(Flightline / Coady Photography)

This Classic may be exactly that: A Classic.

One of the world’s most renown and wonderful will stride to the gate to stamp his name on the trophy, but also on the history of the sport.

It could be a coronation.

It could be a celebration.

It could be a celebrity in the flesh.

Or…

It could be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport, as we know it.

Here’s hoping for coronation.

And, here’s our looks:

Classic Overall Last Race
McLean Rank Horse ML Odds Rider Trainer Standings Location Rating Comment
1 Flightline (PP4) 3-to-5 Flavien Prat John Sadler 5/5-0-0 1st Pacific Classic **** Speed / #2 Distance Never Faced These
2 Life Is Good (PP2) 6-to-1 Irad Ortiz, Jr. Todd Pletcher 11/9-1-0 1st /Woodward Stakes *** All Speed / Top # Distance Is ???
3 Epicenter (PP6) 5-to-1 Florent Geroux Steve Asmussen 10/6-3-0 1st Travers Stakes *** Stalker-Speed / 2-3 Across / Faces Older Getting Better / Ready?
4 Hot Rod Charlie (PP5) 15-to-1 Tyler Gaffalione Doug O’Neill 18/5-5-4 1st Lukas Classic *** Speed / Top 2 Across Board Always Close / Blushing John?
5 Olympiad (PP7) 10-to-1 Junior Alvarado Bill Mott 12/8-1-1 1st Jockey Club Gold Cup ** Stalker-Speed / Distance Strong Underneath?
6 Rich Strike (PP8) 20-to-1 Sonny Leon Eric Reed 11/2-1-3 2nd Lukas Classic ** Deep Closer / 1 Distance Will Get Pace to Run Into
7 Happy Saver (PP3) 30-to-1 John Velazquez Todd Pletcher 12/5-5-1 4th Lukas Classic *+ Stalker-Closer / Consistent Sort / 2nd? Good Enough?
8 Taiba (PP1) 8-to-1 Mike Smith Bob Baffert 5/3-1-0 1st Pa Derby *+ Stalker / 5th Across / Experience / Older? Not For Me / Not Against These / Not Here