Breeders' Cup: Betting preview and best bets

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This weekend, Santa Anita Park in California will play host to the 36th edition of the Breeders' Cup, a two-day event comprised of 14 horse races. Saturday night will feature the Classic, which holds a purse of $6 million. Here's everything you need to know about the race from a betting perspective.

Odds

Notes

Trainer Bob Baffert has the luxury of overseeing the favorite, McKinzie. The 4-year-old colt is on an absolute tear, having finished either first or second in his last seven races. Meanwhile, Baffert's won 15 career races in the Breeders' Cup, which is the second-highest mark of all time. He also won the Whitney Stakes for the first time back in August, when McKinzie edged out Yoshida and Vino Rosso. After alternating first- and second-place finishes over his last seven, McKinzie - who's coming off a runner-up result - could be in line for a victory.

Code of Honor is just behind McKinzie in the odds at 4-1. The 3-year-old colt is racing for the fifth time in sixth months and is heading into the weekend following three consecutive first-place finishes. Code of Honor paced the pack in both the Dwyer Stakes and Travers Stakes, and he was awarded first in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes when Vino Rosso was disqualified for interference. However, there's one concern for trainer Shug McGaughey when it comes to traveling to California from the East Coast.

"A lot of times, going from East to West on the dirt hasn't worked out, but this horse seems to adapt pretty well, so we'll have to see," McGaughey told Frank Angst of Bloodhorse.com. "It is a little bit of a different ballgame.

Vino Rosso's team will have vengeance on its mind after being stripped of the Jockey Club Gold Cup victory. But the 4-year-old colt still has a solid track record after finishing in the top three in four of his last five races. Vino Rosso also has experience running at the Classic distance; he took home the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May.

Elate, a 5-year-old mare, has placed in seven of her last eight and in each of her last four. After finishing first in both the Fleur de Lis Handicap and the Delaware Handicap, Elate lost by a nose to Midnight Bisou in the Personal Ensign Stakes and then by a half-length to Blue Prize in the Spinster Stakes.

Best bets

Vinno Rosso (5-1)

The 4-year-old colt performed well on the same track just a few months ago, beating out Gift Box, who actually edged out two horses in this race - McKinzie and Mongolian Groom - in the Santa Anita Handicap. Vino Rosso is peaking at the right time and is equipped to handle the Classic distance. After trainer Todd Pletcher and co-owner Mike Repole were robbed of a first-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, they'll rinse the bad taste out of their mouths on Saturday with another win at Santa Anita.

Elate (13-2)

Speaking of horses who fare well running long, Elate has gone a perfect 3-for-3 when racing at 1 1/4 miles.

"The fact that she is 3-for-3 at a mile and a quarter is the reason why we chose the Classic," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott told Jennie Rees of the Paulickreport.com. "She's a top-class mare and she's run very well at the distance, and we want to give her the best opportunity we can."

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.