Guide Note
The Breeders' Cup is a two-day fall horse racing event featuring the best thoroughbred horses in 14 different races. The races are based on distance and track surface, as well as age of the horses. The Breeders' Cup is considered the biggest end-of-year event for the sport.
Fast Facts
- First contested in 1984
- Churchill Downs hosted most times: 6
- 2008 event: October 24 & 25
- 2008 site: Santa Anita Park
- Television coverage on ESPN
Super Bowl of Thoroughbred Racing
Before 1984, the sport of thoroughbred horse racing was primarily confined to a seven-week timeframe in May and June. This was due to the racing of the three Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, held the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville; the Preakness Stakes, held two weeks later at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore; and the Belmont Stakes, held three weeks after the Preakness at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. With the exception of ultra die hard racing fans, the sport was unable to hold the attention of the general sporting public beyond these races. This was why the Breeders' Cup was created, to not only give the sport another showcase for their talent, but also to highlight more than just 3-year old horses.
List of races
The races used to be held in one day. That changed in 2007, as the organizers thought it best to add a second day and additional races. So the event now begins on a Friday with 5 races, and concludes on Saturday with 9 more. The Friday events are: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. The Saturday events are: Breeders' Cup Marathon, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Breeders' Cup Sprint, Breeders' Cup Mile, Breeders' Cup Turf, and Breeders' Cup Classic.
