The two-day Breeders’ Cup festival is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar and capstones the thoroughbred horse racing season every November. Each year, Breeders Cup betting sites handle in excess of $150 million worth of wagers to make this one of the nation’s most heavily-wagered sporting events.
The 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championship will award nearly $30 million in purses across fourteen events, capped by the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Currently branded as the Longines Classic, the main event is open to horses three or older and runs 1 ¼ miles.
Where to Bet the Breeders Cup Online
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Betting On The Breeders Cup
- When: Friday & Saturday, November 3rd-4th, 2023
- Where: Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California
- Watch the Breeders’ Cup Live: NBC Sports
Each year, the Breeders’ Cup brings together what is arguably the highest concentration of horse racing talent in the world. It is a fitting finale for the thoroughbred horse racing season each year, and with fourteen races packed into two days, it presents no shortage of betting opportunities for fans.
The 2023 Breeders’ Cup returns to Santa Anita Park for the 11th time in the track’s history.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup took place at Keeneland and set a record for all-source betting handle for the second straight year, generating nearly $190 million in wagers across the two-day event. Total 2022 Breeders’ Cup betting handle rose 3.4% over the record-breaking 2021 edition and 18% over the 2020 running. And in 2019, the last time Santa Anita hosted the Breeders’ Cup, the festival set a then-record of $175 million in total wagering handle.
The 2023 Breeders’ Cup will feature 14 races with $28 million in purses across two days in Arcadia, California. The series begins Friday, November 3rd, with five races and continues Saturday with nine more. The $6,000,000 Longines Classic caps the series, and NBC will broadcast it live.
The Breeders’ Cup betting outlook will come into focus as race day approaches and the contenders make themselves known in the challenge series races. Last year saw John Sadler’s Flightline take the win in the Classic.
Breeders Cup Online Betting Apps
It is legal to bet on the Breeders’ Cup online in most states through licensed betting apps and websites run by reputable, well-known names in racing such as Churchill Downs and DRF, among others.
Each of the following horse racing betting apps is legal, licensed, and available to customers in most US states:
For most horse racing fans, the easiest way to watch and wager on the Breeders’ Cup is with one of the above providers. Each provides mobile betting apps for iOS and Android devices, free racing programs in most cases, live streaming at no additional fee, and advanced handicapping tools.
2023 Breeders’ Cup Betting Promotions
As one of the year’s biggest races and the last major event of the US season, the Breeders’ Cup is fertile grounds for horse racing betting promotions. Two of BettingUSA’s recommended Breeders’ Cup betting sites have introduced short-term promos for the weekend’s races, while a third offers the industry’s best welcome bonus.
Here are the best 2023 Breeders’ Cup promos.
TwinSpires Breeders Cup Promos
TwinSpires has two Breeders Cup betting promotions worth considering, one for new customers only and one for everyone.
New users can claim a $200 welcome bonus when they visit TwinSpires.com, sign up for accounts with the offer code BET200, and make their first deposit. After registering, new users will unlock the first $100 in bonus funds after wagering $400 within 30 days of signing up. Anyone who wagers an additional $400 within that same time will receive another $100 in bonus funds.
All TwinSpires customers can also claim a money-back guarantee on Breeders’ Cup win bets on horses that finish in 2nd or 3rd place. Anyone with a TwinSpires account can log in before the Breeders’ Cup to opt-in and get back up to $10 if their first WIN bet on any of the following races loses because their horse finishes second or third.
- Friday Races: Get back up to $10 on Races 5-9
- Saturday Races: Get back up to $10 on Races 3-11
AmWager Breeders’ Cup Betting Offers
AmWager has two enticing Breeders’ Cup promotions for new and existing customers.
First, new customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $150 by signing up for accounts with the promo code BUSA150 and making their first deposit. Each new user will receive an extra 100% in withdrawable cash for up to $150 in bonus funds. The bonus has a mere 1x rollover before it converts to cash that customers can either withdraw or use to bet on horse races.
