Breeders' Cup Classic: Fierceness is favorite on new morning line

Photo: Casey Phillips / EclipseSportswire

David Aragona revised his morning-line odds for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic after Wednesday morning's news that early favorite Sovereignty would be scratched because of a fever.

Fierceness is the new favorite at 5-2, followed by Forever Young and Sierra Leone, both at 7-2. Those three were the top finishers in last year's Classic, with Sierra Leone winning by 1 1/2 lengths over Fierceness and Forever Young 1 1/4 lengths back in third.

In response to a question on X, Aragona said the revised odds took post position into consideration.

Horse New Old Trainer
  1. Fierceness   5-2   4-1 Todd Pletcher
  2. Baeza 10-1 15-1 John Shirreffs
  3. Nevada Beach 20-1 20-1 Bob Baffert
  4. Contrary Thinking 50-1 50-1 Chad Brown
  5. Forever Young   7-2   6-1 Yoshito Yahagi
      Sovereignty  scr   6-5 Bill Mott
  7. Sierra Leone   7-2   8-1 Chad Brown
  8. Mindframe   6-1 10-1 Todd Pletcher
  9. Journalism   5-1 10-1 Michael McCarthy
10. Antiquarian 10-1 15-1 Todd Pletcher

Odds were shortened for all of the horses except the two longest shots, Contrary Thinking at 50-1 and Nevada Beach at 20-1.

Journalism, who finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, went from 10-1 to 5-1 on the morning line.

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