eam in the middle of their season. EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. --

With just four weeks remaining until the Breeders Cup World Championships, the last major prep race for the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic will be held this Saturday, that being the historic Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park.The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be telecast on NBC Saturday with live coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET.The 1-1/4-mile race has drawn a small but elite group of six horses, two of which faced off against Breeders Cup Classic favorite California Chrome earlier this year.Those two horses are Mubtaahij (#2) and Hoppertunity (#3), who finished just a neck apart when second and third behind California Chrome in the March 26 Dubai World Cup, the richest race in the world with a purse of $10 million.Since then, Mubtaahij and Hoppertunity have gone their separate ways. While Mubtaahij has compiled a better record this summer -- finishing third in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap and a close second in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes -- Hoppertunity has arguably faced tougher competition, finishing fourth behind the talented Melatonin in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita and fourth behind California Chrome, Beholder, and Dortmund in the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes.Of the pair, I narrow prefer Hoppertunity. Even though he is shipping in from California and has never run at Belmont Park, he has done well shipping to other locations and has handled a wide variety of racetracks, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland Race Course and Oaklawn Park. In addition, he won the 2014 Rebel Stakes on a sloppy track. With a chance of rain on Saturday at Belmont, Hoppertunitys proven ability on wet tracks is a positive.Hoppertunitys schedule this summer was interrupted by a slight illness: he missed the Cougar II Handicap in July as a result and entered the Pacific Classic off a two-month layoff, which probably wasnt ideal. He has trained in uninterrupted fashion since then, turning in a series of eye-catching workouts at Santa Anita, and looks ready for a winning effort while facing an easier field than the one he tackled in the Pacific Classic.Effinex (#6) is another major contender capable of running a huge race on his best day. Hes got a great record at 1-1/4 miles and won the Suburban Handicap at this distance in July. While he was no match for Frosted in the shorter Whitney Stakes, he raced wide on the turns that day and was beaten just a half-length for second place. He is a candidate to win, but enters the Jockey Club Gold Cup off a two-month layoff. Effinex seems to do better with more frequent racing, and its very likely that this race is being used as a prep for the Breeders Cup Classic, in which Effinex finished a strong second last year. Additionally, a wet track probably wouldnt be to Effinexs liking -- he finished a distant third in the 2015 Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy track.One longshot who could contend for a spot in the top three is Protonico. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Protonico was a top-class stakes competitor in late 2014 and early 2015, winning the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap, Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes and Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes and finishing second by a half-length to Hoppertunity in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap. Protonico wasnt as sharp during the second half of 2015, but after a long rest, he returned on Sept. 9 to win a one-mile allowance race at Belmont Park, winning by a nose in a fast time to bring his record at Belmont to a perfect 2-for-2. Pletcher has enjoyed great success with horses making their second start off long rests, and Protonico will be ridden by the three-time Eclipse award-winning jockey Javier Castellano. If any horse can step up with a surprisingly big performance, I think Protonico is the one.Wagering Strategy A$5 exacta: 3 with 1,2,6 ($15) $3 exacta: 1 with 2,3,6 ($9)Wagering Strategy B$2 trifecta: 1,3 with 1,2,3,6 with 1,2,3,6 ($24)Good luck, and enjoy the race!For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. Air Max Sale Australia . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. Air Max Australia Cheap . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. http://www.australiaairmax.com/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Air Max Australia . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Air Max Australia Online . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Urban Meyer will look across the field Saturday in Ohio Stadium to the other sideline and probably flash back 15 years to the place that launched his head coaching career.Bowling Green gave Meyer his first opportunity to be in charge of a program and he took the ball and ran with it. Now, as the 2016 season kicks off in the Horseshoe, Meyer will lead sixth-ranked Ohio State against BG in the opener for both teams (Noon ET, Big Ten Network).I love that school, said Meyer, who begins his fifth season as Ohio States head coach. When I think about Bowling Green, its one of the most tradition-rich programs in the MAC.The new season will be one of change for the Buckeyes, who return only six starters from a team that finished 12-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in January. Gone is a dazzling array of talent that made its mark in the NFL Draft this spring.But while the turnover in personnel is significant, one thing that never changes about Ohio State football is expectations. Theres plenty of talent, thanks to Meyer and his staffs tenacious recruiting, to plug newcomers into the holes that were left by the outgoing class.Meyer sees similarities to the 2014 season when a relatively untested team stumbled early in the season and then finished with a College Football Playoff national championship. Thats not to say hes predicting another national title, but he really likes the young personnel on the roster.Im very excited to watch them play, Meyer said. This is a talented team. We have good guys. This has been a good camp. Good people to work with.Each side of the ball has one anchor to provide leadership. On offense, quarterback J.T. Barrett is everyones pick as the preseason All-Big Ten quarterback and a potential Heeisman Trophy candidate.dddddddddddd On defense, linebacker Raekwon McMillan begins his third season as a starter and will be counted upon heavily as a rock in the middle of a young defense that at hit hard by departures.As for Ohio States opponent, Bowling Green is certainly no slouch. The Falcons finished 10-3 a year ago and played in the GoDaddy Bowl.Mike Jinks is in his first year as Bowling Greens head coach after serving as Texas Tech associate head coach in 2015. He took over for Dino Babers, who left after last season for Syracuse.The Falcons are the defending Mid-American Conference champions and have won three straight MAC East Division titles. Theyre favored again to win the division in 2016.Facing a first-year head coach, particularly one who has never been a head coach at a previous college stop, presents some challenges in preparation for the Buckeyes. Meyer again recalled the 2014 season when Virginia Tech threw a foreign defensive scheme at Ohio State and pulled off an upset in Ohio Stadium.You have to expect the unexpected. ... On offense, theyre going to do what he knows and thats Texas Tech, Meyer said.Ohio State will be a heavy favorite to win, but Bowling Green wont be intimidated by the surroundings. Last year, the Falcons almost knocked off Tennessee on the road and beat Big Ten teams Maryland and Purdue.Well be ready, Jinks said.Ohio State leads the all-time series 4-0. The two Ohio teams last met in 2006, a 35-7 victory for the top-ranked Buckeyes. Ohio State is 32-1 against Mid-American Conference opponents and has won 40 consecutive games over in-state opponents. ' ' '