The Breeders’ Cup is the world championships of horse racing. @HandicappingT3 breaks down some of the special wagers offered on the 2 biggest days of racing from Del Mar!
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Breeders’ Cup Betting Specials
With so much attention on Del Mar Thoroughbred Club this weekend, there will be plenty of betting dollars spread around. If this year’s betting follows recent trends there is likely to be north of $180 million wagered over the two days. With so much liquidity big horse racing days like the Breeders’ Cup often offer specialized pools for bettors to dabble in. The 2025 Breeders’ Cup features three such types of horizontal wagers- All Surface Pick 3, All Surface Pick 4, and Special Daily Doubles.
We’ll take a look at each of these wagers in depth and establish a strategy to attack each one over the two day racing festival.
Breeders’ Cup Friday Specials
*Note that although some of the special double wagers start on Friday, they connect races on both days. So the parlay won’t be cashable until after the final leg of the bet is run on Saturday.
Breeders’ Cup All Turf Pick 3 (Friday Races 6,8, & 10)
Del Mar will feature an All Turf Pick 3
Calling all high rollers! This bet has the highest minimum ($3) of any of the bets on the wagering menu at the Breeders’ Cup. The advantage for horseplayers is that the high minimum eliminates spread tickets that cover too many horses and cut into the winner’s pot. The key to these wagers is to have strong opinions and lean heavily into them.
Race 6- Juvenile Turf Sprint
I love the draw for the #9 True Love for Aiden O’Brien who is arguably the best turf trainer in the world.
If True Love doesn’t get the job done the field looks like absolute chaos with several having a chance. The play here is to take a stand and keep it tight.
Race 8- Juvenile Fillies Turf
This race covers a mile and the question for every horseplayer is what to do with #13 Precise. The horse is clearly good. If you want to take this one it has to be another single and be prepared to high five 80% of the grandstand as you pray to break even on your wager in race 10.
If you get around the favorite, you are going to burn tickets and be on house money with any winning horse in leg 3. This is where I’ll take my shot. #5 Final Accord is the longshot play of the day for me. The horse is unbeaten in 2 and gets Jose Ortiz who is having another outstanding year.
I’ll use this one with a couple other prices to try and cash big (#4 Infinite Sky, #3 Imaginationthelady, and #9 Time to Dream).
Race 10- Juvenile Turf
The #14 Gstaad is within 1 length of being a 3 time group 1 winner. The draw isn’t ideal so it seems like a good spot for a reasonable backup.
#9 Argos is a bit more inside and Prat aboard. The horse comes off a win at the distance in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine and has been improving on figures.
The Ticket
#9 with #3,4, 5, 9 with #9,14 ($24)
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-Distaff Double (Friday Race 7, Saturday Race 7)
Seismic Beauty, Breeders’ Cup favorite wins at Del Mar
Friday Race 7- Juvenile Fillies
We’re on Baffert’s home turf and he looks to have two major players in this race with #7 Explora and #2 Bottle of Rouge. I’ll take the west coast to hold serve here.
Saturday Race 7- Distaff
Mr. Unoriginal here. #8 Seismic Beauty looks really tough here with the retirement of Thorpedo Anna. You could go price shopping with #4 Scylla, #13 Regaled, or #7 Gin Gin, but it feels like a reach
The Ticket
#2,7 with #8 ($2)
If playing this ticket you will want to consider upping your units to make it worth the sweat as the payout will likely be extremely low relative to other combinations.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Classic Double (Friday Race 9, Saturday Race 9)
Ted Noffey is the likely post time favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Friday Race 9- Juvenile
I like another Baffert here in a slight upset. #7 Brant is out of Gun Runner and has the highest overall speed figure in the group though earned at a much shorter distance. #8 Ted Noffey is hard to ignore here as a 2 time grade 1 winner in just 3 starts.
Saturday Race 9- Classic
This is where the money is made on this bet. #6 Sovereignty was scratched due to a fever. That probably puts #1 Fierceness in as the public choice. While he’s a great horse he’s 2 for 8 when going off the top choice.
