Breeders' Cup Classic 2025 predictions, odds, picks, time: Best bets from elite horse racing expert

The Breeders' Cup World Championships take place this weekend from Del Mar Racetrack, with the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic the highlight of the series. The latter is a Grade 1 race over 1/4 miles that's open to horses aged 3 and older. It's considered part of the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing -- alongside the three Triple Crown races -- and the Breeders' Cup Classic 2025 field boasts nine racehorses. The top three finishers from last year's Breeders' Cup Classic are all in this year's field, with Sierra Leone seeking to become just the second back-to-back winner.

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Post time is on Saturday at 6:25 p.m. ET as Del Mar hosts for the second year in a row. The Breeders' Cup Classic weather forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 60s and dry conditions around post time. Fierceness, who won a G1 race at this track in his last start, is the 5-2 favorite per the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic odds. Both Sierra Leone and Forever Young are at 7-2 to utilize in horse racing bets, with the latter placing third at both this event a year ago and at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. With several of the world's best horses set to enter the starting gate, you'll want to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Jeff Hochman has to say before making any 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic picks or horse racing predictions.

Hochman has shown a profit in 22 of the past 39 Triple Crown races. One example of his best picks was Big Brown in the 2008 Kentucky Derby at odds of 2-1. More recently, he swept the 2022 Triple Crown, capped off by Mo Donegal's easy win in the Belmont Stakes. In 2023, he cashed the Preakness with National Treasure. In 2024, he successfully tabbed Straight No Chaser to win, place and show in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at odds of 3-2.

Hochman delivered exceptional handicapping results during the summer 2025 racing season at two of the country's premier tracks, Saratoga and Del Mar. His combined 65.7% win rate across the two tracks represents elite-level performance that significantly exceeds industry benchmarks for professional handicappers. Anyone who has followed him on betting apps like TwinSpires and 1/ST BET could have been way up, even more if they used the latest TwinSpires offer code or 1/ST BET promo code.

For the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Hochman has handicapped the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic field, made his picks, and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.

Top 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic predictions

One of Hochman's surprising Breeders' Cup Classic 2025 picks: He is high on Journalism (5-1), despite not being one of the top three favorites. The 2025 Preakness Stakes winner certainly has pedigree on his side, as he's the son of Curlin, who won both the 2007 Preakness and that year's Breeders' Cup Classic. Journalism has never had a bad race over his 10-start career as he's finished in the money in each, with six of them being victories.

He started in all three Triple Crown races this year, and the only horse who finished ahead of him at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont in Sovereignty is no longer part of the Breeders' Cup Classic field. Hochman loves the consistent nature of the horse as you always know he's going to be in the mix for a victory. "Journalism is one of only six horses in history to win one Triple Crown race and finish second in the other two, demonstrating remarkable consistency against the best 3-year-olds," said Hochman. See which horses to back here.

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How to make 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic bets, picks

Instead, Hochman's top pick is a horse who is "truly elite." He's also high on a double-digit longshot who "enters on an upward trajectory" and who he classifies as a "dangerous outsider." Hochman is sharing who he likes, along with his top 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic picks, over at SportsLine.

Which horse wins the Breeders' Cup Classic 2025, and how should you construct your wagers? Check out the latest 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Hochman's picks for the Breeders' Cup Classic 2025, all from the expert who's hit a profit on 22 of the last 39 Triple Crown races. 

2025 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, odds, post positions