The Breeders’ Cup is one of the big end-of-year annual flat horse racing events held in North America. Punters can enjoy this year’s edition at Del Mar Racetrack from November 5-6, 2021.
Read on as our guide will show you the best sites and bets for Breeders’ Cup betting, as well as go through a detailed history of the races and venues.
This guide to Breeders’ Cup horse racing and betting in USA has a few basics to cover first. Check out these important facts:
The Breeders’ Cup was created to be the end-of-year championships for North American thoroughbred racehorses
Since first being held in 1984, it has gained increased global appeal and entries now regularly come from outside North America
A different host venue is used each year, although some racetracks have had the Breeders’ Cup in consecutive years
The lack of a fixed home allows racetracks all over North America a chance of hosting
Races all over the world are part of the Challenge Series which are like qualifiers. If a horse wins one of these, then they can take part at the Breeders’ Cup
There are a series of races run over different distances that are open to specific horses or age groups
Both dirt and turf racetracks are used at the Breeders’ Cup
Although now exclusively Flat horse racing, the American Grand National over hurdles used to be run during this event
From 2007 onwards, the Breeders’ Cup has been a two-day event held in early November
USA has hosted the Breeders’ Cup once at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario back in 1996
Although a special event in the North American sporting calendar, Breeders’ Cup horse racing odds are no different to any other meetings. You may be new to betting on horse racing, though, and so we’re going to work through an example:
Eight great winners of the Breeders’ Cup Turf meet in a fantasy race over the mile-and-a-half distance. Conduit has the shortest price and is thus the favourite.
For every C$4 staked on him, you stand to make C$7 profit and receive total returns of C$11. Enable is second in the betting, ahead of fellow mare Found.
Each of the runners has bigger odds until St Nicholas Abbey who is the outsider. A C$4 bet on him returns C$68 – of which C$64 is profit if he wins.
Decimal odds are most common for Breeders’ Cup betting in USA, although you may see fractional prices on some British-based sportsbooks. The American money line system is rare in horse racing because of there being multiple possible outcomes.
For more on the different ways in which betting prices can be expressed, see the odds calculator below:
Having discussed the types of Breeders’ Cup horse racing odds that exist, now we move on to betting markets. Here are some of the most popular wagered on:
A straightforward bet is on outright victory in one of the many Breeders’ Cup races.
You can also bet on a horse to finish first or second in its Breeders’ Cup race. The odds will be shorter than an outright win.
Another possible wager is backing a horse to finish first, second or third at the Breeders’ Cup. Again, the price will be smaller than just a plain win.
You can also pick two horses in the same race and put them together in one bet,
specifying a winner and the other to come second. This is called an exacta and can be reversed
if you don’t want to bet on a specific order.
Reverse exactas, also called a quinella, are two
bets to cover both possible outcomes. One will certainly lose, but the other may not.
Known in USA as a triactor, but called a trifecta throughout North America and beyond, you can also back three horses in the same race. These are to finish
It even goes a level beyond triactors and trifectas with multiple selections
in the same race. You can nominate four horses in one event to finish first, second, third and
fourth in a given order.
These are even more difficult to predict. If you do, then the
returns are massive. Extra selections and thus more permutations can be added to the bet and these
are called box superfectas.
If you can pick the winners of consecutive races which are designated by
the betting site you bet on, then you can win bigger. The daily double is often put forward
on the most competitive races at events like the Breeders’ Cup or Kentucky Derby.
Odds are multiplied from one leg of the bet to the next, so your return is much higher than
if backing them individually to win.
There’s no need to wait until the Breeders’ Cup event starts for
you to bet on it. Odds will often be available weeks and in some cases months in
advance.
Futures betting comes with pros and cons. One advantage is you are
likely to get a bigger price on your fancy, but the downside is if it doesn’t turn
up and run then you lose. Money back guarantees aren’t usually in effect until
nearer the time.
You as a bettor have to decide whether taking a long-term
wager and a bigger price is worth running the risks attached.
These are the specific races that Breeders’ Cup horse racing odds are available on. The first day of the meeting has a focus on two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses, often called juveniles, and races are restricted to that age bracket:
Day two of the Breeders’ Cup has more top-class Flat horse races which are open to three-year-olds and above:
The following North American racetracks have hosted the Breeders’ Cup:
The Breeders’ Cup is the end-of-year championships for thoroughbred Flat racehorses in North America. Winners of prestigious races all around the world can qualify to run at the meeting too.
It’s held over two days in early November at a different host venue each year.
The 2021 Breeders’ Cup takes place on November 5-6 at Del Mar Racetrack. While, the 2022 edition is due to occur on November 4-5 at Keeneland racecourse.
Breeders’ Cup horse racing betting in USA is totally legal. Gambling on racehorses in general was made legal in 1969.
Our expert team has picked out the following as being the best sites for betting on the Breeders’ Cup:
Pick the Breeders’ Cup race you want to have a bet on and select your chosen horse. Add that animal to your betslip using the bet type you want and then enter your stake. All you have to do then is place the bet.
These are the most popular Breeders’ Cup horse racing betting markets:
Mobile Breeders’ Cup horse racing betting is just one of the many things you can get involved with via sportsbook apps. If you an Android or Apple powered device, then you can download for free.
