2 Breeders’ Cup Classic 2023 long shots can hit the board

Because of the number of quality horses present in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita, even some runners with proven records at the Grade 1 level will go off at double-digit odds. Two closers on the upswing in particular could end up making the underneath spots more lively with their value prices.

The two closers in question are Zandon and Señor Buscador. Here is a short rundown of each horse’s form and why they can make some noise.

Zandon

For three races starting with the Cigar Mile (G1) in December, the connections for Zandon were trying to push him into becoming a miler. But even though Zandon ran second in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), he never gave the impression he belonged in those one-mile races.

Check out early handicapping guide for Breeders’ Cup.

After the Met Mile runner-up finish, Zandon tried 1 1/8 miles again in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and ran second again. However, he came off looking better in the Whitney than in those mile races and even began to open up on the field minus the sharp winner White Abarrio.

In most years Zandon’s Whitney effort probably would have won the race, but he had the misfortune of White Abarrio turning in a great performance.

Zandon finally ended his long losing streak Oct. 1 in the Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct. In that race Zandon made a powerful move forward in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths over Film Star and remind the betting public of why he belongs in Grade 1 races at longer distances. Last year Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) before the losing streak.

Although Zandon does not own a 1 1/4-mile win, his third in last year’s Kentucky Derby shows he can handle the Classic distance. In fact Zandon was compromised that day by moving too soon into the fast pace. Also, in the stretch Zandon had to battle Epicenter, the best 3-year-old in 2022, while the late closer Rich Strike took advantage to score the major upset. 

Later in the summer Zandon had to face Epicenter’s hot streak in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1). That difficult stretch of races made Zandon slip into a losing streak, but he always was facing Epicenter, who made his three losses after the Blue Grass forgivable. 

Now, Zandon finds himself in a longer route with the losing streak behind him. Look for Zandon to find himself in the mix this week in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It is not clear if Zandon will win, but he always finds himself with a shot to win, and the slight stretch-out should help him run his best.  

At double-digit odds, Zandon makes sense to include in most trifecta and superfecta tickets. With pace help, he even could post an upset to win.

Señor Buscador  

Back in December 2020, Señor Buscador was a blog selection for the Remington Springboard Mile and won at 7-2 over a modest group. But after a fifth in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds two months later, he went off the Derby trail and on the shelf for a long period of time.

When Señor Buscador came back in 2022 he won the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) to earn a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He ended up eighth in that race and had an average year overall without truly moving forward. 

But in recent times Señor Buscador has improved on his past form.

Señor Buscador began to heat up at Del Mar during the summer when he took the San Diego Handicap (G2) with a closing bid to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Slow Down Andy, who had improved himself over the same period. 

After the mild upset in the San Diego, Señor Buscador tried the highest level again in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar and completed the superfecta in fourth. He lost by only 2 1/2 lengths and came off looking strong from a visual standpoint as he gradually kept closing the gap. 

Arabian Knight led from start to finish in the Pacific Classic. Whenever Bob Baffert-trained horses set the pace, they become difficult to catch. 

Then Señor Buscador made another strong closing bid in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita in late September to lose by only 3 1/4 lengths to Slow Down Andy. In this case Slow Down Andy always led with a cushion and had plenty left to fend off challengers after the easy lead. 

The closing Señor Buscador keeps running in situations featuring an uncontested leader. In the Breeders’ Cup Classic though, he might receive help since both Arabian Knight and Saudi Crown want the lead. Even White Abarrio could add to the pace mix as he wants to sit close to the leaders.

Nevertheless, his form does appear stronger than in past years. With his best closing run and a strong pace in front, Señor Buscador can hit the board and make the trifecta and superfecta payouts more interesting. 

If Señor Buscador could take one more step forward to win, that would make a great story too given his humble origin. He is not that far off.