There are few more prestigious events on the horse racing calendar than the Breeders’ Cup. This year’s event will take place at Santa Anita Park in California, across the first weekend in November.
Some of the biggest stars from across the world will travel to the Golden State to compete at the Breeders’ Cup, and there are some very interesting races taking shape this year.
But, who are some of the horses that could stand excellent chances at the Breeders’ Cup in 2023? Check out our article here on how to bet on horse races.
Prince Of Monaco
The action at the Breeders’ Cup gets underway on Friday, November 3, as the brightest two-year-olds from across the planet will lock horns. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2022 was a key race in terms of assessing the Kentucky Derby contenders, but Forte was ruled out of his shot at making history at Churchill Downs through injury.
Bob Baffert has two very exciting contenders set to line up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2023. Muth is the first of those, but he will need to bounce back after losing on his racecourse debut. The winner on that day could the runner to side with. Prince Of Monaco has looked excellent across his first two career starts, and he justified being a short-price favourite to land the G1 Del Mar Futurity in September. However, the key form was his success on debut over six furlongs at Del Mar, as he sped stylishly clear of Muth to win by four and a half lengths.
Find out more about Prince of Monaco by checking Breeders’ Cup 2023: Latest News, Videos & Notes by TwinSpires.
Arabian Knight
It could be a very successful Breeders’ Cup for Bob Baffert in 2023, as he also holds one of the solid contenders for success in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Arabian Knight has been one of the standout three year olds throughout the season, but he was denied a chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby due to Baffert’s ban at Churchill Downs.
He ran a solid race at the end of July to finish third behind Geaux Rocket Ride in the G1 Haskell Stakes, but he looked extremely exciting to get the better of his rival in early September over a mile and two furlongs. On that day, he finished a neck clear in the G1 Pacific Classic, and connections have already revealed that he will be pointed towards a runner in the Classic at the end of the year. That will likely make him the horse to beat.
Master Of The Seas
The Breeders’ Cup Mile is a race that will likely not take shape until the middle of October when it becomes clear which European runners will be heading to the United States. However, one runner that has already secured his berth at Santa Anita is the Charlie Appleby-trained Master of the Seas.
Appleby won this race in 2022 with the impressive Modern Games, and Masters of the Seas is taking a very similar route. The five-year-old has won on each of his previous two starts over a mile, and a significant marker was put down in the G1 Woodbine Mile in the middle of September, as he finished nearly four lengths clear of Shirl’s Speight. That run will make him the contender to beat, and he may be hard to oppose at Santa Anita based on his international efforts throughout 2023.
Auguste Rodin
The Breeders’ Cup Turf could be the most exciting race at Santa Anita this year, with a number of European rivals set to clash. Aidan O’Brien could hold all the cards, with both Bolshoi Ballet and Auguste Rodin among the leading contenders. However, if the latter shows up at Santa Anita, he will be incredibly challenging to overlook.
The G1 Epsom Derby winner has been slightly hit and miss throughout the season, but he is a three-time Grade 1 winner, with the latest of those coming in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes. His ability over the Turf distance is unquestionable, and a run at the Breeders’ Cup has already been teased by O’Brien.