Give me a couple moderate prices here. #7 Sierra Leone has beaten the favorite on the square, #10 Antiquarian is just rounding into his hype, and #5 Forever Young has proven his talent across the globe.
The Ticket
#7,8 with #5,7,10 ($6)
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-Breeders’ Cup Turf Double (Friday Race 10, Saturday Race 8)
Rebel’s Romance returns to try and win his third Breeder’s Cup Race
Friday Race 10- Juvenile Turf
This race is also part of the All Turf Pick 3 and I will be using #9 Argos and #14 Gstaad once again.
Saturday Race 8- Turf
This is race where the top of the board seems strong but not invincible. #1 Rebel’s Romance and #8 Minnie Hauk represent the strongest chances to win from overseas, but don’t sleep on some good American prices like improving #12 Tawny Port and Prat ridden #4 Redistricting.
The Ticket
#9,14 with #1,4,8,12 ($8)
While the payouts on this one should be better players would be wise to weight the #14 with #1,8 combinations a bit more than the others.
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Breeders’ Cup Saturday Specials
Breeders’ Cup All Turf Pick 4 (Saturday Races 5,8,10, & 12)
Del Mar features an all Turf Pick 4 on Saturday for only a $.50 base wager
Race 5- Turf Sprint
This is an interesting renewal of the turf sprint. #1 Motorious and #8 Ag Bullet nearly won this race last year, but there is plenty of chaos possibility here. This feels like a race where you need to survive and advance.
Race 8- Turf
This race is also in the Juvenile Turf- Turf Double. Let’s get through with the Euros in this one and just use #1 Rebel’s Romance and #8 Minnie Hauk
Race 10- Mile
#2 Notable Speech is going to be tough to beat. There are options in the form of #5 Program Training, #10 Jonquil, and #11 Rhetorical, but I’m going to put all my eggs in the Appleby-Buick basket.
Race 12- Filly and Mare Turf
This is a chance to separate from the favorite #5 Gezora. #9 Cinderella’s Dream gets Appleby’s top jock while #13 She Feels Pretty has hardly taken a step wrong in over 2 years. Give me those two with a sprinkle of #6 Diamond Rain and #12 Bellezza.
The Ticket
#1,4,8,10,13 with #1, 8 with #2 with #6,9,12,13 ($20)
Breeders’ Cup All Dirt Pick 4 (Saturday Races 4,6,7 & 9)
Sovereignty trains for the Breeders’ Cup before having to scratch with a fever
Race 4- Filly and Mare Sprint
#6 Sweet Azteca enters as a solid favorite, but could have plenty of mid-price competition form the likes of #2 Splendora, #9 Richi, and #8 Hope Road. I’m going to want coverage here.
Race 6- Sprint
This is another open field. #2 Banishing seems a ridiculous price at 15-1 while #1 Kopion is a force to be reckoned with. #6 Dr. Venkman is here specifically to avoid Nysos in the Dirt Mile and #12 Straight No Chaser has won at prices before.
Race 7- Distaff
This race is also included in the Juvenile Fillies-Distaff Double. Just #8 Seismic Beauty here.
Race 9- Classic
This race is also in the Juvenile-Classic Double. This isn’t the strongest opinion of the sequence so let’s have options to cash and add #1 Fierceness back in with the #5 Forever Young, #7 Sierra Leone, and #10 Antiquarian.
The Ticket
#2,6,8,9 with #1,2,6,12 with #8 with #1,5,7,10 ($32)
Breeders’ Cup Distaff-Classic Double (Saturday Races 7 & 9)
Sierra Leone benefits from key scratch in the Classic
Race 7- Distaff
This race is also included in the Juvenile Fillies-Distaff Double. Just #8 Seismic Beauty here.
Race 9- Classic
This race is also in the Juvenile-Classic Double and the All Dirt Pick 4. Hopefully we’re alive to our three horses in those wager and can just put it all on #7 Sierra Leone and really crush this wager. If we get bounced by an upset in the Juvenile, then I’d add back the other players into the 2nd leg.
The Ticket
#8 with #7 ($1)
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