit odds. The biggest longshot in the race was The Last Gunfighter at 45/1 who ended up finishing a respectable 5th. The other two big longshots in the race-Moreno (32/1) and the Irish shipper Planteur finished next to last and dead last respectively. The moral of the story as it relates to Breeders' Cup betting-upsets occur, but on balance the odds on Breeders' Cup races are more reflective of 'sharp' opinions than 'public' or 'square' money.
