Breeders' Cup 2022 Post Positions: Horses, Prize-Money Predictions and Odds
The 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic is set to punctuate a lucrative day of racing from the Keeneland Race Track in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday.
The Classic will see an eight-horse field close out a loaded card with $6 million in prize money on the line.
The field includes a bevy of big names, including three-year-olds like Rich Strike and Epicenter, while introducing American fans to four-year-old favorite Flightline.
With horses ages three and up allowed to enter and a much bigger prize, this world championship race comes with higher stakes than any of the Triple Crown races.
Here's a look at the entire field with each entrants' odds as well as a preview and prediction for the 1ΒΌ-mile dirt track race.
Post Positions, Odds and Race Info
Where: Keeneland Racetrack
When: Saturday, November 5
Post Time: 5:40 p.m. ET
Post Positions and Odds
1. Taiba 8-1
2. Life is Good 6-1
3. Happy Saver 30-1
4. Flightline 3-5
5. Hot Rod Charlie 15-1
6. Epicenter 5-1
7. Olympiad 10-1
8. Rich Strike 20-1
Post positions and odds via BreedersCup.com
Preview
All eyes are going to be on Flightline in the Classic this year. The four-year-old is the least experienced in the stacked field yet comes into the race as the prohibitive favorite, which just speaks to the talent of the John W Sadler-trained entrant.
The son of Tapit has won all five career races by more than 62 combined lengths. Most recently, he outran the whole field at the Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar and posted a blazing-fast Equibase speed figure of 128.
Making Flightlines moneyline even more impressive is the presence of LIfe is Good in the field. The four-year-old is racing for the final time in the Classic and will be an underdog for the first time in his career.
"In some ways, it's a little easier as an underdog," trainer Todd Pletcher said, per Bob Ehalt of BloodHorse. "He's doing great. We're looking forward to running him, and we'll see how it pans out. It's the toughest race he's run in, and I'd say it will probably be the toughest race for Flightline as well."
The 2021 Breeders' Cup dirt mile winner has claimed three victories in 2022. Two of those have come in Grade 1 stakes with the Woodward at Belmont and the Whitney Stakes in Saratoga.
He has nine victories in 11 career starts and figures to be one of the biggest challengers to the favorite.
Epicenter has to be included in that group. The second choice according to the odds, he has the makeup to challenge both of the four-year-olds.
Epicenter went off as the Kentucky Derby favorite but came up just short with a second-place finish, followed up by another runner-up performance in the Preakness. Since then, he's shown improvement, winning the Jim Dandy Stakes as well as the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
Whether that improvement is enough for him to score a win in the championship race is a storyline to keep an eye on.
Prediction
The obvious pick here is Flightline, but the break from the post is going to be key. Life is Good works best as a pacesetter, so it will be important for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to get a clean start from the opening bell.
Breaking from the second gate, if Life is Good gets boxed out early, it's going to be tough for him to make up any of that ground as the race goes on. With Flightline breaking from the fourth post, it will be interesting to see if jockey Flavien Pratt tries to get his horse to set the pace or sits back and follows in behind Life is Good.
Epicenter is much more comfortable sitting off the lead and making his move later down the stretch. However, Joel Rosario will have to choose his line carefully because Life is Good and Flightline have enough endurance to set and keep a relatively fast pace.
Ultimately, Flightline is good enough to stay just off of Life is Good's early pace while having enough heart at the end to stave off any kind of comeback attempt from Epicenter, who could have to make a move from the outside since he's breaking out of the No. 6 gate in an eight-horse field.
Prediction
1. Flightline
2. Epicenter
3. Life is Good
4. Hot Rod Charlie