Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, managed 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 are in the United States, but in 1996, Once the races were in the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.
The presence at the Breeders’ Cup changes, 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 lowest two-day attendance 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 Occasions.
With the accession of 3 races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million was awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007. 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 this 2016 running, the total purses were increased from $26 million to $28 million. The bag of the Classic was increased 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 prizes and awards were increased to over $30 million after another race, the Juvenile Turf Sprint, was added along with the bag for its Sprint was increased to $2 million. [5]
Every Breeders’ Cup race presents four Breeders’ Cup decorations to the connections of the winner and a garland of flowers draped on the withers of the winning horse. Most Breeders’ Cup winners will go on to win the Eclipse Award in their respective division. For example, of the eleven horizontal racehorse groups, seven of the Eclipse winners in 2015 had won a Breeders’ Cup race, while three others were in the money. [6]
In the 2015 list of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), three Breeders’ Cup races are ranked among the best Grade 1 races in the world: 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, you will find eight races on the Breeders’ Cup cardall classified as Grade I races. In 2007, three races — the Dirt Mile, Filly and Mare Sprint, and Juvenile Turf — were inserted, all of them run the Friday prior to the remaining eight races. Three new races — a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon — were added 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 gender on the two days is blended between races.
The order of these 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, together with Day 2 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 on Day 1, but all other races remained on the day that they were run in 2008. In 2011, the Marathon was transferred from Day 1 to Day 2, with the Juvenile Sprint getting the first race overall (and also the only one on Day 1 open to males). The Marathon returned to Day 1 at 2012. Since 2013, the first day was no longer primarily devoted to races for fillies and mares, with all the Dirt Mile and Juvenile Turf moving to Day 1 and the Filly & Mare Sprint and Filly & Mare Turf moving to Day two.
Two other major changes were made in 2013. To begin with, the Juvenile Sprint (on dirt) was discontinued after only two runnings. That race had been widely perceived as a consolation prize for horses not good enough to operate in the Juvenile. [8] Second, the Ladies’ Classic returned to its original name of Distaff. Whenever the latter statement was made, Breeders’ Cup president Craig Fravel stated,
We revived the Ladies’ Classic to its original name because of feedback from our loyal fans that have a strong affinity for the Distaff. In recognition of our 30th year, the Distaff has provided us with a number of racing’s most remarkable minutes, typified 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 title Distaff to honor the rich history of the championships. [8]
For 2018, the sprint race for two-year Id was revived, now on turf since the Juvenile Turf Sprint. According to officials, the turf races for two-year old horses have more entries than can fit inside the Breeders’ Cup limitation of 12 to 14 horses, so that they needed to add the next turf race for age-old older horses at 5.5 or six furlongs, Based upon the trac