- Sierra Leone is the best bet to win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic with 3/1 odds. If Sierra Leone wins, they will become the second horse ever to win two Breeders’ Cup Classics.
- Sovereignty, the preview betting favorite with 6/5 odds, has been scratched from the race.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The odds for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic have changed drastically in the last 24 hours after the betting favorite, and 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, Sovereignty, was scratched. Sovereignty had 6/5 odds before being scratched due to a fever.
With the favorite scratched, there is no clear-cut favorite at Breeders’ Cup Classic betting sites. The new favorite to win is Fierceness with 11/4 odds, with Sierra Leone and Baeza only slightly longer.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Betting Odds
- Fierceness 11/4
- Baeza 10/1
- Nevada Beach 16/1
- Contrary Thinking 75/1
- Forever Young 4/1
- Sierra Leone 3/1
- Mindframe 6/1
- Journalism 7/1
- Antiquarian 16/1
Who Will Win The Breeders’ Cup Classic?
The best bet to win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic is Sierra Leone with 3/1 odds. If Sierra Leone wins this year, they would become just the second horse to ever win two Breeders’ Cup Classics. They would join Tiznow, who accomplished the feat in 2000 and 2001.
Outside of history, there are other key reasons to bet on Sierra Leone to repeat at the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Sierra Leone Recent Speed
Sierra Leone has been excellent in 2025. They have finished 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their four races this year.
More importantly than simply looking at just the finishes, Sierra Leone has also reached some excellent E Speed Figures. Those figures, which adjust for quality of opponent and track, have been 111, 110, 117, and 112. That 117 E Speed performance this year specifically stands out, because it is the highest figure that Sierra Leone has ever posted.
Sierra Leone’s previous top speed figure was 116 when they won the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year.
Those figures show that Sierra Leone may still be improving, and at the very least hasn’t lost a step.
Reduced Odds for Sierra Leone
With 3/1 odds at legal online betting sites, Sierra Leone bettors may be getting a discount on a potential repeat from last year’s champion.
That discount may be based on the 2nd place finish at the Jockey Club Gold Cup Classic in August, but research easily proves that the result has an extreme asterisk next to it.
If bettors watch the Jockey Club Gold Cup Classic, they will see that Irad Ortiz Jr., the jockey of Mindframe (the horse next to Sierra Leone), fell off the horse. Flavien Prat then had to guide Sierra Leone around the jockey. After getting around the jockey and nearly going out of frame on the broadcast, Sierra Leone nearly caught up to Antiquarian (the winner) at the very end.
Writer’s note: For those watching the race below, Sierra Leone is number 3 and Mindframe is number 4.
It is not difficult to argue that Sierra Leone was the best horse in that race.
Based on history, speed, and reduced odds, Sierra Leone is the best bet to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic again with 3/1 odds at horse racing betting sites.
