What to know about the 2023 Breeders’ Cup: start time, favorites, posting locations, and more

A two-day festival of thoroughbred racing featuring some of the best horses, trainers and jockeys in the world, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup is a highlight of the racing calendar, and is horse racing’s version of the year-end championship, except it awards no championships – those will have to wait until Voting for the Eclipse Awards begins later this month.

The Breeders’ Cup is one of the best and most anticipated horse racing weekends held annually. Each race is highly competitive, with plenty of horses competing, offering great betting and handicapping.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic does not have a clear favorite similar to last year’s Flightline, who won going away.

One of the happiest stories in racing over the past year, Cody’s desirewill return to try to repeat his win at the Dirt Mile.

Horse racing is indeed about stories, but it’s also and mostly about betting, which is why we’ll be back on Friday and Saturday to take a look at all 14 races.

When is the 2023 Breeders’ Cup?

This year, it will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Which horses are participating in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup?

Over the two days, horses bred and raced in the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Canada, Japan, Argentina and Chile will compete in 14 races worth a total of $28 million. The Breeders’ Cup is one of the few occasions when horses from other countries are shipped to the United States to race. European horses are particularly prominent in turf racing, as racing on dirt is rare in Ireland, Great Britain and France.

The size of the fields in each race, the puzzle of deciphering how international horses handle US travel and racing conditions, and the sheer quality of the runners make betting attractive for two days. In last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Caravel paid $87.78 to win, eclipsing $4,084.15 on a 0.50 bet, an anomaly on two days of unusual racing.

Unfortunately, even the most die-hard enthusiasts realize that this weekend’s event, like so many others this racing year, will be held with a bit of a pall of color over it. The headlines in the lead up to these races were filled with predictions and parades less and less as the level of concern about the safety of the horses increased.

In the weeks before and after the Kentucky Derby, six horses died at Churchill Downs. At Saratoga Race Course this summer, two high-profile horses broke down at the finish line in Grade 1 races and were euthanized in front of a packed grandstand and clubhouse. Both the public and industry professionals view the sport with increasing awareness — and concern — about injury to horses, and a recent spate of bad news about horse training at Santa Anita has exacerbated those concerns.

On October 29, Geaux Rocket Ride, who was expected to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, was seriously injured during morning training. He was euthanized as a result of his injuries on November 1st. On October 31, Practical Work, entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, collapsed and died of an apparent cardiac event after morning training. Later that morning, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Arcangelo was scratched from the Classic with a foot problem and was immediately retired.

With racing starting on Friday, event organizers and participants are hoping for two days of amazing and safe racing, as will those who will attend and watch the Breeders’ Cup broadcast.

How to watch and stream the 2023 Breeders’ Cup

The races will be shown on the NBC family of networks, which doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be easy to find.

Five Breeders’ Cup races are scheduled for Friday, all for 2-year-old horses and all shown on USA Network from 4 to 8 p.m. Those watching online can head to NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Coverage will begin Saturday at 1:30 PM ET on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app and will include the first two Breeders’ Cup races. From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock will broadcast five Breeders’ Cup races, culminating with the Classic. The final two Breeders’ Cup races, the Turf Sprint and the Sprint, will not be part of any NBC telecast.

Race schedule for Friday, November 3

Juvenile Turf Sprint (post time: 5:00 p.m. ET) – $1,000,000 purse

Juvenile Fillies (post time: 5:40 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse

Juvenile Turf Fillies (post time: 6:20 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse

Events (post time: 7:00 PM ET) – $2 million purse

Juvenile Turf (post time: 7:40 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse

Race schedule for Saturday, November 4th

Dirt Mile (post time: 2:30 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse

Filly and Mary Grass (post time: 3:10 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse

Filly and mare Sprint (post time: 3:50 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse

Mile (post time: 4:30 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse

Distaff (post time: 5:10 p.m. ET) – $2 million purse

Grass (post time: 5:50 p.m. ET) – $4 million purse

Classic (post time: 6:40 p.m. ET) – $6 million purse

Turf Sprint (post time: 7:25 p.m. ET) – $1 million purse

Sprint (post time: 8:00 PM ET) – $2 million purse

Who won the 2022 Breeders Cup Classic?

Winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic as the favorite, Flightline, was retired immediately after the race — and immediately, I mean the next morning — to begin a breeding career. The same goes for last year’s Distaff winner Malathaat. A frustrating irony of this event is that success is often a prelude to the horses disappearing from the public eye.

What are the morning line odds for the 2023 Breeders Cup Classic?

(Image source: Horsephotos/Getty Images)