Big-Race Showdown: 2018 Breeders’ Cup Selections

Gambling
Eclipse Sportswire

Horse racing’s second season – the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and the run-up to the world championships of horse racing at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2 and 3 – is underway! That means there’s great racing action nearly every weekend from here on out. America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races leading up to the Breeders’ Cup.

The players' picks will be posted here and a running bankroll will be kept to track their success all year long. Bankrolls will be tabulated on the basis of  $2 exacta and $2 trifecta box bets of each player’s top three selections. Check next week's Big-Race Showdown to find out how the players fared. Your players are Eric Bialek, Emily Gullikson, Candice Hare, Nicolle Neulist, Dan Tordjman, and Brian Zipse.

Let’s take a look at the players’ picks for this week’s races: the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs, the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs, and the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

NBC Sports will televise 12 of the 14 Breeders’ Cup championship races, starting on the Breeders' Cup "Future Stars Friday" program with five races, and continuing on Saturday with seven more. Eight races will be televised on NBCSN, and the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will anchor a 2 1/2-hour telecast on NBC slated for 3:30-6 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 3 that will also include live broadcasts of the Breeders' Cup Mile, Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, and Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Two Breeders' Cup races that kick off Saturday's card – the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint – will be broadcast live on TVG and will also be included as part of a one-hour Breeders’ Cup Live! presented America’s Best Racing digital special on Facebook and NBCSports.com from 11:55 a.m.-12:55 p.m. ET.


Eric Bialek

National Handicapping Championship Qualifier

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Code of Honor

2. Game Winner

3. Complexity

Alternate: Mind Control

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Blue Prize

2. Monomoy Girl

3. Vale Dori

Alternate: Midnight Bisou

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. McKinzie

2. Gunnevera

3. Yoshida

Alternate: West Coast

Top Selection: 11/28

Exacta Winnings: $194.20

Trifecta Winnings: $18.80

Total Winnings: $213.00


Emily Gullikson

OptixEQ, Tournament Handicapper

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Code of Honor

2. Standard Deviation

3. Topper T

Alternate: Gunmetal Gray

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Mopotism

2. Wow Cat

3. Blue Prize

Alternate: Abel Tasman

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. West Coast

2. Catholic Boy

3. Mind Your Biscuits

Alternate: Gunnevera

Top Selection: 5/28

Exacta Winnings: $152.20

Trifecta Winnings: $0

Total Winnings: $152.20


Candice Hare

TVG On-Air Host and Analyst

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Code of Honor

2. Complexity

3. Standard Deviation

Alternate: Mind Control

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Monomoy Girl

2. Abel Tasman

3. Midnight Bisou

Alternate: Blue Prize

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. Accelerate

2. West Coast

3. McKinzie

Alternate: Thunder Snow

Top Selection: 9/28

Exacta Winnings: $371.80

Trifecta Winnings: $150.48

Total Winnings: $521.28


Nicolle Neulist

Chart Caller and Freelance Writer

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Game Winner

2. Standard Deviation

3. Mr. Money

Alternate: Code of Honor

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Monomoy Girl

2. Wow Cat

3. Vale Dori

Alternate: Midnight Bisou

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. Catholic Boy

2. Mind Your Biscuits

3. Pavel

Alternate: McKinzie

Top Selection: 6/28

Exacta Winnings: $274.00

Trifecta Winnings: $61.46

Total Winnings: $335.46


Dan Tordjman

Video Correspondent and Handicapper for America's Best Racing

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Code of Honor

2. Game Winner

3. Derby Date

Alternate: Standard Deviation

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Monomoy Girl

2. Abel Tasman

3. Champagne Problems

Alternate: Wow Cat

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. Mind Your Biscuits

2. McKinzie

3. Pavel

Alternate: Thunder Snow

Top Selection: 9/28

Exacta Winnings: $251.00

Trifecta Winnings: $0

Total Winnings: $251.00


Brian Zipse

Derby Day Racing Managing Partner

$2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1. Code of Honor

2. Complexity

3. Standard Deviation

Alternate: Mind Control

$2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

1. Monomoy Girl

2. Abel Tasman

3. Midnight Bisou

Alternate: Blue Prize

$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

1. Accelerate

2. West Coast

3. McKinzie

Alternate: Thunder Snow

Top Selection: 9/28

Exacta Winnings: $113.10

Trifecta Winnings: $36.20

Total Winnings: $149.30

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