2019 Breeders Cup Post Position Draw

Breeders' Cup 2019: Odds and Predictions for All Entries in Classic Race

October 31, 2019

Luis Saez riding Maximum Security, second from right, goes around turn four with Flavien Prat riding Country House, left, Tyler Gaffalione riding War of Will and John Velazquez riding Code of Honor, right, during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic is set to take place on Saturday atSanta Anita Park in Arcadia, California, with McKinzie expected to start as the favourite.

The Bob Baffert-trained horse finished 12th in the race last season but has developed into a winner over the past 12 months.

An 11-strong field is set to start the marquee race at the two-day festival. Code of Honor was expected to be McKinzie's main challenger, but a poor post-position draw could scupper his chances.

Latest Odds (Runner, odds, predicted finish)

McKinzie: 4-1 (first)

Vino Rosso: 9-2 (second)

Code Of Honor: 9-2 (fourth)

Elate: 13-2 (third)

Yoshida: 7-1 (fifth)

Higher Power: 16-1 (eighth)

Owendale: 16-1 (seventh)

Mongolian Groom: 20-1 (sixth)

Math Wizard: 33-1 (10th)

War of Will: 33-1 (ninth)

Seeking The Soul: 33-1 (11th)

All odds viaOddschecker.

When Code Of Honor was drawn on the outside, the 9-2 shot's hopes of winning decreased. McKinzie drew a favourable lane at No. 8, and Baffert's colt could dominate because of the advantage:

Breeders' Cup @ BreedersCup
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Baffert is no stranger to the $6 million race, and he's won the event three times since 2014. McKinzie's disappointing display at last year's Classic should not affect his performance on Saturday, although if he's off his game again, he will get lost amid a field full of quality.

Code of Honor has plenty of staying power but must quickly find track position in order to produce a credible threat. The three-year-old defeated Vino Rosso in the 2019 Jockey Club Gold Cup in September after the Todd Pletcher-trained horse was disqualified, and the pair are expected to battle at the front in Arcadia.

The colts made contact during the Gold Cup, and it was enough for the stewards to decide Code Of Honor should be given the victory after Vino Rosso crossed the line first.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The two horses will be in the mix to place, but McKinzie's form makes him the favourite. The four-year-oldhas finished all but one of his races in the top two, and that form is appealing to punters.

However, McKinzie did lose his most recent outing toMongolian Groom, surprisingly placing second behind the 20-1 Classic shot at the 2019 Awesome Again Stakes.

Joel Rosario has since replaced four-time Classic winner Mike Smith asMcKinzie's jockey, and the 34-year-old won last year's Classic onAccelerate.