Bernardini favored in Classic

Preakness winner Bernardini was made the even-money favorite on the morning line Wednesday for the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Bernardini’s top rivals in the 1 1/4 -mile race are 5-1 second choice Invasor -- like Bernardini, owned by a member of the ruling family of Dubai -- and 6-1 third choice Lava Man, the former claimer from California who is seven for seven this year.

“I’m a little surprised he isn’t the co-second choice, if not the second choice, considering he’s won seven races in a row,” said Dan Hendricks, the trainer of Brother Derek, a horse that has raced Lava Man and Bernardini. “But he hasn’t won outside of California. I think that’s what they held against him. Whatever horse runs his eyeballs out is going to win the race.”

Brother Derek drew the rail, but Hendricks wasn’t complaining about being inside in a 13-horse field after drawing the No. 18 post in a 20-horse field in the Kentucky Derby and finishing in a dead heat for fourth.

In a mild surprise, Super Frolic, the fourth-place finisher in last year’s Classic, will run in the Mile instead of the Classic and will be saddled by trainer Scott Blasi instead of Vladimir Cerin.

As expected, Discreet Cat -- another horse owned by Dubai’s ruling family -- withdrew from the Classic.

Other favorites on the eight-race card that carries a record $20 million in total purses are Circular Quay at 5-2 in the Juvenile, Cash Included at 3-1 in the Juvenile Fillies, Ouija Board at 8-5 in the Filly and Mare Turf, Henny Hughes at 2-1 in the Sprint, Gorella at 4-1 in the Mile, Fleet Indian at 8-5 in the Distaff and Hurricane Run at 3-1 in the Turf.

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The field

Field for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Louisville, Ky. (3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles; purse: $5 million; post time: 2:20 p.m. PST):

*--* PP Horse Trainer Jockey Odds 1. Brother Derek Dan Hendricks Alex Solis 30-1 2. Premium Tap John Kimmel Edgar Prado 30-1 3. Bernardini Tom Albertrani Javier Castellano 1-1 4. George Washington Aidan O’Brien Michael Kinane 10-1 5. Lawyer Ron Todd Pletcher Pat Valenzuela 20-1 6. Perfect Drift Murray Johnson Garrett Gomez 20-1 7. David Junior Brain Meehan Jamie Spencer 10-1 8. Lava Man Doug O’Neill Corey Nakatani 6-1 9. Giacomo John Shirreffs Mike Smith 30-1 10. Flower Alley Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 30-1 11. Invasor Kiaran McLaughlin Fernando Jara 5-1 12. Suave Paul McGee Kent Desormeaux 30-1 13. Sun King Nick Zito Rafael Bejarano 15-1

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-- Robyn Norwood