Top pick: #12 (Arabian Knight) (4-1) - This 3-year-old colt has three victories and one third-place finish over its last four races. That included a Grade 1 Pacific Classic win in September the last time out at this same 1 1/4 distance. Bob Baffert has won the Breeders' Cup Classic four times with Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015), Arrogate (2016) and Authentic (2020), and will be in the running for a fifth with this horse.
2nd pick: #8 (Ushba Tesoro) (4-1) - This six-year old from Japan started on turf but began to excel when shifting to dirt tracks. Ushba Tesoro has won 6 straight races, including the Grade 1 Dubai World Cup in a sensational run from the back of the field in a 2 3/4-length victory. That's seven of eight races won on dirt. It's a challenge for a horse to peak in March and keep it going through November, but Ushba Tesoro has had a light schedule while prepping for this one.
3rd pick: #3 (White Abarrio) (8-1) - White Abarrio had its best run of the season the last time out winning the Whitney Stakes upsetting Cody's Wish. Although, over the last five races, this four-year-old colt has finishes of eighth once and third twice.
4th pick: #13 (Proxy) (12-1) - Joel Rosario will ride Proxy, a horse that has been consistent at running races over one mile. In the last 12 races, Proxy has finished first, second, or third 10 times. And in the last five Grade 1 races, this five-year old colt has finishes of second, eighth, second, fifth, and first.