Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2025 Breeders Cup Classic Preview
The Breeders Cup Classic is the highlight of the Breeders' Cup weekend with a purse of $6m making it the richest race at the Breeders' Cup. The race is open to runners who are three years old or older with the race being run over ten furlongs (2,000m) on the dirt track. Along with the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes & Belmont Stakes), this is the final leg of the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.
Breeders Cup Classic Information:
- Breeders Cup Classic Past Winners
- Breeders Cup Classic Trainer Statistics
- Breeders Cup Classic Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Del Mar then head over to the Del Mar tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information, head down to the Breeders Cup Schedule section for links to these.
How competitive is the Breeders Cup Classic market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009 when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2006 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 125%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Breeders Cup Classic, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.
Breeders Cup Classic Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Breeders Cup Classic next time out then you would have backed a total of 6 winners. Backing all 11 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -1.90. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Breeders Cup Classic remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2011 renewal when Drosselmeyer from William Mott under the guidance of Mike E Smith, won in a time of 2:04.27, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Authentic, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by John R Velazquez set the quickest time of 1:59.19 in the 2020 renewal.
These are the top three quickest-run Breeders Cup Classic over the last 20 renewals:
- Authentic (1:59.19) in 2020
- Ravens Pass (1:59.27) in 2008
- Knicks Go (1:59.57) in 2021
Breeders Cup Classic Challenge Series
Here are the races that are included in the Breeders Cup Challenge Series for the Breeders Cup Classic:
- February Stakes (Tokyo)
- Stephen Foster Handicap (Churchill Downs)
- Haskell Invitational (Monmouth)
- Whitney Handicap (Saratoga)
- Juddmonte International (York)
- Pacific Classic (Del Mar)
- Jockey Club Gold Cup (Saratoga)
- Awesome Again Stakes (Santa Anita)
Breeders Cup Classic Past Winners
Here are the Breeders Cup Classic past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Breeders Cup Classic are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 2:00.78 | Sierra Leone (USA) 3yo 8-10 (11 of 14) 69/10 | Flavien Prat Chad C Brown (USA) |
| 2023 2:02.87 | White Abarrio (USA) 4yo 9-0 (2 of 12) 13/5F | Irad Ortiz Jr Richard Dutrow Jr (USA) |
| 2022 2:00.05 | Flightline (USA) 4yo 9-0 (4 of 8) 4/9F | Flavien Prat John W Sadler (USA) |
| 2021 1:59.57 | Knicks Go (USA) 5yo 9-0 (4 of 8) 16/5 | Joel Rosario Brad H Cox (USA) |
| 2020 1:59.19 | Authentic (USA) 3yo 8-10 (9 of 10) 9/2 | John R Velazquez Bob Baffert (USA) |
| 2019 2:02.80 | Vino Rosso (USA) 4yo 9-0 (10 of 11) 4/1 | Irad Ortiz Jr Todd Pletcher (USA) |
| 2018 2:02.93 | Accelerate (USA) 5yo 9-0 (14 of 14) 9/2 | Joel Rosario John W Sadler (USA) |
| 2017 2:01.29 | Gun Runner (USA) 4yo 9-0 (5 of 11) 11/4 | Florent Geroux Steven Asmussen (USA) |
| 2016 2:00.11 | Arrogate (USA) 3yo 8-10 (9 of 9) 7/4 | Mike E Smith Bob Baffert (USA) |
| 2015 2:00.07 | American Pharoah (USA) 3yo 8-10 (4 of 8) 4/6F | Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert (USA) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Breeders Cup Classic have been based:
- USA: 19 winners with an additional 32 placings from 189 runners
- GB: 1 winner with an additional 3 placings from 11 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 13 runners
- JPN: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 7 runners
- CAN: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 2 runners
Breeders Cup Classic Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Breeders Cup Classic over the last 20 renewals is Bob Baffert who has won the race four times with those four winners coming from Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015), Arrogate (2016) and Authentic (2020). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Breeders Cup Classic are John W Sadler (2 wins), Steven Asmussen (2 wins) and Richard Dutrow Jr (2 wins). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Breeders Cup Classic, A P O'Brien has sent a total of 13 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Breeders Cup Classic trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Baffert | 24-4-11 | -6.08 | -3.59 |
| John W Sadler | 8-2-3 | -1.06 | -1.54 |
| Steven Asmussen | 7-2-2 | +2.25 | -0.65 |
| Richard Dutrow Jr | 3-2-2 | +3.85 | +1.91 |
| Todd Pletcher | 18-1-4 | -13.00 | -6.82 |
| William Mott | 15-1-3 | +6.00 | +2.49 |
| Kiaran McLaughlin | 6-1-1 | +0.50 | -1.70 |
| John Shirreffs | 5-1-3 | -0.67 | +1.64 |
| Brad H Cox | 5-1-2 | -0.80 | -1.39 |
| Chad C Brown | 4-1-1 | +3.90 | +1.14 |
Breeders Cup Classic Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Breeders Cup Classic over the last 20 renewals is Mike E Smith who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Zenyatta (2009), Drosselmeyer (2011) and Arrogate (2016). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Breeders Cup Classic are Joel Rosario (2 wins), Irad Ortiz Jr (2 wins) and Flavien Prat (2 wins). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Breeders Cup Classic, Javier Castellano has ridden 11 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Breeders Cup Classic jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike E Smith | 16-3-8 | +12.08 | +18.62 |
