The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is an annual set of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders’ Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its beginning in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded into two days. All sites have been in the USA, except in 1996, when the races were in the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.
The attendance at the Breeders’ Cup varies, depending mainly on the ability of the host track. Santa Anita Park place the greatest two-day presence figure of 118,484 at 2016. [1] The smallest two-day presence was 69,584 in 2007 at Monmouth Park. [2] The attendance typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Oaks (and in some decades, the Belmont Stakes); for more info see American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events.
With the addition of 3 races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million has been awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007. Together with the following removal of 2 races, the purses for the remaining thirteen races totaled $24.5 million in 2014, also awards for foal and stallion nominators. [3] Prior to the 2016 running, the total bags were increased from $26 million to $28 million. The bag of the Classic was raised from $5 million to $6 million, and the purse of this Longines Turf was raised from $3 million to $4 million. [4] In 2018, total awards and prizes were raised to over $30 million after a different race, the Juvenile Turf Sprint, was inserted and the bag for the Sprint was increased to $2 million. [5]
Every Breeders’ Cup race presents four Breeders’ Cup decorations to the relations of the winner along with a garland of flowers draped over the withers of the winning horse. Many Breeders’ Cup winners will go on to win the Eclipse Award in their respective division. For instance, of the eleven flat racehorse groups, seven of those Eclipse winners in 2015 had won a Breeders’ Cup race, while three others were in the money. [6]
In the 2015 listing of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), three Breeders’ Cup races have been ranked among the best Grade 1 races on the planet: the Classic (4th), the Turf (10th) and the Mile (12th). The Distaff is ranked second among the best Grade 1 races for fillies and mares. [7]During 2006, there were eight races on the Breeders’ Cup card, all categorized as Grade I races. In 2007, three races — the Dirt Mile, Filly and Mare Sprint, and Juvenile Turf — were added, all of them run the Friday prior to the remaining eight races. Three new races — a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon — were inserted for 2008. [33] A Juvenile Sprint was added for 2011.
The championship races at 2009 (pictured) were the next year to have a day dedicated to female horses. Since 2013, the sex on the two days is mixed between races.
The order of the races on the card has changed many times throughout the event’s history, but the Turf and Classic are traditionally the last two races. The 2008 event was the first in which Day 1 of the event was dedicated to races for fillies and mares, with Day two comprising the rest of the races. For 2009, the Marathon, open to runners of both sexes, was transferred from Day 2 to be the opening race 1, but all other races remained on the afternoon they were run in 2008. In 2011, the Marathon was moved from Day 1 to Day 2, with the Juvenile Sprint becoming the very first race total (and the only one on Day 1 available to men ). The Marathon returned to Day 1 at 2012. Since 2013, the first day was no longer primarily devoted to races for fillies and mares, together with all the Dirt Mile and Juvenile Turf moving to Day 1 and the Filly & Mare Sprint and Filly & Mare Turf moving to Day 2.
Two other major changes were made in 2013. To begin with, the Juvenile Sprint (on dirt) was discontinued after just two runnings. That race was widely perceived as a consolation prize for horses not good enough to operate in the Juvenile. [8] Second, the Ladies’ Vintage returned to its initial name of Distaff. Whenever the latter announcement was made, Breeders’ Cup president Craig Fravel stated,
We restored the Ladies’ Vintage to the original name due to comments from our loyal fans who have a strong affinity for the Distaff. In recognition of our 30th year, the Distaff has supplied us with a number of racing’s most remarkable moments, personified by these outstanding thoroughbreds as Lady’s Secret, Personal Ensign, Azeri, Zenyatta, and our two-time defending champion, Royal Delta. It’s a fitting tribute to deliver back the name Distaff to honor the rich history of these championships. [8]
For 2018, the sprint race to get two-year Id was revived, currently on turf as the Juvenile Turf Sprint. According to officials, the turf races to get two-year old horses have more entries than can fit inside the Breeders’ Cup limitation of 12 to 14 horses, so that they had to add the next turf race for age-old older horses in 5.5 or six furlongs, depending upon the trac
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