2022 Breeders' Cup Horse Betting

Breeders Cup logo

Known as the Breeders' Cup World Championships, this is one of the most exciting horse races of the year. Rather than being one race, like a Kentucky Derby, the Breeders' Cup is a series of races. This event-style race lures in millions of gamblers from around the globe, all of whom want to bet on the ponies and are looking to win some serious money.

The 38th Breeders' Cup takes place at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington Kentucky, from Friday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 5, with the Breeders' Cup Classic contested as the final race of the two-day event. The purse is set at $6 million. And while you won't win quite that much betting on the race, you can definitely pick up a pretty penny by putting some cash on these majestic beasts. 

Legal Betting Online is here to clarify the legality of betting on an event like the Breeders' Cup. Our goal is to inform our readers of the legal betting options available and to provide valuable information to assist bettors who are putting their money down. Below you will find information regarding the 2022 Breeders' Cup and our suggestions for legitimate sites that offer multiple options for betting on horse racing. 

Is It Legal To Bet On The Breeders' Cup In 2024?

Lawbook

US gambling laws do not outlaw horse betting from offshore betting sites. In fact, the federal government even carved out an exemption in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) just for legal horse betting. You will also find specific laws for off-track horse betting outlined in the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978.

US States can also create laws legalizing or criminalizing in-state horse betting. While the majority of states have kept the sport legal, some have opted out. However, unless specific state laws forbid offshore horse betting – and no states have yet done so – bettors can access these sites to safely place their legal horse wagers.

The Best Online Horse Betting Website

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What Is The Breeders' Cup?

More than a single race, the Breeders' Cup is a legitimate series of Grade 1 Thoroughbred races. Controlled by the Breeders' Cup Limited, the event has been one of the most exciting weekends for horse racing since its inception in 1984.

In 2007, the race moved from a single-day event to a multi-day event. And while the races typically take place on different tracks in different locations every year, every event has been held in the United States except in 1996 when the event took place in Canada at Woodbine Racetrack.

Other than the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, the Breeders' Cup is the largest annual horse racing event in the USA, and it has a very large global presence with gamblers. To date, there are 14 races in the Breeders' Cup. Here are the races, followed by the top prize amount:

Friday, November 4, 2022

  • Juvenile Turf Sprint - 5 1/2 Furlongs, $1M
  • Juvenile Turf - 1 mile, $1M
  • Juvenile Fillies - 1 1/16 miles, $2M
  • Juvenile Fillies Turf - 1 mile, $1M
  • Juvenile - 1 1/16 miles, $2M

Saturday, November 5, 2022

  • Filly & Mare Sprint - 7 furlongs, $1M
  • Turf Sprint - 5 1/2 furlongs, $1M
  • Dirt Mile - 1 mile, $2M
  • Filly & Mare Turf - 1 3/16 miles, $2M
  • Sprint - 6 furlongs, $2M
  • Mile - 1 mile, $2M
  • Distaff - 1 1/8 miles, $2M
  • Turf - 1 1/2 miles, $4M
  • Classic - 1 1/4 miles, $6M

These races encompass different ages and sexes of Thoroughbred, and they are run on different surfaces over different distances. Each race is considered an individual race. The main race of the event is the Longines Classic, which is more or less like a Derby-style race wherein the prize is a whopping $6 million.

A maximum field of 14 horses run in all but the Dirt Mile, which only has 12 horses. These horses are selected by a points system (think CFB), a panel of racing experts, and how horses do in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, which are held throughout the year. For this year's Classic, the field is only 10 horses due to various late scratches and schedule changes.

2022 Breeders' Cup Classic Odds

Currently, you won't find any odds for the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic, as the race is held late in the year, and the field won't be set until the end of October or the beginning of November. However, as soon as the field comes into focus for all the Breeders' Cup races, this page will be updated to reflect those horse betting futures and morning line odds. As usual, if you want the best payouts on your chosen pony, you'll have to pony up long before the actual race date.

Previous Breeders' Cup Winners

The following winners are for the Longines Classic. While there are 14 different races in the Breeders Cup, the Classic is considered the biggest race of the weekend and offers the biggest prize.