In addition, new and existing customers can participate in the AmWager Breeders’ Cup bankroll giveaway by logging in every day between now and the first race. Each day customers log in to their AmWager accounts, they receive one entry to a giveaway that will award one of the following promo credits to use on Saturday’s races:
- 1st Place: $1,000 Breeders’ Cup bankroll
- 2nd Place: $500 Breeders’ Cup bankroll
- 3rd Place: $250 Breeders’ Cup bankroll
- Consolation: Breeders’ Cup or AmWager swag for ten additional entrants
DRF Bets Breeders Cup Bonus
DRF Bets hasn’t announced any special race-day promotions, but it offers the best welcome bonus of all Breeders Cup betting sites. New customers can register, deposit $200, and receive a $200 welcome bonus with a mere 1x rollover to bet on Breeders Cup races.
The TwinSpires deposit bonus also maxes out at $200, but DRF Bets’ bonus is even better because it has a low rollover with no additional strings attached. Customers must play through the bonus one time to clear it plus any winnings for withdrawals.
States Where Breeders Cup Betting Is Legal
The legality of online and off-track horse racing betting is decided at the state level, leaving a patchwork of laws across the country. Some states regulate online horse racing betting, others prohibit the activity, and yet others have little to say on the matter one way or another.
As a result, not all Breeders Cup betting sites are available in all states. Anyone interested in betting on the Breeders’ Cup online can select any state on the following map to see which mobile betting operators are available where.
Online horse racing betting is allowed in the blue states and prohibited in the red states:
Horse Racing
Breeders Cup Betting Odds
The official Breeders’ Cup morning line odds are out following Monday’s post position draw, and advance-deposit wagering apps are ready for action. Fans can visit BettingUSA’s recommended racebooks to bet on the Breeders’ Cup online safely, legally, and at full track odds.
Below are the Breeders’ Cup Classic betting odds straight from the on-course oddsmaker.
(Pos.) Horse | Morning Line Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|
(1) Arcangelo (SCR) | 7-2 | Javier Castellano | Jena Antonucci |
(2) Zandon | 12-1 | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown |
(3) White Abarrio | 4-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Richard Dutrow, Jr. |
(4) Missed the Cut | 30-1 | Juis Saez | John W. Sadler |
(5) Derma Sotogake | 20-1 | Christophe Lemaire | Hidetaka Otonashi |
(6) Saudi Crown | 12-1 | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox |
(7) Clapton | 20-1 | Cristian Torres | Chad Summers |
(8) Ushba Tesoro | 4-1 | Yuga Kawada | Noboru Takagi |
(9) Senor Buscador | 30-1 | Geovanni Franco | Todd W. Fincher |
(10) Dreamlike | 30-1 | Jose Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher |
(11) Bright Future | 10-1 | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher |
(12) Arabian Knight | 3-1 | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert |
(13) Proxy | 12-1 | Joel Rosario | Michael Stidham |
Breeders Cup Classic Results
John Sadler’s Flightline put on a dominant performance in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic, winning the race by 8 ¼ lengths over runners-up Olympiad and Taiba. It was the second Breeders’ Cup win for trainer John Sadler, who put it best when describing Flightline’s performance:
“How do you describe greatness? This is just a rare horse that happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we’ve seen in a long, long time. I’m talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew.”
Horse | Post Position | ML Odds |
---|---|---|
1st: White Abarrio | 3 | 4-1 |
2nd: Derma Sotogake | 5 | 20-1 |
3rd: Proxy | 13 | 12-1 |
4th: Arabian Knight | 12 | 3-1 |
5th: Ushba Tesoro | 8 | 4-1 |
6th: Bright Future | 11 | 10-1 |
7th: Senor Buscador | 9 | 30-1 |
8th: Dreamlike | 10 | 30-1 |
9th: Zandon | 2 | 12-1 |
10th: Saudi Crown | 6 | 12-1 |
11th: Clapton | 7 | 20-1 |
12th: Missed The Cut | 4 | 30-1 |
(SCR) Arcangelo | 1 | 7-2 |
Where To Watch the Breeders Cup
Horse racing fans can watch or stream the 2023 Breeders’ Cup on November 3rd and 4th through the following TV channels and platforms:
- NBC
- Peacock
- USA Network
- FanDuel TV
On Friday, November 3rd, FanDuel TV and the USA Network will broadcast the first day’s races from 3-7 PM CDT.
On Saturday, FanDuel TV and the USA Network will broadcast the first eight races from 12:30-2:30 PM CDT. Coverage shifts to NBC and Peacock at 2:30 and runs until 6PM CDT, culminating in a live broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 5:40 PM CDT. Peacock will cover the day’s final two races, the Turf Sprint and Sprint.
