For a record seventh time, the Breeders' Cup Thoroughbred Championships will visit Churchill Downs in early November. First playing host in 1988, Churchill Downs has regularly drawn the largest crowds in Breeders' Cup history. This year will be the first, however, that Churchill Downs will play host since the Breeders' Cup expanded to a Friday-Saturday program. As a result, six Breeders' Cup races will be run for the first time at the historic Louisville, Kentucky racetrack: the Filly & Mare Sprint, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, the Juvenile Turf, the Marathon, the Dirt Mile, and the Turf Sprint. This year will also be the first time in the event's history that a race will be run under the lights - the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic on Friday.

After consecutive years at Santa Anita, where the weather was warm and the main-track races were run over a synthetic surface, horsemen will be looking forward to cooler temperatures and a return to conventional dirt. Horses that most recently started over conventional dirt had a dismal record over the synthetic track at Santa Anita, and it will be interesting to see if the reverse "synthetic to dirt" angle plays out the same way this year. In past years only two horses have won Breeders' Cup races over the Churchill Downs main track after prepping over a different surface, and both came in 2006 - Street Sense won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile after running over the polytrack at Keeneland, and Dreaming of Anna won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies after running over turf.

Analyzing the winners of previous Breeders' Cup races at Churchill Downs, one thing is clear - you need to have strong current form. There have been 44 championship races run at Churchill Downs and an amazing 41 winners finished in the top-three in their most recent start. In other words, 93% of the winners at Churchill Downs during the Breeders' Cup finished on the board in their most recent race! Of that number, 23 (52%) were coming off winning efforts in their most recent start. Churchill Downs has not been kind to handicappers who are banking on a sudden turnaround in form.

Betting favorites have held their own, winning 14-of-44 races for a 32% clip, right in line with the accepted national average of 33%. It should be noted, however, that there have never been more than three winning favorites on a single card during a Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. This has resulted in several big payouts over the years, and the handicapper should look for more of the same in 2010.

The Europeans love the cooler weather, and a more suitable turf course, and they tend to show up in force at Churchill Downs. In six previous running's of the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs there have been 112 foreign starters - but only 9 winners (8%) and 18 runners on the board (16%). This is somewhat misleading since the turf events are usually loaded with foreign starters and there can be only one winner. That being said, foreign runners should always be given a long look in the turf events at Churchill Downs - and this year they would appear to hold the upper hand over the U. S. turf runners, especially at the longer distances. The last two editions of the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs have been won by foreign horses (Red Rocks in 2006 and Kalanisi in 2000), and the most recent Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf was won by the European superstar Ouija Board. Overall, foreign horses have won 4-of-6 editions of the Breeders' Cup Turf held at Churchill Downs, while foreign horses are 2-for-6 in the Breeders' Cup Mile. This year the pre-race favorite in that event is the import Goldikova, who will be looking for her third straight win in the Mile.

While there have been some big performances by foreign horses over the Churchill Downs main track, most notably in the Breeders' Cup Classic, only two foreign-based horses have ever won Breeders' Cup races over dirt in Louisville, and both came way back in 1991 - Arazi won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Sheikh Albadou won the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The takeaway - favor foreign horses on the turf, and lean towards U. S. runners on the main track.

We are just 42 days away from the 2011 Breeders' Cup and it is never too early to begin your handicapping for the year's season-ending event, especially with 14 championship races covering two days.

2011 Breeders' Cup Races

Breeders' Cup Marathon

Last year, when the Breeders' Cup Marathon was the first championship race of the horse betting day on Friday, the bettors were pretty "ho-hum." Don't expect much more this year, even with the race being moved to Saturday.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

First run in 2008 at Santa Anita, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf has been the domain of U.S.-based fillies, who have won every race. Of the nine fillies to finish first, second or third in this race since its inception, only one was an international participant.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

Based on current form TURBULENT DESCENT is the deserving horse betting favorite, and if she continues to hold form she will be tough to beat. That being said, she is facing older company for the first time and horse betting handicappers may be wise to search for options in the multi-race wagers (this is the first leg of a $750,000 Guaranteed Pick Four).

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

STOPSHOPPINGMARIA earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure this summer, making her the fastest two-year-filly in the country. And she was the even-money horse betting favorite in the Frizette-G1 at Belmont Park on October 8. She was thumped 5 1/2 lengths by MY MISS AURELIA, and the fact that she is leaning towards the Juvenile Fillies Turf indicates her connections have no desire to set up a horse betting rematch.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Unless their horse betting connections have a change of heart, MIDDAY and SARAFINA are headed towards a showdown in the Breeders' Cup turf on Saturday - and why not? That horse betting field promises to be fairly soft and the purse is $1 million more.

Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic

If HAVRE DE GRACE goes in this race we're probably looking at something in the neighborhood of even-money, and she certainly would be deserving. But baring something unexpected, she's headed into the Classic Saturday evening against the boys, hoping to take home Horse of the Year horse betting honors.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

DADDY LONG LEGS is the only runner currently in the horse betting field with a "First Preference" for the Juvenile, so barring late scratches this field should remain mostly intact. And it shapes up as a great betting race.

Breeders' Cup Sprint

When Eillo won the first Breeders’ Cup Sprint back in 1984, he ran six furlongs in 1:10.20. Since then, only one Sprint has produced a slower horse betting time (that was in 1988 over a sloppy track). No Breeders’ Cup race may exemplify more the face of racing in the U.S. – horses are bred to run fast, and they certainly do in this horse betting race.

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

First run in 2008, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is the shortest horse betting race of championship weekend. After being run twice at Santa Anita at 6 ½ furlongs, the Turf Sprint was shortened to five furlongs last year at Churchill Downs. This puts a great deal of emphasis on getting the right trip in what should once again be a bulky horse betting field.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Based on nothing more than Beyer Speed Figures, UNION RAGS figures to be a solid horse betting favorite in this race. His last two "figures" are better than anyone else in here, and he gives every horse betting indication that the added distance of this race will be to his liking.

TVG Breeders' Cup Mile

This race can be summed up in one word – Goldikova! This remarkable mare has won the Breeders’ Cup TVG Mile three consecutive horse betting years, becoming the first horse in the history of the Breeders’ cup to accomplish such a feat. She is expected back at Churchill Downs this year in attempt to win her fourth straight, and she may easily be the highlight of the horse betting weekend.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

If UNCLE MO were to somehow end up in the horse betting starting gate he would be a huge horse betting favorite. But don't expect that to happen. Following his big win in the Kelso-G3 last time out his connections are going for the glory in the Classic.

Breeders' Cup Turf

Horses from Europe have dominated this race since its inception. It all began with Lashkari at 53/1 in 1984, and the dominance continued right up through last year with Dangerous Midge at 8/1. Overall, European invaders have won 17-of-26 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Breeders' Cup Classic

Two horses figure to dominate the horse betting - UNCLE MO and HAVRE DE GRACE. After that it appears wide open. Possibly FLAT OUT, TO HONOR AND SERVE and SO YOU THINK make up the second tier of betting. GIO PONTI would certainly fall into that horse betting group if he actually runs in this race.

Breeders' Cup Juvenille Sprint

The newest horse betting addition to the Breeders' cup schedule is an open sprints for two-year-olds, of either sex. It will be the first championship race of the weekend, and it will kick off the Pick Six on Friday.