With over a hundred horses and jockeys as contenders for Breeders Cup 2012, there is a lot to keep up with. Luckily, we have the information you need to know to place smarter bets on the 2011 Breeders' Cup. The information is going to continue to develop as summer 2012 progresses, but by this Fall the full list of contenders is expected to be quite an impressive list of past winners as well as future favorites. When it comes to horse races, placing the right bet on the right jockey and horse is what it's all about for some people. Knowing as much as you can about the Breeders' Cup contenders is important.

For 2012, a maximum of 14 starters will be allowed in each of the 14 races with the exception of the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf. These three will each be limited to 12 starters in 2012. The Breeders' Cup World Championship has adopted a system to select runners in the event that certain fields are oversubscribed. The system ranks the horses in order of preference based upon various factors including, performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, a point system, and a panel of racing experts.

Breeders Cup Contenders for 2012

With 15 races spread over two days it's not possible to come up with a comprehensive rundown of all Breeders' Cup contenders In addition to the sheer number of horses entered in the competition the task is made even more difficult by the competitive class of the Breeders' Cup field. These horses are the 'best of the best' in their individual categories so there will be plenty of live long shots in every race. Additionally, the huge purses for the Breeders' Cup give connections plenty of motivation to slot their horses in a race they can win. In other words, a horse that could be competitive in the Breeders' Cup Classic might be entered in one of the other races, giving him a better shot at a smaller (though still very significant) payday.

Juvenile Sprint - We'll start at the top of the Daily Racing Form entry list with the first race on the Breeders' Cup agenda, the Juvenile Sprint. This race will go on Friday with a field of nine though one horse stands head and shoulders above the field. Wise guys have pegged Secret Circle as a 'sure thing' to win this race but unfortunately he's far from being 'under the radar'. He's an unbeaten, pure speed colt trained by the legendary Bob Baffert. Secret Circle opened at even money but he's been bet to his current price of 4-5. Hard to do much at that price in terms of value, so the best strategy might be to key on him in exotic wagers. If you are looking for Kentucky Derby contenders, you're in luck!

Juvenile Fillies Turf - In Friday's Juvenile Fillies Turf the most likely winner is the European shipper Elusive Kate. She's unbeaten in four career starts and is clearly the filly to beat in this race. Once again, however, she's posted at very short odds of 2-1. Furthermore, its never easy to tell how a horse that has run exclusively in Europe will respond to the logistical demands of shipping in from overseas as well as to the competitive demands of a tough field and the unfamiliar Churchill Downs surface. She should win, but isn't as much of a 'sure thing' as Secret Circle in the opening race. She might be another horse to use in exotic wagers but it's probably not a good idea to 'single' her with so many uncertainties.

Breeders' Cup Mile - On Saturday, the highlight race on the 'undercard' is the Breeders' Cup Mile where the legendary Goldikova is going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory. No other horse has won more than two Breeders' Cup races back to back, so a victory here would propel her to all time great status. She's the favorite in this race due to her legacy alone though there are some concerns that she's 'past her prime' and has 'lost a step'. It's never easy to go against a legend but this might be a good spot to go against her with some of the more competitive horses in the field available at longer odds.

Breeders' Cup Classic - Finally, in the main event—the Breeders' Cup Classic—all eyes will be on the resurgent Uncle Mo. Should Uncle Mo earn the victory his story will be one worthy of a Hollywood movie. Uncle Mo won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year and entered the 2011 campaign as the presumptive favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, he didn't even compete in the 'Run for the Roses'--a disappointing prep campaign led his connections to seek medical attention. It turns out that Uncle Mo had a rare gastrointestinal ailment that kept him out of the entire Triple Crown series. At one point, the prevailing wisdom was that he'd be retired to stud and that his competitive days were over. Mid summer he was a Breeders' Cup afterthought available at extremely long odds.

This is where the story gets good—Uncle Mo recovered from his illness and has returned with a vengeance He's looked spectacular since and is currently a 5-2 choice to win the Breeders' Cup Classic—a fact that makes bettors holding futures tickets on him at 40-1 or higher very happy. When he's on the top of his game he's nearly unbeatable but there's some concern that the distance of this race will be too much for him. In any case, he'll have to beat a very tough field to complete his comeback.

Picking the Breeders' Cup 2011 Contenders

During the summer months, horse owners and trainers both work with jockeys as well as the animals to come up with who they are going to let run the race. This is a very important decision that owners and trainers take seriously. The good news is that people who bet on the Breeders' Cup will know who the contenders are before the race and will be able to do some research to make sure smart bets are made on the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championship.

Once the Breeders' Cup contenders for 2011 are announced, it is up to every person that places a bet on the horse race to know as much as they can about the horses running, their jockeys as well as the track - which will be Churchill Downs for 2011 - the first time Churchill Downs has held the race for consecutive years. This honor will make the race a special one for many of the contenders this year, but even more importantly, there is going to be a lot of money wagered on this race.

The more you know about the contenders and the horses they will be riding, the better bets you are going to be able to place. If you are smart, you are already finding the best place to bet on the Breeders' Cup online. If you want to keep your shirt - and make some money at the same time - placing a wager on the Breeders' Cup is a good idea.