Who’s the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic? One of the “Big Three” from the Triple Crown? Lawyer Ron, perhaps?

Nope. At press time, Any Given Saturday was at the top of the Classic odds list at 3-1. This dark bay dropped off the radar screen after finishing eighth at the Kentucky Derby; trainer Todd Pletcher cited a bruised hoof. But there is no hotter thoroughbred right now on the circuit: three straight wins at the Dwyer, the Haskell Invitational (over Hard Spun and Curlin) and the Brooklyn.

That’s an impressive stretch, but should Any Given Saturday really be paying out half of Street Sense at 6-1? The Kentucky Derby winner drew raves from horseplayers, then followed up his Run for the Roses with victories at the Jim Dandy and the Travers. Or how about Curlin at 5-1? First at the Preakness, and coming off a win at the Jockey Club Gold Cup. No Feitlebaums in this stable.

As online gaming continues to take hold in other countries, the Australian horse racing industry is experience a decline the same way the American industry did. Add in an outbreak of equine influenza, which has brought everything to a standstill since last August, and the industry is in some serious trouble Down Under. The State of New South Wales has granted $7.5 million in financial aid to assist people and organizations affected by the outbreak.

The Federal Government has announced a $110 million support package, but this State money is to help those who don’t qualify for the Federal monies. The State also kicked in $8.5 million to help stop the spread of the flu, but many feel that these amounts are a joke because the State Government has taken $100 million out of the industry. The Government claims it has the industry’s best interest in mind, and is planning to provide assistance over a long period of time. We shall see.

There are two kinds of bettors out there at the track: sharp ones, and those who plunk their $2 on the horse with the most interesting name.

And why not? This is supposed to be entertaining, after all. So here are some of the most entertaining names out there for that wrinkled Thomas Jefferson you’ve been holding onto.

Idiot Proof: Won the Ancient Title to qualify for the Sprint.

Nashoba’s Key: Pointed at the Filly & Mare Turf after winning the Yellow Ribbon Stakes.

The Tin Man: Nine years old and still going strong. Expected to appear at the Turf for the first time since 2003.

Panty Raid: Qualified for the Distaff with a victory at the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes.

Oprah Winney: Eighth in championship points on the F&M Sprint list.

Einstein: Won last year’s Turf, but might not make the Cup this year after some poor results and a minor thigh bruise.

We’re still three weeks away from the Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park. But the Cup Challenge wrapped up over the weekend, and nominations for the remaining spots close on Oct. 15.

You won’t have to wait that long to place a bet. The futures market for the Classic was off the board at press time – Lava Man has pulled out of the running, and there will be more market disruptions to come as the potential field continues to narrow. Keep checking for odds and availability.

Once the field is finalized, you’ll have one of the finest collection of thoroughbreds ever assembled. Make sure to handicap accordingly. It is very difficult to pick a winner out of such a top-heavy field, so this is one horse race where you might want to consider a longer shot. Last year’s winner, Invasor, paid $15.40 and beat Bernardini, Lawyer Ron, Brother Derek and Lava Man to do it.

Horse racing isn’t NASCAR. It takes a combination of speed and strategy to win a race – some horses are front runners, others are stalkers, and one style is usually better suited than the other depending on the event.

But you still have to have speed. There won’t be any slowpokes at this month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic; here are the top Equibase Speed Figures recorded in 2007 stakes races among the horses on the Classic futures market.

Lawyer Ron: 126
Silent Name: 124
Curlin: 122
Hard Spun: 121
Street Sense: 120
Grasshopper: 119
First Defence: 118

The first two horses on this list are veterans: Lawyer Ron is four, Silent Name five. The latter is Japanese-based, as are all the top performing descendants of Sunday Silence, the 1989 Classic winner. But if Silent Name runs at Monmouth Park, it might have to be at the Sprint, leaving Lawyer Ron the fastest horse in the Classic.

During the Triple Crown, Hard Spun was playing third wheel to Street Sense and Curlin. But the dark bay is on a roll. He finished in second at the Grade I Haskell Invitational, ahead of third-place Curlin, and then beat Street Sense last week to win the Grade II Kentucky Cup Classic.

The Haskell result took place at Monmouth Park, where the Breeders’ Cup will be run later this month. So who’s the better bet for the Classic: Hard Spun or Curlin?

Let’s look at the odds first. The field isn’t set, but the futures market is already open, and Curlin is the third favorite at 5-1. Hard Spun is fifth on the odds list at 7-1. It’ll be a packed field at the Classic, and Curlin has proved himself capable of defeating the best of the best. Hard Spun has been a bit of a front runner, and his success at Turfway Park might not translate to Monmouth.

Looks like we’re going to have one heck of a Breeders’ Cup Classic later this month. The projected field is overflowing with quality – with Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Whitney Handicap champ Lawyer Ron among the favorites. They were 1-2 on the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll heading into this past weekend’s action, each with four victories this year.

But who’s better? Street Sense was the talk of the horse-racing circuit heading into the Derby. The dark bay has posted two first-place results and two seconds since then, leaving him with just under $3 million in earnings on the year. Lawyer Ron, meanwhile, had “only” $1.17 million heading into the weekend after taking smaller events like the Whitney and the Woodward Stakes.

Lawyer Ron’s a 4-year-old; the Classic will be the first time he and the 3-year-old Street Sense will have met in 2007. It’s hard not to favor the proven Kentucky Derby winner.

It’s going to be a little while yet before we know the full field for this month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. But we do know that Student Council has qualified, courtesy of his Aug. 19 win at the Pacific Classic.

Dark horses don’t come much darker. The 5-year-old is currently 15th on the NTRA Thoroughbred Pool. But Student Council deserves some representation. His Pacific Classic win at 23-1 odds was considered a fluke; then he followed that up on Saturday with another victory at the Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap. This time, Student Council “only” paid $5.20.

Expect those odds to go back up in a Classic field that will likely include Curlin, Street Sense, Lawyer Ron, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday. But with two victories in a row, veteran jockey Richard Migliore in the saddle and a new top-flight trainer in Steve Asmussen, Student Council has earned a spot with the big boys.

The summer is short, but it sure was sweet for underdog thoroughbreds. Student Council won the Pacific Classic as a 23-1 long shot to qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Jambalaya (since injured) won the Arlington Million at 7-1 to earn a ticket to the Turf, and Sunday saw Fabulous Strike make it into the Sprint by taking the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park, paying out a cool $11.20.

Will chalkeaters continue to get their buckets handed to them at Monmouth Park? Perhaps. The fields will be tougher than what we’ve seen so far during the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, but more competition makes it harder for the favorites to cash in.

You only have to look back one year for proof. Invasor won the Classic and paid $15.40, beating out the likes of Bernardini, Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron. Turf winner Red Rocks was the fifth choice and paid $23.60. That’ll buy a lot of currycombs.