2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds & Best Bets: Betting on Journalism

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic will go off on Saturday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. Post time for the $7 million, 1 1/4-mile race is set for 6:25 p.m. ET, with live coverage on NBC. 

Favorite Sovereignty was scratched earlier in the week after spiking a fever. The Bill Mott-trained horse won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes this year. This is still an elite field, with Fierceness now at the top of the odds board.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Field: Post Positions, Odds, Jockeys, Trainers

Here is the field of nine Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders set to start, including their post positions, jockeys, trainers, and morning-line odds.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Fierceness	J. Velazquez	T. Pletcher	5/2
2	Baeza	H. Berrios	J. Shirreffs	10-1
3	Nevada Beach	M. Smith	B. Baffert	20-1
4	Contrary Thinking	F. Geroux	C. Brown	50-1
5	Forever Young	R. Sakai	Y. Yahagi	7/2
6	Sovereignty	J. Alvarado	W. Mott	SCR
7	Sierra Leone	F. Prat	C. Brown	7/2
8	Mindframe	I. Ortiz Jr.	T. Pletcher	6-1
9	Journalism	J. Ortiz	M. McCarthy	5-1
10	Antiquarian	L. Saez	T. Pletcher	10-1

Fierceness Now Favored in Breeders’ Cup Classic

Fierceness finished second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s coming off a dominant 3-1/4 length win in the Pacific Classic Stakes. John Velazquez returns as jockey after getting the victory, which saw Fierceness run away from Preakness Stakes winner Journalism down the stretch.

Journalism also finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Sierra Leone is bidding to become just the second back-to-back winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Last year’s winner can join Tiznow, who won back in 2000 and 2001.

Japanese entry Forever Young finished third in last year’s Classic. His most significant wins have come overseas in the Saudi Derby, UAE Derby, and Saudi Cup. His hard-closing style would benefit from a more relaxed pace this time around.

As it relates to pace, there’s a bit of controversy heading into Saturday’s race.

The California Horse Racing Board @caCHRB has a rule that clearly states a horse cannot be entered if there is NO INTENT TO WIN. 🤔

Connections of Contrary Thinking have openly admitted that his role is to serve as a pacesetter to benefit their other entry.

Nothing more.

In… https://t.co/ku0Qdfu3GL

— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) October 27, 2025

The posts on X tell the tale well. Trainer Chad Brown entered Contrary Thinking, whose early speed can dictate pace. That would help his top entry, Sierra Leone, potentially close strong and win his second straight Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Best Bets: Back Journalism to Win Breeders’ Cup Classic

With Sovereignty out, Journalism’s chief nemesis is gone. Journalism also gets a jockey upgrade with Irad Ortiz Jr. getting the mount on Saturday. Umberto Rispoli was up in the Pacific Stakes, and he positioned Journalism too far off the lead before making an ill-fated early move to finish second to Fierceness (see video above).

With Journalism (9) on top, we’ll use Forever Young (5), Fierceness (1), and Sierra Leone (7) underneath in our exotics.

Win: 9 Journalism (5-1)

Exacta Box: 9-5-1-7

Trifecta Box: 9-5-1-7