Want to bet on Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland? Here are some options, and some advice.
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2020 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
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For the second time since its inception in 1984, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington. A total of 14 stakes contests featuring the best Thoroughbreds in the world will unfold over the course of two days, culminating with the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday at 5:18 p.m.
Because of COVID-19, the Breeders’ Cup is closed to the general public. But there are options available for fans who want to wager on the races from the comfort and safety of their homes. All you need is a desktop computer, tablet or smartphone.
One of the best options is to wager through one of the internet platforms of TVG, the television network which is the official betting partner of the Breeders’ Cup. Debuting in 1999, TVG has greatly expanded its operation in recent years as new technology has made internet wagering more convenient.
“As technology gets better it gives us more options of things to do to make the fan experience better,” TVG CEO Kip Levin told the Herald-Leader. “That’s true on both the television side and the wagering side.”
To bet through TVG, go to TVG.com or search for TVG in the application store on your smartphone or tablet. The platform offers a user-friendly interface for depositing and withdrawing funds, placing bets and following races. You can even access free handicapping information and consider advice from experts before wagering.
After creating an account, you can add funds with a credit or debit card. That balance is what you’ll use to place bets. There’s normally a $5 fee each time you make a deposit, but through Thursday this week TVG is waiving that fee on deposits of $50 or more. There’s no charge to withdraw funds from your account.
TVG frequently offers special promotions for fans who wager through its online platforms. For Breeders’ Cup week, TVG will match 50 percent of the initial deposit of first-time users, up to $250. That means if a first-time user deposits $500, TVG will add $250 to his or her account.
Also for the Breeders’ Cup, TVG is offering a promotion in which bettors will receive their money back on a straight win bet of up to $10 if their horse finishes second or third.
For horse racing novices who’d like to get involved but find the abundance of information or the industry jargon intimidating, TVG affiliate FanDuel — a legal online gaming company — offers a streamlined, simple application for wagering. The FanDuel Racing app and the desktop website, racing.fanduel.com, have simple interfaces and betting tutorials tailored to fans who aren’t experts.
“TVG is built largely for our customer base that has a decent understanding of how betting on horse racing works,” Levin said. “With FanDuel Racing, a lot of the same features and functionality are there that you have with TVG, but there are subtle differences that we think make it easier for a first-time bettor.
“We explain the different bet types a lot more than we would with TVG. We put the simpler bets up front, and as people learn a bit more they can explore further down into some of the more exotic bets. We use slightly different nomenclature and things like that to make it much more approachable to someone who’s never bet on horse racing before.”
Fans who want to follow TVG’s Breeders’ Cup broadcasts but don’t have access to the channel via cable or satellite can download the application Watch TVG on their smart TV or streaming device and follow the network’s coverage in high definition.
Now that you have some options for wagering on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, how about some advice from an expert?
Keep it simple
TVG analyst and handicapper Todd Schrupp has been with the company since its debut in 1999. He spoke with the Herald-Leader this week and discussed what advice he’d offer to anyone looking to wager on horse racing for the first time during the Breeders’ Cup.
His first suggestion? Don’t risk what you can’t afford to lose.
“Some of the best advice I got when I first started in horse racing was; if you bet and you lose, and it hurts for more than 30 seconds, you probably bet too much,” Schrupp said. “You’ve always got to play within your means.”
Schrupp believes the Breeders’ Cup is the best event in the industry during which to wager, partly because even horses with longer odds are proven winners.
“The great thing about the Breeders’ Cup is you can justify playing all 14 races, because they’re just that great,” Schrupp said. “It’s the two best betting days by far ... whether you’re an amateur or an expert, these are the two days you’ve got to gear up for. They’re all great races to play.”
Schrupp advises newcomers to keep it simple in the beginning.
“I’ve always felt the best advice for anyone coming out to the track for the first time is to start with the basics. There’s so many layers to horse racing that you can’t learn it all in one day. You can’t learn it all in the 30 years I’ve been around,” Schrupp said. “I think when it comes to wagering, you start with a good old-fashioned win wager.”
Schrupp encourages newcomers to avoid some of the more exotic bets — such as those that require one to choose winners across multiple races — until they’ve gotten their feet sufficiently wet.
“I love horizontal wagers. I’m a pick-5 player, I’m a pick-4 player. But that’s not for everybody and I don’t think it’s for somebody going to the track for the first time,” Schrupp said. “Start with the basics. Bet a horse to win. Then play an exacta, then next time play a trifecta.
“At the Breeders’ Cup the betting opportunities are more lucrative than any time of the year, so it’s hard not to look at those exotic wagers ... But for someone betting the Breeders’ Cup for the first time, start with a win wager and build from there.”
Breeders’ Cup schedule
At Keeneland Race Course
All times p.m.
Friday
2:30: Juvenile Turf Sprint
3:10: Juvenile Turf
3:50: Juvenile Fillies
4:30: Juvenile Fillies Turf
5:15: Juvenile
Saturday
12:02: Filly and Mare Sprint
12:39: Turf Sprint
1:18: Dirt Mile
1:57: Filly & Mare Turf
2:36: Sprint
3:15: Mile
3:54: Distaff
4:33: Turf
5:18: Classic
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 7:30 AM.
