Taking a departure from my usual picks format of just offering one horse per race. On the advice of Claude, my AI Assistant, I’m offering Win, Place and Show picks, plus a Longshot for each of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races.

Batting preference is left up to you. What I usually do in races with big fields is take the horse with the longest odds of the top three and bet $2 win, $4 place, and $6 show. I also play three and four-horse exacta boxes, using the longshot with the top three picks. Often, if the longshot looks appealing, and the odds are 12-1 or higher, I’ll wager across-the-board or make a reasonable show bet.

Of course, with so many races, some will be more bettable than others, so money management is important.

A couple of notes: Irad Ortiz Jr. will not be involved. He broke an ankle a week ago and will need surgery. Tough break for one of the best rides in the world. It may pay benefits to see which horses he was originally slated to ride as they are likely good prospects and the replacement riders should be competent, if not exceptional.

The Classic looks like a race that won’t pay well with a host of familiar faces at short odds.

Best of luck. Enjoy the year’s best two days of horse racing.

TV: NBC and USA Network, streaming on Peacock; undercard coverage on FanDuel TV.

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