In 1984, the Breeders’ Cup began with seven races:
Classic, Distaff, Juvenile, Juvenile Fillies, Mile, Turf, and the Sprint. In
2011, there will be 15 races over two days. The race order for Saturday is: Marathon,
Juvenile Turf, Sprint, Turf Sprint, Juvenile, Mile, Dirt Mile, Turf, and
Classic. Of the original seven races only five will be contested on Saturday,
which is the day for races designated for colts and geldings. The final four
races on Saturday will make up a $1.5 million dollar guaranteed pick four. The
sequence is the Mile, the Dirt Mile
in its fifth year, the Turf, and the Classic.
These charts for the original Breeders’ Cup races include
information about the past winners: win payout, track, exacta and trifecta
prices, and trainer. Averages are calculated for all of the payouts and
European grass winners are marked.
Facts and Figures for the Mile
The Mile is the race of repeat winners. Of course the mare Goldikova has won
the last three Miles and goes for a fourth in 2011. Olivier Presslier and
Freddy Head are the trainer and rider for Goldikova’s wins. Da Hoss (1996, 1998), Lure (1992,
1993), and Miesque (1987,1988) have won twice. The Niarchos Family has won the Mile five times. The Europeans have won the Mile 13 of
the 27 races.
Ten favorites have been victorious for an average price of
$16.29. The biggest two dollar
exacta ($1,496) and trifecta ($12,495) payouts came in 2004, when Singletary
paid $35.00 to win.
Facts and Figures for the Turf
Many handicappers believe that the best strategy for
betting the Breeders’ Cup Turf is to play the European horses. The truth is that the Euros have won
half of the races including five of the past six. Of those five all but one of
them have been double digit win prices.
The Turf has an average payout of $19.55 that includes
nine winning favorites. Exacta and trifecta prices have been relatively low.
The leading jockey and trainer are both Europeans. Frankie Dettori and Sir Michael Stoute
have each won four BC Turfs. The
leading owners of 3 Turf winners each are the Aga Khan IV and Sheikh
Mohammed. The Turf is the only
race to have ended in a dead heat with High Chapparal and Johar sharing the win
in 2003.
Facts and Figures for the Classic
The Classic has been won by the favorite nine times in its
history, most recently by Zenyatta in 2009. The average win payout is $27.12.
Of course that number was inflated by the biggest long shot in Breeders’ Cup
history, the $269.20 win by Arcangues in 1993. The shortest win price went to Cigar ($3.40) in 1995.
The Classic trifecta has been offered 20 times since 1984,
and has an average return of $4,230 on a two dollar bet. There have been 12 returns of over
$1,000. The biggest trifecta came
in 1999 and paid over $39,000 for 20-1 with 26-1 with 75-1. That was when Cat
Thief won the Classic for D. Wayne Lukas.
Jerry Bailey and Chris McCarron both won five Classics.
Only two trainers have gotten to the winner’s circle twice, Charlie Whittingham
and Jay Robbins. Tiznow and Stronach Stables won the Classic twice.
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