LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Accelerate, the California-based 5-year-old who has won five of six starts this year, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic after drawing the far outside No. 14 post for the $6 million race.
West Coast, one of two entries trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is the 5-1 second choice after drawing the No. 7 post on Monday. He will start to the right of stablemate McKinzie, the co-third choice with Mind Your Biscuits (No. 11 post) at 6-1 odds. McKinzie’s mount is Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who rode Justify to this year’s Triple Crown before the colt was retired this summer with an ankle issue.
While Justify’s absence left the Breeders’ Cup’s marquee race without horse racing’s most notable star, it features entries that could challenge him for Horse of the Year honors. Accelerate arrives at Churchill Downs with a three-race winning streak by a combined 19 lengths.
