Your guide to the Breeders Cup



Breeders Cup betting




What is the Breeders Cup?

The Breeders Cup is a huge weekend of action for horse racing fans, taking place in the USA. The meeting is over two days, Friday and Saturday, and on both days we have horses from all over the globe descending on the event to try and prove they are the best in their category. The meeting has a number of top quality races for all different types of horses, and although both days of the meeting are high class, the best races are reserved for Saturday.

Those who are familiar with big horse racing festivals in the UK should note that there is one big difference between our festivals and the Breeders Cup. That is that the Breeders Cup meeting moves around the USA, taking place at different tracks each year. This adds a completely different element when you are weighing up your options, so be sure to note where the meeting will take place and what the track is like. One thing you won’t need to worry about is the type of track that the races will be ran on. All US tracks used for the Breeders Cup are left handed oval tracks, offering very similar conditions to others across the country that may have been used in the past.

A brief history

The meeting began back in 1984, and for many years up until 2006, this meeting was ran over just one day. However, starting in 2007, and every year since that date, the meeting has been spread across two days, something which has really added to the occasion. The meeting has taken place in the USA every year, with the exception of 1996 when the meeting took place in Canada, at the Woodbine racecourse.

Prize money at the meeting is something that attracts people from all over the world, and the purses for each race are huge. With a new race added to the 2018 schedule, prize money has risen to over £30 million. While money like this continues to be spent on prizes, the number of foreign raiders on the US is only going to increase. Few other places offer you the chance to race your horses with the possibility of winning such large amounts of money, and owner and trainers are continuing to take advantage of this. The prize money on offer is a big reason why you will see so many contenders heading across from the UK and Ireland to take part in the races.

How to Bet on the Breeders Cup?

The way the current two day setup is split, the first day focuses on the future stars of horse racing, while the second day brings together some of the biggest stars in the world right now. Of the six races on day one, five are for two year olds, with the other race being the Breeders Cup Marathon.

The feature of day one is the Breeders Cup Juvenile, which brings together the best two year olds in the world for a race on the dirt track over one mile. The other big race of the night is the Juvenile Fillies, which is exactly the same race, but this time for fillies instead of colts and geldings.

The second day of the meeting is where the real stars come out, with nine Grade One races on the card. The feature of the day, and of the entire meeting is the Breeders Cup Classic, a race on the dirt ran over 1m2f with a prize of nearly two and a half million pounds to the winner.

Just before the Classic takes place we have the second biggest race of the meeting and that is the Breeders Cup Turf, where the winner gets £1.6 million. These two races will always have strong interest from the UK, especially the turf where you will usually find a few British runners taking part.

One of the biggest puzzles for punters to solve at the Breeders Cup is when horses are running on a surface for the first time. A lot of the UK runners will face dirt for the first time when they head over to the US, and working out whether they can handle it is very tough. There is also the travel to consider, the journey across before the race is a tough one and that is what makes it so hard for any horse from Europe to go to America and win.

One thing you can guarantee about the Breeders Cup meeting is that the horses taking part will have been trained with this race in mind for a long time. Being such a huge meeting, owners and trainers target there horses here, and everything will have been done to ensure they arrive as fit and ready as possible on the day, whether they have travelled half way around the world or they are a local runner. Everyone want to have a winner at the Breeders Cup, so preparations are as good as they ever will be.

Breeders Cup Betting Offer

betfair - Up To £25 Free Bet with Every 3/1+ Winner

betfair logo


If you are placing a bet at the Breeders Cup this weekend then be sure to take advantage of the many offers that are available for punters. One offer is the 3/1+ offer from betfair, which is usually for televised racing but they have extended the offer to cover the Breeders Cup.

With this offer, if you back a winner with an SP of 3/1 or greater, you will receive a free bet to the same value as your stake, up to a maximum of £25. This is a great way to pay for future bets, and the more winners you have at the Breeders Cup, the more free bets you will receive.

The races that are eligible for this promotion are listed below, in total there are five races on Friday and nine races on Saturday.

Friday: 7:21, 8:00, 8:40, 9:22, 10:05

Saturday: 4:00, 4:38, 5:16, 6.04, 6:46, 7:35, 8:16, 8:56, 9:45


You might also be interested in:

Betting Strategies for Flat Racing - 4 things to know!

