Making Money Betting American Pharoah

American Pharoah will be a heavy favorite in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
While American Pharoah will be the first horse to attempt to win the grand slam of horse racing, many of us will also be looking to make a dollar or two in the process. Even with a deep field of nine set for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, American Pharaoh will likely enter the starting gate with roughly even-money odds. He’s not invincible and there are a couple horses in the field who stand more than just a chance to defeat the champ.
When looking for a way to make some coin betting Pharoah, we’ll begin with the playbook for how Pharoah struggled in his lone loss of 2015, the Travers Stakes. The super horse was pressed by fellow Classic entrant Frosted, which paved the way for Keen Ice, another Classic entrant, to rally and steal the show. It’s unlikely we’ll see a similar race run by Frosted, given that he ran out of gas and faded to third in that race. Additionally, Frosted’s regular rider Joel Rosario was off the mount that afternoon due to an injury, which added to the irregularity of the Travers.
No other horse in the Classic field appears on paper to want to get into that type of duel early on in the race that would potentially weaken Pharaoh. So, he should have his way as the pace-setter throughout and it’s going to turn into a game of “catch me if you can,” which will shape our handicapping perspective. We need to identify the horses who can track down a full-strength, rested Pharoah. If a horse can beat Pharoah when he runs his own race, I think it’s one of these two, who both hail from the 4-year-old class:
#9 Honor Code: His raw power and turn of foot are uncanny, which make him the popular second choice. This marks his first try at the Classic distance, which would ordinarily be a major question. But his late burst of speed en route to a victory in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney at Saratoga showed there was plenty of gas left in the tank. Trainer Shug McGaughey seems to have targeted this race from the beginning of the 2015 campaign. His series of bullet workouts following his final tune-up earlier this month in the Kelso Stakes at Belmont suggest he is in prime form and ready to showcase his talent on the biggest stage in horse racing.
#1 Tonalist: Here’s another horse who could sneak up on Pharoah with his late closing speed. While Honor Code beat Tonalist in their two races together, Tonalist is a proven talent at the 1 ¼-mile distance. His form has not wavered this year, having posted speed figures in the 120s in four of his five races this year. He’s a forced to be reckoned with and he has the running style we’re looking for that would lead to an upset effort.
Pharoah has shown he is the class of the 3-year-old crop. He will forever be remembered as the rain that brought an end to the Triple Crown drought. If you want a chance to make money while betting him to win, opt for trifecta Option A. Any chance making a big score betting Pharoah in the win position will rely on a bomb coming in second, which the strategy Option A employs.
If you are a bit of a contrarian and looking for a bigger score, Option B should be your ticket. It plays off of the hope of either Honor Code or Tonalist topping Pharaoh down the stretch.
Best of luck with your wagers and be sure to savor every moment of this legendary race!
Option A
4/All/1, 9
Option B
1, 9/4/All

$5-million Breeders' Cup ClassicOct. 31, Keeneland Race Course, Race 11, 5:35 p.m. ET1 1/4 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds and olderTV: NBC

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

Odds

1

Tonalist

John Velazquez

Christophe Clement

Robert S. Evans

6-1

2

Keen Ice

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Dale Romans

Donegal Racing

12-1

3

Frosted

Joel Rosario

Kiaran McLaughlin

Godolphin Racing

15-1

4

American Pharoah

Victor Espinoza

Bob Baffert

Zayat Stables

6-5

5

Gleneagles

Ryan Moore

Aidan O'Brien

Michael Tabor , Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith

20-1

6

Effinex

Mike Smith

James Jerkens

Tri-Bone Stables

30-1

7

Smooth Roller

Tyler Baze

Victor Garcia

Lucky Charm Stable

15-1

8

Hard Aces

Joe Talamo

John Sadler

Hronis Racing

50-1

9

Honor Code

Javier Castellano

Shug McGaughey

Lane's End Racing & Dell Ridge Farm

6-1

10

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