How to Bet on the Breeders Cup

Breeders Cup Betting Explained, Tips & Types of Bets

For the fans that watch and bet on horse racing throughout the year, there are few bigger occasions than the Breeders’ Cup. Breeders’ Cup betting is popular worldwide, in no small part due to the fact that it is an international affair. Runners come from all corners of the globe to run in the prestigious races run during the event.

Each race offers different entry requirements, depending on the surface and distance. The most lucrative of all the races is the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, which offers a purse of $6 million. You can find out more about the Breeders’ Cup betting markets ahead of the Breeders’ Cup 2022 right here.

Why Bet on The Breeders’ Cup?

Few horse racing events on the calendar can match the Breeders’ Cup in terms of the quality and prize money on offer. During the two-day meet, 14 Grade 1s competed, spread across Friday and Saturday. The Friday sees the juveniles take center stage, while the Breeders’ Cup Classic heads the Saturday action. It is one of the few racing events on the calendar that attracts fields of runners from all over the world, which draws comparisons to the meeting at Royal Ascot in the United Kingdom.

However, unlike Royal Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup offers trainers the option to run horses on both turf and dirt. While the Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races attract a mainstream racing audience, the Breeders’ Cup is the event for the die-hard fans that follow throughout the year. The emphasis is very much on the racing at the Breeders’ Cup, as it is the one time of the year when we finally find out who the best champions in the relevant divisions are.

What Is The Breeders’ Cup?

The Breeders’ Cup is the calendar’s most exciting two days of horse racing action. It is the weekend where the champions are crowned, often leading to the standout horses picking up the awards at the Eclipse Awards. That was evident in 2015, with seven Eclipse winners claiming success in a Breeders’ Cup race. Based on the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities, three of the races competed at the Breeders’ Cup 2022 rank among the best Grade 1s in the world (Classic, Turf, Mile).

Regarding Breeders’ Cup betting, it is also important to understand that the event is about more than just one race. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf are the standout races on Friday. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the biggest competed races can be found below.

Breeders’ Cup Classic
Breeders’ Cup Turf
Breeders’ Cup Mile
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Is Breeders’ Cup Betting Legal?

Betting on the Breeders’ Cup is legal in the 39 states where betting on horse racing has been legalized. This came into effect following the passing of the Horse Racing Act of 1978. This ensured that tracks around the U.S. could broadcast races and allow bets to be placed despite bettors not being on track. Further developments came in 2000, as more legislation enabled bets to be placed via the internet and over the phone.

Online Breeders’ Cup Betting

One of the most significant advancements that have profoundly impacted the ability to make wagers on horse racing action is the addition of online betting. Due to the action at the Breeders’ Cup taking place at different tracks every year, mobile betting is extremely popular throughout race week. Many customers now prefer to make their bets on mobile devices and online as a wider range of betting options are available.

Bets can be placed on Betting w/o markets and create parlays and other forms of multiple bets. Customers that make wagers on these sportsbooks can also expect to watch the race in HD quality. Those who follow the sport will also be delighted that many of the leading online sites also offer ante-post markets, enabling bets to be made months before final declarations.

How To Bet On The Breeders’ Cup?

Before researching the field of runners in the markets and making Breeders’ Cup picks for the races this year, bettors should learn more about the markets available. Below, we will go through some of the most popular bets that are available when making Breeders’ Cup betting selections.

Win Betting

Like all horse races throughout the season, the most popular market available is the win betting market. Bettors will place their stake on the horse they believe will win a selected race at the Breeders’ Cup. The odds you will see on-screen will determine the winning you pick up. Therefore, if you make a wager of $10 on Country Grammer to win the Classic at 10/1, and the selection wins, you will get $110 in returns.

Place Betting

Due to the quality of horses involved in the Breeders’ Cup fields, a popular betting option is being able to place a wager on a selection to place. Depending on the sportsbook, this will cover either the first two places or, if it’s an offshore site- three. It is an excellent betting alternative for wagers on outsiders in the field, as you have the added benefit of getting returns should your selection finish in the money.

Exacta/Trifecta Betting

Exacta and Trifecta betting are two of the more difficult bet types to get returns. Therefore, further research must be conducted before placing a wager on these markets. To land an Exacta, bettors must correctly predict the horses that finish first and second in the exact order. Meanwhile, to win a Trifecta bet, the gambler must correctly predict the horses that finish first, second and third in the correct order.

Multiple Betting

One of the most exciting ways to make Breeders’ Cup picks is through multiple betting. There is a selection of ways to do this. The first of which is through a parlay, as you can add two or more selections into one bet. However, all selections must win in order to get returns. Meanwhile, many offshore sides will offer the option of a Lucky 15. Here, you can add four horses into a multiple bet, which is made up of 15 bets. It covers all the possible singles, doubles, trebles, and the four-fold, and you are paid out depending on how many selections win.

How To Make A Bet On The Breeders’ Cup?

Betting on the Breeders’ Cup is straightforward at the leading sportsbooks online. 

To make your selection, you can follow the steps below.

1. Select the odds of the horse that you wish to bet on
2. That selection will be immediately added to your bet slip
3. Add the stake that you wish to wager on the selection
4. Place bet

Understanding Breeders’ Cup Betting Odds

Unlike other sports, the odds make for crucial reading when wagering on the Breeders’ Cup betting markets. In horse racing, there can often be a big difference in price depending on the sportsbook you’re betting with. That means that shopping around to get the best odds is always encouraged to ensure that you get the best returns.

Reading odds can also be done in a number of different ways. In the U.S., the most popular format is the American, which uses either a ‘+’ or ‘-‘ to show the favorite. A horse with the ‘-‘ will be odds-on to win the race, while horses with ‘+’ will be considered more of an outsider. In Europe, fractional and decimal layouts are more common. For example, +200 odds in the American format would be shown as 2/1 and 3.0 in fractional and decimal layouts, respectively.

Tips To Bet On The Breeders’ Cup

After learning all about the betting markets and the importance of odds, it will be time to make your selections on the Breeders’ Cup races. However, several factors should be considered before selecting, as specific indicators could give a contender a better chance.

Some of the key tips that should be followed can be found below.

• The Surface: Both dirt and turf races are run at the Breeders’ Cup. European-trained horses have excellent records in turf races, while U.S.-trained horses are dominant on the dirt.

• The Form: The most important piece of information that bettors must be aware of is the form of the horses involved. Runners that have a string of Grade 1 wins to their name will have a better chance of landing victory.

• Trainer/Jockey Stats: It isn’t just the horses’ form that bettors should examine, as the form of the trainers and jockeys is also essential.

• Track Experience: As the Breeders’ Cup moves annually, course form is an essential bit of reading that could pinpoint the contender that has the best chance of winning the race.