Breeders' Cup Classic 2018 odds: Respect paid to Pavel

While Accelerate’s expected to go favored Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, another contender in the field sports lower odds to win the bigger picture prize, the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

In updated odds released by the Wynn Las Vegas race book, Pavel is a co-fourth choice at 9-1 with Accelerate 10-1 for the Classic.

Pavel broke through last out to score in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, which gave him a win over the track at Churchill Downs. Bolstering his own resume, Accelerate has scored twice this year at the 1 1/4-mile distance and will on Saturday look to become just the third horse to sweep each of the Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup and Pacific Classic in the same season.

Fewer than three months out from the Classic, the top choices remained largely the same, though at slightly different prices.

Recent Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner Good Magic sits at 9/2, up from 4-1. West Coast is 6-1, Diversify 7-1 and both Thunder Snow and Collected at 9-1.

West Coast could try the Classic right off the layoff, while Collected, another from the Bob Baffert barn, just this week posted his first workout since the Pegasus World Cup in January.

Diversify and Thunder Snow could meet in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park with the latter set to return to the U.S., now a Dubai World Cup winner and looking for redemption from his last trip to Churchill Downs, where he bucked leaving the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

In terms of new names on the Classic radar, Roman Rosso, the multiple Group 1 winner from Argentina who’s new to Baffert, has opened at 60-1. And the filly Wonder Gadot, who will take on Good Magic in the Aug. 25 Travers Stakes, is 75-1.

The full list of Breeders’ Cup Classic prices can be seen below. Click in the bottom right corner for full screen viewing.