The annual Breeders Cup Classic is one of the pinnacles for horse racing, and its past champions include some of the sport's greats. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah won the Breeders' Cup three years ago, while record-setting colt Curlin took it down in 2007. The 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic marks the 35th running of the race, this time emanating from Churchill Downs in Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby. Accelerate enters the Breeders' Cup 2018 as the Vegas favorite at 5-2 odds. Hot on his heels are West Coast (6-1), McKinzie (6-1), Mind Your Biscuits (6-1) and Catholic Boy (8-1), who are all within striking distance on the latest 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic odds board. It's a wide open field -- at least that's what many people think.
There's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Breeders' Cup Classic like this, and horse racing guru Jody Demling knows what it is.
At last year's Breeders' Cup Classic, Demling not only called Gun Runner's win, he also nailed his exacta and superfecta bets. Anyone who followed his advice was handsomely rewarded.
Here's a refresher on the various bet types from Demling, who has nailed the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Pennsylvania Derby, Pegasus World Cup and Arkansas Derby, among other races, this year:
Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. The $2 exacta paid $34 at last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.
Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. The $2 trifecta paid $129 at last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.
Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. The $2 superfecta paid $2,867 at last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.
"Boxing" means buying every combination possible for a pick. So, a 14-2 exacta box means a finish of 14-2 or 2-14 gives you a winner. You can box your exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.
While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Acclerate (5-2) in the Breeders' Cup Classic 2018, he plans to hold tickets with Bob Baffet's West Coast (5-1) and McKinzie (6-1), plus two longer shots that could net any bettor a monster payday. With a large 14-horse field, these so-called "exotic bets" could have sky-high payouts.
Demling has specific recommendations for win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta so you can cover all your bases. And he's sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling's picks for win, place and show as well as his trifecta and superfecta bets for the Breeders' Cup Classic, all from the expert who hit his Breeders' Cup Classic exacta and superfecta last year.
