Horse Betting

Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky kicks off its October meet on Friday, with a pair of important stakes races that will have implications for the Breeders' Cup World Championships on November 2 and 3. First up is the (G2) Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes for horses aged three and older. They'll race six furlongs on the the Keeneland dirt for a $250,000 total purse.

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on Saturday afternoon from Belmont Park in New York is expected to live up to its name, with a field of multiple graded-stakes winners going 1 1/2 miles chasing a purse of $500,000. You could make a case for several of the eight starters to get the win, making the Joe Hirsch a real handicapping challenge.

A host of familiar names will be going to the gate on Saturday at Belmont Park for the (G1) Jockey Club Gold Cup, where the race winner will get an automatic berth into the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 3. Eight are expected to take to the Belmont track to race the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles on the dirt and a $750,000 total purse.

A flat-out six-furlong sprint, the $350,000 (G1) Vosburgh Invitational is the first of two Grade 1 races at Belmont Park in New York on Saturday. In addition to the purse money up for grabs, the winner of the Vosburgh gains automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup World Championships Sprint on November 4.

European shipper Hawkbill takes on seven others Saturday as the strong favorite in the (G1) Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine. They'll race 1 1/2 miles on the Woodbine grass, chasing a purse of $300,000.