Battle of the Best: Top Contenders for the 2022 Breeders’ Cup

By The Capital Sports Report Staff

If you’re a horse racing fan, you’ll be happy to know that the huge event is not yet done for the year. After the Triple Crown series, the Breeders’ Cup will commence just before the year ends annually. 

This global championship gathers top horses from around the world, and although it may not be as popular as the Triple Crown event, the Breeders’ Cup presents an expensive purse for the deserving winners. If you also have plans to participate in horse racing bets, here are the top contenders for the two-day championship event.

2022 Breeders’ Cup

The 2022 Breeders’ Cup will start on November 4, 2022, at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky. For bettors that couldn’t make it, the championship will be covered live by NBC Sports Group. The Breeders’ Cup will have 14 championship races with purses that total more than $30 million.

If you’re wondering how the races will unfold for this year’s championship, here’s the list of 5/14 tvg’s top picks for the 2022 breeders’ cup.

Breeders’ Cup Classic: Knicks Go

Regarded as the most expensive championship race of the Breeders’ Cup, the Breeders’ Cup Classic ran at one and ¼ miles on dirt. The most favored horse for this race is Knicks Go. This is a retired six-year-old horse bred by Maryland (USA).

Despite his retirement, Knicks Go was the 2021 American Horse of the Year after he won five of his seven starts, which included the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In fact, this horse has won two Breeders’ Cup championship races since 2020, and it seems he’s going for the third this year.

Breeders’ Cup Turf: Teona

The Breeders’ Cup Turf is a Weight for Age horse race. Despite being a demanding race, Teona, a four-year-old filly racehorse, is regarded as the early favorite. Her story as a racehorse is not a smooth sailing one.

When Teona was two years old, she showed a promising talent after she won her second race by nine lengths in 2022. However, she caused disappointment with her performance in the Musidora Stakes and the Epsom Oaks. Fortunately, in 2021, she significantly presented great development as she bagged the wins for August Stakes and the Prix Vermeille.

Breeders’ Cup Distaff: Letruska

Formerly known as the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff is a championship race for fillies and mares. The racetrack runs for one and ⅛ miles.

Letruska, the favorite horse to win the race, is a six-year-old mare who has made names since she was three years old. She was named the American Champion Older Dirt Female Horse in 2021, where she also won seven major titles.

Out of her 27 starts, she won 19 of them, was placed second once, and twice in third place. Letruska started her six-year-old campaign in 2022 by winning her Royal Delta Stakes race at Gulfstream, winning three lengths.

People who witnessed this win gushed that the mare was never challenged, and she took the lead easily while looking relaxed. The favorite, Letruska made a great impression on her race at the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf: Rougir

Another horse race championship on this list is the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Rougir, a four-year-old active horse racer, is the favorite filly for this race. She’s a French-bred thoroughbred that started running professionally when she was still two years old and was able to bag her first major win.

Despite a promising career, she also faced a few slumps. In 2021, she was beaten in her six races but was still able to win her Prix de L’Opera, a horse race in France. Out of her 18 starts, she has only won five times, once as a second finisher and thrice in third place.

This includes her recent win in the Beaugay Stakes, just earlier this year. Despite her losses, Rougir still presented significant improvements that many bettors can trust.

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile: Silver State

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes championship race with a distance that usually runs around one mile. The nine-year-old active horse racer, Silver State, is the most favored runner for this breeders cup race. He was foaled in 2017 and has participated in 14 starts since then. Out of 14 stars, Silver State could place in 12 of them. Seven times as the first finisher, thrice as second, and twice as third.

Though he hasn’t participated in any races this year, Silver State is still regarded as a heavy favorite, and fans will be just surprised as he stops out to the tracks for the breeders’ cup.

Final Thoughts

The tvg has presented its top horses that you can expect in the breeders’ cup. If you’re planning to bet for the upcoming breeders’ cup, you must sign up for a reliable sportsbook that can present you with good odds and keep this list in mind as your guide. All these horses have showcased outstanding performances, and many bettors and fans look forward to how they will do for the breeders’ cup.