It has been just a few weeks since American Pharoah closed out his historic career with a victory at the 2015 Breeders’ Cup. However, people are already looking forward to the 2016 edition of the event.The 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic will take place on November 5 at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles. Sportsbooks are already taking bets on who will win the event with the favorite being one who could become the first filly to win since Zenyatta in 2009.
Who Is Beholder?
Beholder has +300 odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2016. Beholder, who will be six years of age in 2016, recently became the first horse since 1976 to have won races from Grades 1 to 5. She won three Grade 1 races in 2015.
In fact, Beholder has won the last three Zenyatta Stakes races at Santa Anita Park. She is tied with the race’s namesake herself for having the most wins in this event since it was introduced in 1993. The fact that the Breeders’ Cup Classic will take place on a track that Beholder has had so much success on only makes her a better shot to win it all.
Beholder is owned by Spendthrift Farm, a farm that Seattle Slew was a stud in. Gary Stevens has been her jockey for the past three years.
Will New York Come Ahead?
Toast of New York has the closest chance to bear Beholder with a +800 line. He was a big star in the 2014 racing season as he won the UAE Derby. He just barely finished in second place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that year as Bayern defeated him by a nose.
The biggest concern for Toast of New York is that he has been out of racing for a bit of time. He was hoping to race in the Dubai World Cup in 2015 but he suffered from a tissue injury. He is reported as being ready for racing in 2016 and should be a strong contender for this upcoming event.
Tonalist Wants to Come Back
Tonalist, a colt who holds Seattle Slew in his pedigree, has +800 odds to win. Tonalist won the Belmont Stakes and Peter Pan Stakes in 2014 and last year won the Cigar Mile Handicap. Joe Bravo is expected to return as his jockey.
A Huge Change
One move that will certainly change how the lines go comes from the death of Shared Belief, the horse that was originally the second-best choice to win. Originally co-owned by sports talk radio host Jim Rome, Shared Belief had a +400 line to win the Classic. He won the 2015 Santa Anita Derby but died from colic a few weeks later.
The excitement of the Breeders’ Cup Classic is certainly great but it will be a while before the race. The odds will certainly change based on how these horses run in future races and how more will enter into the race. One point is for certain that Beholder could be a huge contender for the race but it will still be interesting to see how she performs in upcoming major races.