2024 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, odds: Expert who nailed 11 Oaks-Derby doubles makes picks, predictions

Horse racing fans will see plenty of familiar names in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar. Forever Young was in the running to be the first Japanese horse to win the Kentucky Derby earlier this year before finishing in third by a nose behind one of the other 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, Sierra Leone. Fellow Kentucky Derby competitor Fierceness, who is fresh off a win in the Travers Stakes, will also be in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic field.

Newcomer City of Troy is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic odds, followed by Fierceness at 3-1 and Forever Young at 6-1. Sierra Leone is 12-1 among the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic contenders. The 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic post time is 5:41 p.m. ET. You'll want to see what SportsLine's Jody Demling has to say before entering any 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks or horse racing predictions of your own, considering his spectacular track record.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic having nailed the Derby-Oaks double 11 of the last 16 years. He also predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years and called 10 of the last 20 Preakness winners, including 2023 when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta as well as the trifecta in 2024. He also nailed Flightline's win in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, with the Breeders' Cup Classic 2024 approaching, Demling is sharing his picks and predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic predictions

One of Demling's surprising 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks: He is fading three-time Grade 1 winner Fierceness (3-1), one of the top 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic favorites who recently won the Travers Stakes. The Todd Pletcher-trained foal won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year and has three victories in five starts since then. However, inconsistency and modest speed make Fierceness less reliable to back.

Fierceness rebounded from a third-place finish at the Holy Bull Stakes with a first-place finish in the Florida Derby that earned him favoritism heading into the 2024 Kentucky Derby. He didn't live up to expectations, however, and finished a disappointing 15th at Churchill Downs. Even with subsequent wins including a first-place finish in the Travers Stakes, his inconsistency is giving Demling pause heading into the Breeders' Cup Classic 2024. See which horses to pick here.

Another surprise: Demling is high on Ushba Tesoro, even though he's a hefty underdog at 12-1. The 7-year-old Japanese horse has a significant age and experience advantage over the majority of his competition in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic lineup. He won six straight international races without dropping a competition for over 12 months from October 2022 to November 2023. This will be his second Breeders' Cup Classic after finishing fifth last year.

Ushba Tesoro has three Grade 1 victories over six career entries, including winning the 2023 Dubai World Cup. He finished second in the Dubai World Cup in March 2024, but his experience in marquee races could play to his advantage on Saturday. At 12-1 odds, Demling expects Ushba Tesoro to have an opportunity to win another stakes victory and sees strong value in him at these odds. See which horses to pick here.

How to make 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks, bets

Demling just locked in his picks for City of Troy, Sierra Leone and every horse in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic lineup. He is also high on a massive double-digit underdog who "has a big chance to spring the upset." Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic leaderboard, over at SportsLine.

Who wins the Breeders' Cup Classic 2024, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic, all from the expert who nailed the 2022 winner, and find out. 

2024 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, odds