Breeders' Cup Classic 2024 predictions, picks, time, odds, draw: Best bets by expert who nailed Kentucky Derby

The favorite to win Saturday's 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic may be new to racing in the United States, but he comes from a pedigree that American racing fans will be familiar with. Three-year-old Irish foal City of Troy is a newcomer in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic field, but his sire is 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. City of Troy has been successful racing abroad and is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic odds. Post time for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic from Del Mar Racetrack in San Diego is 5:41 p.m. ET.

Three-time Grade 1 winner Fierceness is 3-1 among the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, while Forever Young, who finished third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, is 6-1. You'll want to see what SportsLine's Gene Menez has to say before entering any 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks or horse racing predictions of your own, considering his stellar track record.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. 

In a span of seven races last year for SportsLine, he cashed the winner of the Lecomte Stakes, the exacta in the Southwest Stakes, the winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes and the trifecta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes. In May, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In June, he nailed Trikari to win the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, and last month he hit the exacta in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes. Anybody following his seen huge returns. 

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

Top 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic predictions

One of Menez's surprising 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks: He is completely fading City of Troy, even though he is the 5-2 favorite. The three-year-old son of Triple Crown winner Justify has won six of seven career races in Europe, including four Grade 1 finishes. However, the expert questions how well the Aidan O'Brien trainee will run on his first race on a different surface, especially from the No. 3 post.

"There is no way to know how he will handle the dirt or the kickback he could take from this inside post, and O'Brien's history is littered with turf horses who have attempted dirt and failed," Menez told SportsLine. "The 5-2 price is way too short on a horse who is a question mark on the surface." See which horses to pick here.

Another surprise: Menez is high on Arthur's Ride, even though he's a 15-1 longshot. A four-time career winner, Arthur's Ride saw his stock soar after his victory at the Whitney Stakes back in early August. However, a fifth-place run at the Jockey Club Gold Cup a month later contributed to his higher 15-1 odds on Saturday. 

Menez still likes the upside and can't pass up the longer odds, given trainer Bill Mott's involvement. "I trust Mott pointing a horse to the Breeders' Cup. The Hall of Fame trainer has won 15 Breeders' Cup races, including three last year." See which horses to pick here.

How to make 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks, bets

Menez's top pick is a horse who "should be able to save ground." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "ready to roll." He is including these horses in his wagers, and so should you. He's only sharing them 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 Menez's picks for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic, all from the expert who was high on this year's longshot Kentucky Derby winner, and find out. 

2024 Breeders' Cup Classic horses, odds