  • 1990: Unbridled
  • 1991: Black Tie Affair
  • 1992: A.P. Indy
  • 1993: Arcangues
  • 1994: Concern
  • 1995: Cigar
  • 1996: Alphabet Soup
  • 1997: Skip Away
  • 1998: Awesome Again
  • 1999: Cat Thief
  • 2000 & 2001: Tiznow
  • 2002: Volponi
  • 2003: Pleasantly Perfect
  • 2004: Ghostzapper
  • 2005: Saint Liam
  • 2006: Invasor
  • 2007: Curlin
  • 2008: Raven's Pass
  • 2009: Zenyatta
  • 2010: Blame
  • 2011: Drosselmeyer
  • 2012: Fort Larned
  • 2013: Mucho Macho Man
  • 2014: Bayern
  • 2015: American Pharoah
  • 2016: Arrogate
  • 2017: Gun Runner
  • 2018: Accelerate
  • 2019: Vino Rosso
  • 2020: Authentic
  • 2021: Knicks Go

Why give you the list of winners? We hope that you look up the horses. Find out what else they were winning that year. See what the winners had in common. See how they practiced. If you can find these common threads, you might be able to spot good bets for the Breeders' Cup.

How You Can Bet on the Breeders' Cup - Tips

1: Find a Site that Fires on All Cylinders

The first step in the process of betting on anything within the Breeders' Cup is to find the right racebook, or a sportsbook with a horse racing option. This can be easier said than done, so we'd like to give you a very quick rundown on some of the things you're looking for in a quality site. Your chosen site should:

  • Embrace US residents with open arms
  • Are fully authorized to accept legal real-money wagers
  • Feature betting options on every Cup race
  • Give you plenty of lines for each individual race
  • Have ironclad, transparent security
  • Have a great reputation of being a fair site
  • Have great customer support

Legal Betting Online has fortunately completed much of this process for you. The sites we have listed above have proven themselves to us and many other bettors over the years. To learn more about each site and what they offer you can visit our reviews page.

2: Research the Horses in the Race

This tip is a two'fer. First and foremost, decide on which races you want to bet. After this, see which horses are running. You don't need to study them to the extent you're ready to write a master's thesis, but you do want to see how well they're running in general. Check out videos with legendary trainers like Bob Baffert, who will help you look for hot horses, discuss the horses that showed up, the horses that do well on dirt, on turf, in sprints, at greater distances, etc. A little bit of research will help you understand which horses are likely to do well. BloodHorse Magazine is also a great, free online resource that all horseplayers should use.

3: Learn what the Odds Mean

Those 20/1 odds are simple enough to understand. You bet $1, and you win $20 if that horse wins. But what about across the board bets, or boxed bets, or a daily double, a trifecta, a perfecta, etc? Refer to our resource here to find out what these betting terms mean. By understanding the odds and the bets you will place, you will be in a much better position to bet to win. Knowledge is power in many walks of life, and especially so in gambling.

4: Don't Go Crazy on Complex Bets

Even after you have learned about the bets at the Breeders' Cup, you don't want to run wild. There are 14 races from which to choose. So why would you risk your money by attempting to accurately pick the four finishers in any one race? You can play a simple straight card, in two or three races, and have a much, much better chance of actually winning. Another tip here: Don't bet on every race! Just because it's an event doesn't mean you need to participate. You don't have to bet on all races; pick out the ones you feel put you in a good place statistically to win.

5: Leverage on a "Dog"

Okay, let's say you've bet $20 on horse X in the Juvenile turf race at 3/1. Then you see that a horse that, according to your research, might do well in the Sprint race. Let's call him horse Y. You see this horse has 12/1 odds. Well, a good way to go about your betting here is to leverage. A $5 bet on Y yields $60 on a win and more than covers your $20 should you lose. Proceed with caution, however, and make sure you really know the horses, because it's conceivable that you can lose both (or all) races. Leveraging on an underdog with the options in 14 races is a very smart move, but only if you know the horses' odds of winning.

Legal Betting Online wants to stress here that this isn't an overly complex topic. As long as you choose the right site, research the horses, understand your bets, and bet responsibly, you can have a great time while putting yourself in a position to win. The Breeders' Cup offers you plenty of opportunities to win. You only need to take advantage of them.

Breeders' Cup Dates

The 2022 Breeders' Cup races will be held on November 4-5, 2022, and they can be watched live on NBC and through its streaming apps on various platforms. The Classic will be the final race of the day, scheduled for a start time sometime in the 5:00 hour. The specific start time for the 2022 Breeders' Cup is TBA.

Helpful Links For Breeders Cup Enthusiasts

  • Breeders Cup Official Website - This is an excellent site that has pretty much everything you need to know about the Breeders' Cup. You can also download the official race programs on the site.
  • BloodHorse Magazine - This is the most reputable and trusted horse racing registry tracker, news source, and guide for American Thoroughbred racing.