With horse racing back in full swing and a host of great events already passed, the end of the year still has plenty to offer – the Preakness Stakes are just around the corner that could see Authentic capture another big win of the year with the possibility of heading to the Breeders Cup not long after – but what announcements have been made and what can we expect from the two-day world championships?
(Image from americasbestracing.net)
When and Where? – The race will take place on the Keeneland course in Lexington, held on November 6th to November 7th. Chief Racing Office Dora Delgado stated “The year’s World Championships will take place after Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, Nov. 1st. We wanted to ensure that our fans, racetrack, and ADW partners have the schedule of the EST post times in plenty of time to make arrangements to watch and wager on two days of world-class international racing at Keeneland Race Course.”
The races – Both the race order and wagering menu will not be available until Oct. 28th, but the schedule has been partly laid out. Friday will host the Future Stars Friday which features all five Breeders’ Cup World Championships races for 2-year-olds, there will be a handful of undercard races to precede the first Cup races too. Saturday will host 12 races, including nine Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Three undercard races will kick Saturday off followed by the Cup races.
The favourites – With wagering odds not being released until late October, many fans will be looking at the bookies offerings to see where things lay. The Breeders’ Cup Turf field is one that one that always brings a lot of question as European contenders consider whether or not to make the trip for the $6 million purse, a decision made particularly difficult this year with the ongoing pandemic. Sitting at the top current is the 3-year-old filly Love, at 4-1 odds. Although not the best Europe has to offer, she seems the most likely of the European horses to run and has looked in great form this year. The 2018 turf winner Enable is sitting close in second with 5-1 odds, but it’s currently in question whether or not she’ll run as it doesn’t look as if there are any plans to attend.With many not considering the trip or instead considering running the Breeders’ Cup Classic instead, the European field could look a little thinner.
Speaking of the classic however, there are some good runners there too – Tiz the Law is sitting second favourite at 9/2 in the Classic after the recent announcement that despite the win at Belmont, Preakness would not be in the horses best interest; “Our primary interest is doing what’s right for the horse & in this case he’s not ready. We look forward to training him up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.” Preakness favourite Authentic is current sitting at 11/2, and a big win at Preakness could see him be a little more favourable as the winner of two out of three in the Triple Crown.