Breeders’ Cup odds 2015: American Pharoah easy favorite after Beholder scratches

American Pharoah has already won the Triple Crown of American thoroughbred horseracing. Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, he’ll try to add another accolade to an already stellar resume when he takes on a nine-horse field in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Unsurprisingly Pharoah, who starts in the fourth gate, opened as the odds favorite. He became even moreso after the scratch of Beholder on Thursday. Pharoah stood at 6/5 odds on Friday morning at Bovada.lv, with Tonalist (6/1) and Honor Code (6/1) garnering some betting interest as well.

In June, Pharoah became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win all three races of the Triple Crown -- the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont. However, he didn’t stop racing just because the cameras and media coverage turned its attention elsewhere this summer. In late August, Pharoah actually lost, finishing second behind Keen Ice at the Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, ending an eight-race win streak. Keen Ice, who finished second at the Haskell Invitational in early August and third at the Belmont, will break from the second gate and is set at 12/1 odds.

Tonalist, the winner of the 2014 Belmont Stakes, opens along the rail. The 4-year-old may be the best hope to knock off Pharoah after the scratch of 5-year-old mare Beholder. She had won 10 of her last 11 races, and the anticipation of seeing her take on Pharoah in the Classic’s open field caused some buzz among horse-racing fans. A veterinarian found bleeding during an examination, the LA Times noted, and her connections decided the safest bet was to sit on the sidelines for the race.

Breeders’ Cup coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC. The Classic is set for a 5:35 p.m. post. Earlier races from Lexington can be viewed from 1-4 p.m. on NBCSN. Streaming for all the races is also available via the NBC Sports.

Via Bovada.lv

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