Horse of the Year honors could be on the line when the starting gate opens in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The $6 million race, which is effectively the last major race of the year, traditionally has been instrumental in determining what horse receives end-of-the-year honors. This year's Classic features up to three horses who could make a case for the Eclipse award for Horse of the Year with a victory on Saturday -- Pacific Classic winner Arabian Knight, Whitney Stakes hero White Abarrio and possibly Dubai World Cup champ Ushba Tesoro. Arabian Knight is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic odds. White Abarrio and Ushba Tesoro are both 4-1 in the 12-horse Breeders' Cup Classic 2023 field.
The 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic post time is 6:40 p.m. ET. With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what Santa Anita-based racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any Breeders' Cup Classic picks.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager last year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Since the end of February, she has crushed the Saudi Cup, riding a 15-1 winner, nailed Derma Sotogake to win the UAE Derby and hit the exacta in the Santa Anita Derby. She has hit the exacta in the Preakness Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup and had both the winner and exacta in the Summertime Oaks and the Prince of Wales's Stakes. And in July, she smashed the Haskell Stakes for a $663 score, hitting 12-1 winner Geaux Rocket Ride as well as the exacta.
For Saturday, Yu has handicapped the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic predictions
One surprise: Yu is high on the chances of longshot Zandon, who is 12-1 on the morning line. Ridden by champion jockey Frankie Dettori, Zandon has three wins, six seconds and three thirds in 13 career starts. He is coming off a win in the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes.
Though there are questions about Zandon's ability to win at the classic distance of 1¼ miles, Yu does not have those concerns. "This colt has never won at 10 furlongs, but his efforts -- a third in both the Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes last year - were solid," Yu told SportsLine. She is using Zandon prominently in her wagers. You can see all of Yu's 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic bets here.
How to make 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic picks
Moreover, Yu's top pick is a horse who has been "impressing everyone." She also is high on a double-digit longshot who "warrants a look in all exotics." She is including these horses in her 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic bets, and so should you. She's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic, what double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Breeders' Cup Classic, and find out.
2023 Breeders' Cup Classic odds, contenders, post positions
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcangelo | SCR | |
| 2 | Zandon | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | White Abarrio | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Missed The Cut | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Derma Sotogake | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Saudi Crown | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Clapton | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Ushba Tesoro | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Senor Buscador | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Dreamlike | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Bright Future | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | Arabian Knight | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 13 | Proxy | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