| Joel Rosario | 13-2-5 | -3.30 | -2.04 |
| Irad Ortiz Jr | 9-2-4 | -0.40 | +1.06 |
| Flavien Prat | 7-2-3 | +2.34 | +0.90 |
| John R Velazquez | 17-1-5 | -11.50 | -8.24 |
| G K Gomez | 8-1-2 | -1.50 | -1.80 |
| Frankie Dettori | 5-1-1 | +4.00 | +0.80 |
| Victor Espinoza | 5-1-3 | -3.33 | -2.02 |
| Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr | 4-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.40 |
| Martin Garcia | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.35 |
2025 Breeders Cup Classic Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 2, 4, 4, 10, 2, (6, 4, 5), 7, 9, 4, 1, 2, 5, 12, 2, 6, 3, 1, 1, 2
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well. The trend information is based on the available information on the racing post in terms of previous runs etc.
- 20 / 20 (62%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (68%) - Achieved an RPR of 119+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Had 1 - 7 wins (Class)
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Highest Won is not G2-3/LST/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Placed within last 1 starts
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Achieved an RPR of 112+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Ran over 5½f - 1m½f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Not on GS/GD/FM/SLW/STD (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Had 2 - 5 placings (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Carried 119 - 126lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not in a G1/LST/Cl3-4 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -5¾l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Break of 27 - 91 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 112+ (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Del Mar racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Breeders Cup Classic. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles like How to Find Winners - 101 Tips to Choose A Winning Horse Racing Bet.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Breeders Cup Classic by adding a tip on the race here.
Breeders Cup Classic Trend Analysis
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career wins in the class, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-63.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 11 (9,1) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (4,12) [12 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 4 (7,1) [8 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 4 (7,3) [8 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 9 (8,7) [10 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Breeders Cup Classic are Saratoga and Belmont Park, there has been a total number of 6 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 221 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 4 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Breeders Cup Classic despite multiple attempts:
- Awesome Again (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Bernardini (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Mineshaft (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- A.P. Indy (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Danehill (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Drosselmeyer in 2011, winning for William Mott at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Mike E Smith. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2025 Breeders Cup Classic head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters today. All figures and trends above, such as the horse's previous runs are based on the information that is available on the racing post.
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Breeders Cup Classic Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for International racing.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Breeders Cup Schedule
Breeders Cup Juvenile races on Friday
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Magnum Force (IRE) 2yo - 125/10 | G M Lyons Colin Keane |
| Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies | Immersive (USA) 2yo - 2/1 | Brad H Cox Manuel Franco |
| Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Lake Victoria (IRE) 2yo - 7/10 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Breeders Cup Juvenile | Citizen Bull (USA) 2yo - 159/10 | Bob Baffert Martin Garcia |
| Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf | Henri Matisse (IRE) 2yo - 39/10 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
Breeders Cup Championship races on Saturday
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Soul Of An Angel (USA) 5yo - 198/10 | Saffie A Joseph Jr Drayden Van Dyke |
| Breeders Cup Turf Sprint | Starlust (GB) 3yo - 34/1 | Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan |
| Breeders Cup Distaff | Thorpedo Anna (USA) 3yo - 2/5 | Kenneth McPeek Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr |
| Breeders Cup Turf | Rebels Romance (IRE) 6yo - 19/10 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| Breeders Cup Classic | Sierra Leone (USA) 3yo - 69/10 | Chad C Brown Flavien Prat |
| Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Moira (CAN) 5yo - 58/10 | Kevin Attard Flavien Prat |
| Breeders Cup Sprint | Straight No Chaser (USA) 5yo - 61/10 | Dan Blacker John R Velazquez |
| Breeders Cup Mile | More Than Looks (USA) 4yo - 69/10 | Cherie DeVaux Jose L Ortiz |
| Breeders Cup Dirt Mile | Full Serrano (ARG) 5yo - 134/10 | John W Sadler Joel Rosario |
