California Chrome is taking it easy at the moment, enjoying a month off of training after winning the Dubai World Cup and the $6 million winner’s purse. At the moment, there’s no indication as to when he’ll race again although his connections have shown interest in the August 6 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. They’re trying to get the track to bump the purse up to $2 million to help motivate their interest. What is known is that the current plan is for the Breeders’ Cup Classic to be the final competitive race for California Chrome before he heads off to a career at stud.
Wynn Las Vegas has already opened a futures market on the Breeders Cup Classic and after opening as an 8/1 second choice to win the race California Chrome is now the favorite with bettors pushing him up to 9/2. That no doubt was prompted by his impressive showing in the Dubai World Cup. This will be California Chrome’s second run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic–he finished third in 2014 as a three year old and didn’t race last year due to his injury situation. His connections plan to race him at least once more before the Breeders Cup though there is a chance that California Chrome could compete in two races.
The current second choice in Breeders’ Cup Classic betting was the original favorite–six year old mare Beholder opened as the race favorite (5/1) and is still at that price. Now the second choice behind California Chrome, she is expected to make her 2016 debut at the Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita in June. She’s been an absolute monster as an older mare winning six straight races including three straight Grade 1 events-the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita last September and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August 2015. She also won the Clement L. Hirsh Stakes at Del Mar in early August 2015.
The third choice in Breeders Cup Classic betting is the current 2016 Kentucky Derby favorite–Nyquist saw a big move following his victory in the Florida Derby. He’s now at 9/1 after opening at 50/1. The Wynn Las Vegas is also taking action on the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff–Songbird is the current favorite at 9/5.