Three Strategies for Playing the Breeders' Cup

Photos by Eclipse Sportswire
Whether you're an everyday regular, casual racing fan, lover of majestic horses, self-proclaimed "betting extraordinaire" or just someone who gets a rise off the adrenaline of placing a wager, there's a full three days of the highest-caliber racing for everyone next week. This is the Breeders' Cup World Championships. 
If you're already feeling overwhelmed trying to fine a couple of Pick 6 singles, don't sweat it;you can never be too prepared when analyzing a horse race. That's part of the beauty. No matter how many times you glance over a particular race, there's always a different angle to take, stat to further dissect or intricacy which upon deeper inspection could prove to be a key detail of analysis. 
No matter how you pick them, there's no right or wrong way; otherwise, I'd be a lot richer at this point! One of the better parts of betting horse racing is no matter whether you've seen the last race — maiden-breaking score or complete romp — the videos and stat lines are always out there.
You can pick up a program anywhere and have valuable information right in front of you. Everyone has their own style of betting, many of these complete with superstitions and traditions that after 20 years you can't seem to shake. I'm not trying to sway you away from those (I probably can't anyway!) but here are my tips with three strategies for betting the Breeders' Cup World Championships: 
1. Familiarize yourself with the classification system. Learn the differences between Grade 1 races to optional claiming to maiden races. 
Typically when examining a past-performance line, a drop down in class is a good angle to further examine because the horse will most likely be facing easier competition with the class drop. This is often what happens if a horse is struggling in a higher-level race and the owner/trainer puts them in with a better chance. 
Be wary of horses moving up in class as well, particularly in the Breeders' Cup. This is not necessarily a bad thing. You have to start somewhere. Instead, look for consistent improvement from race to race or a positive trainer/equipment change that cannot be ignored.  
PAY ATTENTION TO WHY HORSES ARE MOVING UP IN CLASS

2. If you're going deep in a Pick 4/5/6 wager, don't take all the horses with a similar racing style. Sometimes, you'll see a speed duel on the front end, which sets the race up for closers. Conversely, you can sometimes envision a horse receiving easy fractions up front, which makes it super difficult for deep closers. A good strategy in going deep on a particular leg is to diversify running styles. 
3. Examine the entire collection of a horse's performances. Not every race is going to be the same. There are so many factors to consider when examining a race line. Was the track condition sloppy or fast? How far did the horse travel and was it a wide trip? Was the horse out of it early because of a bad start? Did the horse have first-time Lasix (anti-bleeding medication)? What about equipment changes such as blinkers on or off? While considering all of that, on top of that the horse maybe just doesn't appear to be in top form, eliminating horses strictly on their last race may prove costly.
Look for a horse that's been working out well, a couple starts in after a long layoff or steady improvement from race to race. Not only is this an interesting way of handicapping, but typically you'll get better odds in the first start off a bad race line. Better odds means better payouts, which if you're fortunate enough to hit means more money to be made. 
On Breeders' Cup day, when you find yourself standing in line at the window or compiling your exotic wagers, keep these betting strategies in mind. Hopefully, you examine these like friendly reminders to keep your handicapping unbiased and sharp!