2022 Breeders' Cup: Free Expert Picks, Predictions & Best Bets

The most-prestigious horse race of the year is Saturday, as eight of the world’s top thoroughbreds face off at the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Kentucky. 

Flightline, which is undefeated and has posted times that put him among the greatest in the sport’s long history, is the prohibitive favorite for the Saturday event in a Best Of Class race in which every horse has won at least $1 million already. 

Our Bookies.com handicapper Adam Thompson has crushed horse racing in 2021 and 2022. If you had bet $5 on the picks for the 2021 TVG Pacific Classic, your account would be $232 fatter today. That was just the latest in a string of horse racing betting successes for Thompson in 2021, who won $480 on a $10 wager at the 2021 Preakness Stakes and hit the exacta at the Belmont Stakes, taking $75 on a $10 bet.

In 2022, he hit the exacta in two of three majors and has developed a longer strategy for picking horses on a weekly basis to success. Now our top horse racing handicapper turns his sights to the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The eight-horse field goes to post at 5:40 p.m. ET. 

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2022 Breeders' Cup Classic Morning-Line Odds

2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic Favorites at Keeneland

It doesn’t get any bigger than the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The horse racing odds at most top sportsbooks for Saturday’s 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic have one horse above all others, but 75% of the field is 15-1 or lower, meaning there are contenders all over the starting line in the latest odds at TwinSpires, among other sports betting apps.

Flightline (#4, 3-5 morning line odds)

Flightline has raced just five times ever, but each was a dominant effort with speed numbers that have set records and opened eyes across the horse racing world. 

His last race, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, was won by 20 lengths without even a push. Competition will rise to new levels, but the hype is real. How Flightline performs against the best of the best is worth watching this race alone. He has the rider (Flavian Prat) and trainer (John Sadler) to finish strong. 

Epicenter (#6, 5-1)

This Steve Asmussen horse finished in the top two in his last nine races, including at both the Kentucky Derby (to shocking underdog Rich Strike) and Preakness Stakes (to Early Voting). Since those two letdowns, Epicenter has won the Jim Dandy Stakes and the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, cementing his status as a bona-fide contender. 

Life Is Good (#2, 6-1)

Life Is Good has nine wins in 10 career races and is the top horse of top trainer Todd Pletcher. His strength of schedule isn’t that of Epicenter, which is why the odds are slightly higher. But it still includes four Grade 1 wins and improved speed figures in each of the last five races. 

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2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic Predictions

Fading Flightline entirely is folly; the horse is a massive favorite which cuts down on any winnings, but use him in trifecta and even superfectas. 

The only other horse we’re considering for the top spot is Epicenter, which was a Triple Crown favorite and has improved since the early summer. We’ll place exotics bets with both Flightline and Epicenter to win. 

Hot Rod Charlie has experience at this length and has finished in the money (top 3) in 11 of 13 races, all of which were legit stakes races. He was fourth at the 2021 Breeders’ Cup, the top horse back from a year ago. 

2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic Best Bets

Here’s how we’re betting the race; you can lay out your bet at FanDuel Sportsbook racing book and on their sports betting app:

$20 To Win: 4 

$5 Exacta Box: 4,6

$2 Exacta Box: 4,5,6

$1 Trifecta: 4,6 with 4,5,6 with 1,2,5,6,7 

$.50 Superfecta: 4 with 5,6 with 1,2,5,6,7 with ALL

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Where to Bet the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic

Horse racing betting is available via the FanDuel app, which has partnered with TVG - America's go-to destination for horse racing -  in the following states:

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You can also check out DRF Bets, the newest sportsbook from Daily Racing Forum, which has been providing horse racing bettors with expertise since 1894.

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