How The Breeders Cup Works
The two-day Breeders’ Cup consists of 14 races in total, each open to a maximum of 14 runners.
Currently, the Breeders’ Cup hosts five races on Friday and nine on Saturday. The Friday races are all juvenile events that showcase two-year-old up-and-comers. The Saturday races are all open to horses three and up. Licensed Breeders’ Cup betting sites offer wagering on all races throughout the festival.
Friday Races
Race | Purse | Distance | Post Time |
---|---|---|---|
Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) | $1 million | 5 furlongs | 4:00 PM CDT |
Juvenile Fillies (G1) | $2 million | 1 1/16 miles | 4:40 PM CDT |
Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) | $1 million | 1 mile | 5:20 PM CDT |
Juvenile (G1) | $2 million | 1 1/16 miles | 6:00 PM CDT |
Juvenile Turf (G1) | $1 million | 1 mile | 6:40 PM CDT |
Saturday Races
Race | Purse | Distance | Post Time |
---|---|---|---|
Dirt Mile (G1) | $1 million | 1 mile | 1:30 PM CDT |
Filly & Mare Turf (G1) | $2 million | 1 1/4 miles | 2:10 PM CDT |
Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) | $1 million | 7 furlongs | 2:50 PM CDT |
Mile (G1) | $2 million | 1 mile | 3:30 PM CDT |
Distaff (G1) | $2 million | 1 1/8 miles | 4:10 PM CDT |
Turf (G1) | $4 million | 1 ½ miles | 4:50 PM CDT |
Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) | $6 million | 1 ¼ miles | 5:40 PM CDT |
Turf Sprint (G1) | $1 million | 5 furlongs | 6:25 PM CDT |
Sprint (G1) | $2 million | 6 furlongs | 7:00 PM CDT |
Qualification
Horses gain entry to Breeders’ Cup races through one of three paths:
- Accumulating enough points in select races throughout the year
- Winning a “win and you’re in” Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race
- Being invited by a panel of horse racing experts
Each Breeders’ Cup race consists of seven horses selected by the experts and seven who have won their way in through points or by winning a Challenge Series race (see the full schedule).
Breeders Cup Betting Challenge
The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) is an annual, real money handicapping contest with an estimated prize pool of $1,000,000. Players can buy in directly for $10,000 or win their way in via feeder contests hosted at Horseplayers.com.
Of the $10,000 entry fee, $7,500 serves as the player’s bankroll, and $2,500 goes to the prize pool.
How The Breeders Cup Betting Challenge Works
Once entered, the contestants use their $7,500 bankroll to bet on Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and Saturday. All races are open for action, but players may only place the following types of wagers:
After the Breeders’ Cup is complete, all contestants keep their winnings and are ranked according to who performed the best.
Where to Enter
Bettors can buy in and participate in-person at Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, or Santa Anita Park.
Fans may also enter and play online at:
Breeders Cup Challenge Prizes
The BCBC prize pool is determined by the number of entrants but is estimated to be worth something in the range of $1 million based on an expected 400 or so entries. If there are exactly 400 entrants, the following prizes will be paid:
- 1st: $300,000
- 2nd: $200,000
- 3rd: $110,000
- 4th: $75,000
- 5th: $60,000
- 7th: $50,000
- 8th: $35,000
- 9th: $30,000
- 10th: $25,000
- 11th: $20,000
- 12th: $17,500
- 13th: $15,000
- 14th: $12,000
- 15th: $10,000
Breeders Cup Future Wagers
The Breeders’ Cup introduced futures wagers in 2018 in conjunction with Churchill Downs to accept bets well ahead of race day.
That year, Churchill Downs conducted two futures wagering pools for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and one pool each for the Longines Turf, Longines Distaff, Sentient Jet Juvenile, and Juvenile Sire races.
In each pool, bettors could select from 23 total potential runners or an “all others” category to place wagers months in advance of the Breeders’ Cup. Although the runners were not even certain that far in advance, the futures pools provided bettors the potential to lock in their picks at much higher odds than on race day when more information was known.
Legal horse racing betting in the United States typically does not play well with futures, which are usually relegated to traditional sports betting. In the US, nearly all horse racing betting is conducted in the parimutuel format. All wagers are pooled together, and payouts are determined by the amount wagered on each type of bet.
The Breeders’ Cup has not offered futures wagers since then, but they remain a possibility the next time the race returns to Churchill Downs.