2013 Breeders Cup Betting: Wise Dan Headlines Pre-Entries

The 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan is back to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and is one of nine former champions headed to Santa Anita for horse racing’s two-day championship event.

Wise Dan is the 9-5 early betting favorite according to wagering odds released by breedersciupodds.net and is coming into this year’s Mile off a loss in his final prep race.

The Charles LoPresti trainee was upset in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on October 5, which snapped a nine-race win streak. The race was moved to the polytrack after rains washed the races off the turf.

A victory in the Mile would put him in position for another run at Horse of the Year honors. His two rivals for year-end honors this year are Game On Dude and Princess of Sylmar.

Game On Dude is perfect in five starts this year and is the 2-1 early betting favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The Bob Baffert trainee was the beaten favorite last year in the Classic, checking in seventh. In 2011, the gelding ran second at 14-1 behind Drosselmeyer.

Game On Dude will face a dozen foes in the Classic including last year’s upset winner Fort Larned, who is currently the second choice in the early betting at 5-1.

The Classic drew a tough field that includes Awesome Again winner Mucho Macho Man, who was the runner up in last year’s Classic, and talented three-year-olds Palace Malice, the Belmont Stakes winner, and Travers winner Will Take Charge.

If Game On Dude can win the Classic in his third attempt, he will be the front-runner for the Eclipse award for Horse of the Year.

On Friday the talented three-year-old filly Princess of Sylmar will take on two-time defending champion Royal Delta in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (formerly the Ladies’ Classic).

Royal Delta will be seeking an unprecedented third straight win in the race and is the early betting favorite at 9-5.

However, Princess of Sylmar beat her last out in the Beldame Invitational at Belmont Park and the filly has an outside shot of taking down Horse of the Year honors with a win in the Distaff.

She already has won four Grade 1 races this year, taking the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club of America Oaks, Alabama, and Beldame.

The Beldame earned her an all-expenses paid trip and automatic starting berth in the Distaff as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series of races.

A fifth Grade 1 in the Distaff combined with losses by Game on Dude and Wise Dan would make her a viable candidate for Horse of the Year.

The filly is the second choice at 2-1 in early betting odds released by breederscupodds.net.

The other defending champions looking for a repeat this year are Groupie Doll (Filly & Mare Sprint), Little Mike (Turf), Mizdirection (Turf Sprint), and Trinniberg (Sprint).

In addition, Beholder, last year’s winner of the Juvenile Fillies will take on older in the Distaff, and Flotilla, who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf last year, returns this year in the Mile against males.