Breeders' Cup Odds 2020
The prestigious Breeders’ Cup is an incredible two-day horse racing spectacle that attracts some of the best trainers, jockeys and horses from across the globe. The horse racing event is usually a decider for the divisional championship at the end of the year and is also seen as a “stallion maker.”
The program for the Breeders’ Cup event consists of 14 different races that carry a total purse of $30 million. The event travels across North America to different racecourses every year.
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Win and you’re in
In recent years, the series has managed to become the world championship of thoroughbred racing and is one of the most acclaimed international horse racing events. This is due to the fact that the series offers “Win and You’re In” preparation races around the world that automatically pay the entry for the winner along with travel expenses to make it to the main event.
The $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is the highlight of the event every year, and consists of a 1 ¼ mile race aimed toward older horses that will participate on the main racetrack. This race is usually a decider for the Horse of the Year award. Apart from this main event, you will find that the other races also offer their own championship, placing the best horses in their rightful division against one another. The Mile and the Turf, in particular, manages to attract some of the greatest turf horses from across Europe.
In addition, the Breeders’ Cup can create some tough handicap situations, leading to some pretty rewarding payout potential. For instance, the French horse Arcangues provided a payout of $269.20 during the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1993. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the series provides one of the most incredible handicapping competitions in the world, called the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.
2020 Breeders’ Cup odds
The Breeders’ Cup World Championship is considered an annual series geared toward Grade 1 Thoroughbred horse racing events. It has been operated by Breeders’ Cup Limited since 1984. It was initially a one-day horse racing event until 2007, when it expanded into a two-day event. All events have taken place in the United States, except when it was hosted in Canada during 1996 at the Woodbine Racetrack.
A maximum of 14 runners are allowed to participate in the Breeders’ Cup races. Horses that win the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup. The purse for the Breeders’ Cup varies between $1 million and $6 million every year, and the surface for the event is usually dirt and turf. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the field of runners for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup along with their odds.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tripoli | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 15-1 |
| 2 | Express Train | Victor Espinoza | 20-1 |
| 3 | Hot Rod Charlie | Flavien Prat | 4-1 |
| 4 | Essential Quality | Luis Saez | 3-1 |
| 5 | Knicks Go | Joel Rosario | 5-2 |
| 6 | Art Collector | Mike Smith | 8-1 |
| 7 | Stiletto Boy | Kent Desormeaux | 30-1 |
| 8 | Medina Spirit | John Velazquez | 4-1 |
| 9 | Max Player | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 8-1 |
2020 Breeders’ Cup post positions
See the table above for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup post positions.
How to read the 2020 Breeders’ Cup odds
You are welcome to place a bet on a horse racing event without understanding anything about betting odds, but it will be as useful as placing a bet based on the colors that a jockey is wearing. It’s vital to read and understand betting odds when it comes to horse racing, as placing smart bets will lead to bigger profits.
You need to have a basic understanding of horse racing odds to differentiate between a smart betting choice and a poor one. In this section of our article, we are going to look at what betting odds are, the various formats you will come across when you place a bet, how you can easily calculate winnings and odds, and more.
Bookmaker horse racing odds
Each horse in a race will receive odds from a bookmaker. This will be based on the bookmaker’s prediction of how likely it is for the runner to win the race. The horse that is considered the most likely to win the race is regarded as the favorite and will always have the shortest odds. The horse that is considered the least likely to win the race is regarded as the outsider and will always have the longest odds. These odds will also indicate the profits you stand to earn if your selected horse wins the race. Shorter odds provide less of a profit, while longer odds provide more of a profit but are incredibly difficult to achieve.
For instance, let’s say Seattle Slew is considered the favorite to win the race with the shortest odds of 3.00 (2/1), while Seabiscuit is considered the outsider with the longest odds of 501.00 (500/1). The bookmaker basically looked at the form of both horses in the race and came to the conclusion that Seattle Slew has the best chance of winning the race, while Seabiscuit has the least chance of winning the race.
You will immediately notice that the odds displayed next to each horse represents the likelihood of a horse winning the race, and if you remember your math classes during school, you will know that likelihood is also known as probability. If you are interested in fully understanding odds and how to read them correctly, you will need to understand probability and how it affects the odds for each horse.
