Candy Ride favored in BC bet

Candy Ride, the winner of the Aug. 24 Pacific Classic, was the 3-1 late favorite in the as of about 6 p.m. Eastern, three hours before the pool was scheduled to close.

Candy Ride, who is undefeated in six lifetime races, was favored over Mineshaft, the winner of 5 of 7 races this year, including the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap. Mineshaft was 5-1, followed by Funny Cide, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, who was 7-1 - well below his morning-line odds of 30-1.

Betting on the Breeders' Cup Classic future bet, along with three other future wagers on Breeders' Cup races, opened on Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Betting was scheduled to close at 9 p.m. Eastern on Monday.

About $80,000 was wagered on the Classic future bet as of late Monday afternoon, well before race cards on the West Coast had ended. In the other three pools - for the Distaff, Turf, and Sprint - a total of approximately $80,000 had been wagered.

In the Distaff, Azeri, the winner of 11 straight races and the reigning Horse of the Year, was bet down to 2-1, her morning-line odds. Sightseek, the winner of the July 27 Go for Wand Stakes, was second choice at 5-1, followed by Chilean import Wild Spirit, who was 7-1.

In the Sprint, Aldebaran, winner of Sunday's Forego Handicap at Saratoga, was bet down to 5-1. Aldebaran, 12-1 on the morning line, was not being pointed to the Sprint until the win, according to his trainer, Bobby Frankel. Beau's Town, winner of the July 26 Bing Crosby Handicap, was the 7-1 second choice, followed by five horses in the 11-1 to 15-1 range.

In the Turf, four horses were below double digits by late afternoon. Storming Home, who crossed the wire first in the Arlington Million before being disqualified to fourth, was favored at 5-1, followed by High Chapparal, last year's winner of the Turf, at 6-1.

Sulamani, who was moved to first in the Million, was 7-1, and Alamshar, the 3-year-old winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, was 8-1.