Breeders' Cup

Horseraces infobox
class = Championship Event Series
horse race = Breeders' Cup


caption =
location = Changes yearly
inaugurated = 1984
race type = Thoroughbred
website = [http://www.breederscup.com Official Breeders' Cup website]
distance = See individual races
track = Turf, Dirt, All Weather
qualification = See individual races
weight = See individual races
purse = Varies by Race; Between $500,000 - $5 Million
bonuses = The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location changes each year. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.

The event was created as a year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe. The Breeders' Cup was founded in 1982 by John R. Gaines, a leading thoroughbred owner and breeder. Before the Breeders' Cup expanded to two days, it was generally considered to be the richest day in sports. As of 2008, the second day of the Breeders' Cup is the second-richest. In 2008, a total of $17 million will be awarded on that day, down from $20 million in 2007 (two races were moved from Day 2 to Day 1). The richest single day in sports is now another Thoroughbred racing event, Dubai World Cup Night. It features six races with a combined purse of $21 million in 2008. In the past, those who considered poker a sport could argue that the final table of the World Series of Poker was the richest day in sports; the highest payout ever at the final table was $38 million in 2006. However, a change to the format of the final table in 2008 means that the final day of the WSOP is now behind both Dubai World Cup Night and Day 2 of the Breeders' Cup.

With the addition of three new races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million will be awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007.

The Breeders' Cup is currently searching for a title sponsor. [ [http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=44005 Sentient is New Breeders' Cup Partner | Blood-Horse.com ] ]

election process

A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the 14 Breeders' Cup Championships races with the exception of the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf which will each be limited to 12 starters. Breeders' Cup Limited has adopted a field selection system to select runners in the event fields are oversubscribed. This system ranks horses in order of preference based upon (1) performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, (2) a point system, and (3) the judgment of a panel of racing experts. The field selection system will be implemented as necessary following the taking of pre-entries on October 14, 2008, to officially rank the oversubscribed fields. The Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel (the “Panel”) will rank all the horses pre-entered in the oversubscribed races as described below. After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields will be filled by horses in order of panel preference.

Through 2006, there were eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade I races. In 2007, three races — Dirt Mile, Filly and Mare Sprint, and Juvenile Turf — were added, all of them run the Friday before the remaining eight races. Three more new races — a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon — were also added for 2008. [ [http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=42402 Monthly Index to Online Story's | Blood-Horse.com ] ]

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. Starting in 2008, Day 1 of the event will be dedicated to races for fillies and mares, with Day 2 featuring all other races.

2008 Races

Friday
*$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
*$1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies(gr.I)
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf(gr.IT)
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr.I)

Saturday
*$500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon
*$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
*$1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
*$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I)
*$2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT)
*$3 million Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT)
*$5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)

The new races cannot be considered graded stakes in 2007, 2008, or 2009. [ [http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2007/November/28/Graded-Stakes-Committee-releases-2008-changes.aspx Graded Stakes Committee releases 2008 changes - Thoroughbred Times ] ] The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the body that controls grading of North American stakes races, requires that a race be run under the same conditions for at least two years before it can be graded.

The 2007 Dirt Mile was run over 1 mile and 70 yards, while the 2007 Filly & Mare Sprint was run over six furlongs. These distances were required because of the configuration of the dirt track at the 2007 Breeders' Cup site of Monmouth Park.

The 2008 Turf Sprint will be contested on Santa Anita Park's signature El Camino Real “downhill” turf course, with a maximum of 14 starters. In future years, the distance will depend on track configurations. [ [http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=42402 Monthly Index to Online Story's | Blood-Horse.com ] ]

Beginning in 2007, a new qualifying process took effect, in which the winners of certain races earned automatic entry to the event in their respective divisions.

History

The all-time leaders in Breeders' Cup wins are:
*Jockey:
**Jerry D. Bailey - 15
*Trainer:
** D. Wayne Lukas - 18
** Claude R. McGaughey III - 9
* Leading money winning owner:
** Allen E. Paulson - $8,730,000

Churchill Downs has hosted the race card six times, more than any other track. It hosted the card most recently in 2006, and will do so in 2010.

Television

NBC had broadcast every Breeders' Cup from its inception in 1984 through 2005. Starting in 2006, ESPN took over the television contract for eight years. On June 2, 2008, it was announced that ABC would televise a portion of the Saturday card from 1-3:30 PM Eastern before moving back to ESPN. ESPN2 airs the Friday Card.

Trevor Denman is the voice of the Breeders' Cup. He began in 2006. All previous Breeders' Cup races were called by Tom Durkin from 1984 through 2005.

Race tracks

Previous championships have been held at the following tracks:
*2007 - Monmouth Park
*2006 - Churchill Downs
*2005 - Belmont Park
*2004 - Lone Star Park
*2003 - Santa Anita Park
*2002 - Arlington Park
*2001 - Belmont Park
*2000 - Churchill Downs
*1999 - Gulfstream Park
*1998 - Churchill Downs
*1997 - Hollywood Park Racetrack
*1996 - Woodbine Racetrack
*1995 - Belmont Park
*1994 - Churchill Downs
*1993 - Santa Anita Park
*1992 - Gulfstream Park
*1991 - Churchill Downs
*1990 - Belmont Park
*1989 - Gulfstream Park
*1988 - Churchill Downs
*1987 - Hollywood Park Racetrack
*1986 - Santa Anita Park
*1985 - Aqueduct Racetrack
*1984 - Hollywood Park Racetrack

Some future sites have been set:

*2008 - Santa Anita Park +
*2009 - Santa Anita Park +
*2010 - Churchill Downs. [ [http://drf.com/news/article/99852.html Churchill to get 2010 Breeders' Cup - DRF.com ] ] (official)

"+ First time in Breeders' Cup History the event will be held consecutively at the same venue. "

Notes and references

ee also

* Breeders Crown
* The Grand National
* Breeders' Stakes
* 2007 Breeders' Cup
* List of horse races
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing