Charting the Breeders' Cup

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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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