You will also come across two odds systems: decimal odds (3.00) and fractional odds (2/1). Thankfully, most online sports betting sites provide both, but we will still explain both of them to help you get a better idea of how each of them work.
Understanding probability
Your likelihood of winning is best described as probability. Therefore, if you look at Seattle Slew, you will notice that the bookmaker decided that the probability of him winning is approximately one in every three racing events, giving you a 33% chance of winning. When you look at Seabiscuit, the bookmaker determined that there’s no chance that the horse will win, giving him a probability of winning at around 0.2%.
Bookmakers will do this for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup, but instead of probability figures, you will receive odds. Understanding how probability coincides with odds is vital to reading and understanding horse racing odds.
Calculating probability into betting odds
This is a very simplistic calculation that will greatly assist you in reading and understanding betting odds, allowing you to calculate the implied probability on the spot. Let’s revisit Seattle Slew as the favorite with odds of 3.00 (2/1). However, in this example, we will use fractional odds (2/1) to keep things as simple as possible.
You can calculate probability as follows: Probability (P) = Y / (X+Y) x 100, where Y=1 (denominator) and X=2 (numerator).
- 2/1 – The calculation for these odds is P = 1 / (2+1) x 100, giving you 1/3 x 100, which equals a probability of 33%.
- 500/1 – The calculation for these odds is P = 1 / (500+1) x 100, giving you a probability of 0.20%.
Let’s take a look at more typical odds examples converted into probabilities:
- 1/4 odds = 4/5 = 0.80, giving you an 80% chance of winning.
- 1/1 odds = ½ = 0.50, giving you a 50% chance of winning.
- 10/1 odds = 1/11 = 0.09, giving you a 9% chance of winning.
Using betting odds to calculate your winnings
Not only can you calculate the probability of a horse race, but you will also be able to determine your potential winnings. With that in mind, let’s take a look at more examples on how you can calculate your potential return.
- If you wager $1.00 on 2/1 odds, you stand to win $2.00 for every $1.00 you bet, giving you a return of $3.00.
- If you wager $1.00 on 4/1 odds, you stand to win $4.00 for every $1.00 you bet, giving you a return of $5.00.
- If you wager $1.00 on 10/1 odds, you stand to win $10.00 for every $1.00 you bet, giving you a return of $11.00.
- If you wager $4.00 on 1/4 odds, you stand to win $1.00 for every $4.00 you bet, giving you a return of $5.00.
How odds are calculated for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup
In order for bookmakers to set odds on each of the horses, they will first need to ensure that a profit will be made from all the betting action. The odds for each horse are determined through a wide variety of factors. This includes the history and form of the horse, how it reacts to certain conditions, the trainer, the jockey, the lineage of the particular horse, and more. Once all this information has been gathered, bookmakers can decide on the likelihood of a horse winning the 2020 Breeders’ Cup event compared to the other runners in the race.
Breeders’ Cup and futures betting
The Breeders’ Cup usually takes place toward the end of each year, often in the beginning of November. Even though this prestigious event only occurs later on in the year, it doesn’t mean that betting doesn’t take place long before the event is even mentioned between bettors. Most professional bettors will take advantage of future betting opportunities when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The reason they start betting months before the time is to obtain the best odds for the event and to greatly increase their chances of making a sizable profit. Just ensure you shop around at several online sports betting sites, such as TVG, before you place your hard-earned money on a particular horse.
Breeders’ Cup winners and records
Most Breeders’ Cup Jockey Wins
- Mike Smith — 26 Wins
- John R. Velazquez — 16 Wins
- Jerry Bailey — 15 Wins
- Frankie Dettori — 14 Wins
- Garret K. Gomez — 13 Wins
Most Breeders’ Cup Trainer Wins
- D. Wayne Lukas — 20 Wins
- Bob Baffert — 15 Wins
- Chad Brown and Aidan O’Brien — 12 Wins
- Todd A. Pletcher and William I. Mott — 10 Wins
- Shug McGaughey and Richard Mandella — 9 Wins
Largest Margin of Victory
- Street Sense won by 10 lengths during the 2006 Juvenile.
- Inside Information won by 13.5 lengths during the 1995 Distaff.
Countries with the Most Winners in the Breeders’ Cup
- 262 — United States
- 31 — Ireland
- 20 — United Kingdom
- 7 — France
- 6 — Canada
- 5 — Argentina
- 1 — Germany
- 1 — Japan
