2024 Breeders’ Cup: Betting the Breeders’ Cup Saturday Late Pick 5

Scheduled in the middle of the nine Breeders’ Cup races, the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will be the first leg of a challenging Late Pick 5 sequence at Del Mar.

Last year at Santa Anita, the Late Pick 5 proved more formful than Breeders’ Cup handicappers have come to expect, as three favorites, narrow second choice Master of The Seas, and 12-1 Nobals generated a $1,307 return for every 50-cent wager. 

But in 2021, the most recent edition of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, horseplayers were rewarded with a $48,292 payout in the Late Pick 5, and I do not expect to see chalk dominate Saturday.

RELATED: 2024 Breeders' Cup News and Notes

For a $100 budget, I have built the following ticket for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Late Pick 5, and my thoughts on the races are below.

Breeders' Cup Saturday Late Pick 5 Wager (races 8-12)

• 50-cent ticket: 9,13 with 2,5,7,10 with 1,4,8 with 9,12 with 3,8,9,12 = $96

Race 8: Classic (G1), 5:41 p.m. ET

My top choice is #13 Newgate (20-1) in the second start off the layoff for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who owns a record four Classic wins. After missing most of his three-year-old season, Newgate progressed nicely this winter, gamely winning the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita H. (G1) over three subsequent Grade 1 winners. He returned from a layoff with a strong performance in the Sept. 28 California Crown (G1), missing by a neck after a slow start and wide trip, and the Into Mischief colt returned to the worktab with a pair of bullet works. Newgate is eligible to keep moving forward with a strong showing from off the pace.

An impressive back-to-back winner of the Travers (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2), #9 Fierceness (3-1) looks like a major player after drawing well toward the outside with his tactical ability. It’s easy to envision the top-class three-year-old being in position to offer a bold move turning for home.

Race 9: Filly & Mare Turf (G1), 6:25 p.m. ET

A rallying third in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf, #10 Moira (8-1) rates top billing from off the pace. She exits a rallying second in the E.P. Taylor (G1) to stablemate #2 Full Count Felicia (12-1), who will look to steal the race on the front end. #5 Didia (12-1) appears to be training forwardly off a two-month freshening, and her tactical ability looks favorable. European invader #7 Content (6-1) also will be included. 

Race 10: Sprint (G1), 7:05 p.m. ET

#8 Straight No Chaser (5-1) exits a smart win in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) and will be prominent from the break from the outside. I like his chances on the front end. #1 Raging Torrent (10-1) also owns speed and is a possible player from the inside. #4 Nakatomi (6-1) will look to make a late impact.

Race 11: Mile (G1), 7:45 p.m. ET

#12 Carl Spackler (6-1) exits a smashing frontrunning win in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), and his tactical speed should ensure a good trip from the outside. The Chad Brown-trained colt has a fine chance to snap a four-year drought for North American-based horses in the Mile, and I will include Southern California-based #9 Johannes (9-2), who has progressed nicely by winning all four starts this year for Tim Yakteen.

Race 12: Dirt Mile (G1), 8:25 p.m. ET

A competitive edition of the Dirt Mile completes the Breeders’ Cup program, and I give #12 Mufasa (12-1) the edge off sharp wins at Aqueduct and Colonial Downs. A Group 3-winning miler in Chile, Mufasa exits a 4 1/4-length win in the Vosburgh (G2) and figures to appreciate the stretch out in distance. I also will use #3 Full Serrano (15-1), who cuts back off a frontrunning second in the Pacific Classic (G1); #8 Post Time (12-1) following an 11-length stakes score at Laurel Park; and #9 Domestic Product (7-2), the morning-line favorite following an outstanding win in the Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1).