Betting Strategies for Jumps Racing

How to bet on American Football

Top 20 Betting Offers

Midnite
Midnite
Bet £5 Get £30 in Free BetsClaim Offer

18+ New customers only. Place a £5+ bet at minimum odds of 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £25 in Free Sports Bets + 50 Free Spins (valued at £0.10 each), valid for 7 days on selected bets and games. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org

talkSPORTBET
talkSPORTBET
Get up to £40 Football Free BetsClaim Offer

18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Tote
Tote
Bet £10 Get £50 in BonusesClaim Offer

New customers online only. Valid with code B10G50 on registration. Bet min £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place) within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Sports Bet, 2 x £/€5 Sports Acca and 50 Free Spins. 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.

BetMGM
BetMGM
Bet £10, Get £40 in Free BetsClaim Offer

New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Bresbet
Bresbet
Bet £10 Get a £10 Free BetClaim Offer

T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account.

easyBet
easyBet
Bet £20 and Get £20Claim Offer

New Customers Only. Sign up with bonus code: EB20. Bet £20 and get £20 in Free Bets. Paid as £5 Free Bet on Soccer, £5 Free Bet on Horse Racing, £5 Free Bet on Multiples and a £5 Free Bet on any Market. Terms apply 18+ gambleaware.org.

MatchBook
MatchBook
Bet £20 get £30 in Free BetsClaim Offer

New Players Only. Sign Up with Bonus Code: NEW30. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on Matchbook Exchange at odds of 2.0 or more. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on a Bet Builder or Multiple at odds of 3.0 or more, with min 3 selections. Within 72 hours of Qualifying Bets settling user will receive 1x £10 Exchange Free Bet, 1x £10 Multiples Free Bet, and 1x £10 Bet Builder Free Bet. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, Neteller or PaySafe card will not qualify for this promotion. 18+ Only. T’s and C’s Apply. Be Gamble Aware.

Bet442
Bet442
Bet £20, Get £20 in Free BetsClaim Offer

18+. New customers only. Deposit and place first bet of £20 or more at min odds Evens (2.0). Get £20 in Free Bets credited as x1 £10 Free Bet and x2 £5 Bet Builder Free BetsT&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly.

BetWright
BetWright
Bet £10, Get a £10 Free BetClaim Offer

New Customers use code EPL10. Deposit £10 and place a bet of £10 on any Premier League Outrights 2025/26 market at minimum odds of 2.0. Free Bet credited within 24 hours and must be wagered on English Premier League markets only. Full Terms apply. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section. 18+ begambleaware.

Betway
Betway
£30 Free BetClaim Offer

*New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football, Horse Racing, Tennis, Cricket or Basketball multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. Earn a £30 Uber Eats Voucher on successful Acca qualification. Debit Card deposit only (exclusions apply). This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet the Responsible Way. Full Terms apply

Spreadex
Spreadex
Bet £10 Get £60 in Free BetsClaim Offer

Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+ www.gambleaware.org.

Betfred
Betfred
Bet £10 and get £50 in Free BetsClaim Offer

New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply.

Coral
Coral
Bet £10 Get £40 in Free BetsClaim Offer

18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

BetZone
BetZone
Bet £10 Get £20 in Free BetsClaim Offer

18+ | New Customers Only | Promo Code: WELCOME10 | Place a single £10 bet within 3 calendar days of registration. Bet must settle on the same day of placement | Min odds Evens (2.00) | Get 2 x £5 UK/Irish Horse Racing Free Bets + 2 x £5 Football Free Bets | Free Bets valid for 7 days | Max win £250 | T&Cs apply | GB residents only | Gamble responsibly

William Hill
William Hill
Bet £10, Get £40 in Free BetsClaim Offer

18+. Play Safe. Online only. For new UK register customers using promo code G40. Deposit & place £10 cash single bet (min odds 1/2) on sportsbook (excl. Virtuals). Get £40 in Free Bets (4x£10), valid for sportsbook (excl. Virtuals), 7 days expiry, must use in full (£10 each). Not valid with deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay or WH PLUS Card. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. www.gambleaware.org #ad

10bet
10bet
100% Welcome Bonus up to £50Claim Offer

New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly.

32Red
32Red
150% Casino Bonus up to £150!Claim Offer

18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD

SportingIndex
SportingIndex
Bet £10 Get £20Claim Offer

New customers place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free bets. 18+ begambleaware

BetMaze
BetMaze
Bet £20 Get £20 Free BetClaim Offer

18+ New customers only. Min deposit £20. Min Wager £20 at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max free bet £20. T&Cs apply begambleaware.

PUB Sports
PUB Sports
Bet £10, Get a £10 Free BetClaim Offer

New Customer only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Full terms apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+